The fundamental error exposed in these verses is the same error that lies at the heart of the modern prosperity gospel (or the Health & Wealth Gospel,
or the “Gospel of Success”), advocated by Benny Hinn, Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar, Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Hagin and Joseph Prince, Paula White, Robert Tilton, among others. The error is that in this life, God expresses his favour towards those of faith who do God’s will by bestowing on them health and wealth, and that God withholds his favour from those who lack this faith by withholding health and wealth. Job was a righteous man, yet he experienced much misery and sorrow in his life. Asaph saw the wicked enjoying health and prosperity while the righteous suffered sickness and adversity (Psalm 73:3–12). Jesus praised the poor widow who gave generously to the service of the Lord, but there is nothing said that Jesus relieved her of her poverty. In fact, Jesus said that the church will always have the poor among them (Matthew 26:11). Jesus said that in the world we will experience tribulation (John 16:33), and Paul writes with the certainty that the righteous will suffer tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword (Romans 8:35). Paul suffered much affliction during his ministry (1 Corinthians 4:11; 2 Corinthians 6:4–5). On one occasion Paul had to leave his fellow-worker Trophimus at Miletus because he was ill (2 Timothy 4:20). It is wrong to think, much less teach, that God always grants health and prosperity to the faithful, and that God always grants sickness and adversity to the unfaithful. The righteous must wait patiently for the day of their reward.
13 “Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’