Our verse for today, builds upon the teaching of verse 17. The instruction is; do not be jealous of sinners, but fear the Lord. Solomon gives two reasons for this in verse 18. First of all, any time we become jealous of the wicked, we are not thinking with an eternal perspective. There will be an end to the prosperity of the wicked; many times in this life, but for sure on the day of judgment. God’s longsuffering will eventually come to an end. When we consider the realities of Hell and eternal punishment, the temptation to envy the wicked loses its power. The second reason Solomon gives for not being jealous of the wicked, is that faithfulness that produces endurance and sacrifice, will not end in disappointment. Not only will the wicked meet judgment on the last day, but those who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb, and have endured hardships for Christ’s sake, will receive the substance of their hope. To borrow a phrase from CS Lewis, the reason we should not be jealous of the ungodly, is because we are currently living in the “Shadow Lands”. We must remind ourselves that current circumstances are not the sum total of reality, our hope lies in eternity, not the present.