Psalms 73:1-28
A Psalm of Asaph.
1 Truly God is good to Israel,
To such as are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
My steps had nearly slipped.
3 For I was envious of the boastful,
When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For there are no pangs in their death,
But their strength is firm.
5 They are not in trouble as other men,
Nor are they plagued like other men.
6 Therefore pride serves as their necklace;
Violence covers them like a garment.
7 Their eyes bulge with abundance;
They have more than heart could wish.
8 They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;
They speak loftily.
9 They set their mouth against the heavens,
And their tongue walks through the earth.
10 Therefore his people return here,
And waters of a full cup are drained by them.
11 And they say, "How does God know?
And is there knowledge in the Most High?"
12 Behold, these are the ungodly,
Who are always at ease;
They increase in riches.
13 Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain,
And washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all day long I have been plagued,
And chastened every morning.
15 If I had said, "I will speak thus,"
Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.
16 When I thought how to understand this,
It was too painful for me—
17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their end.
18 Surely You set them in slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
19 Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment!
They are utterly consumed with terrors.
20 As a dream when one awakes,
So, Lord, when You awake,
You shall despise their image.
21 Thus my heart was grieved,
And I was vexed in my mind.
22 I was so foolish and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
24 You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
26 My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish;
You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.
28 But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,
That I may declare all Your works.
This song puts perspective on those ungodly in the world who seem to have little problems and material success. We know that Gos is good to His people, whose hearts are His. Like the psalmist Asaph, however, we look around as His people and notice how the worldly seem to have everything in the world. We suffer, and they prosper. Sometimes we then get envious of their prosperity as we find ourselves lacking what they have, and we begin to stumble because of the boastful ones seeming to look down on us or sneer at our God and our humble state. The world’s followers seem unswayed by the prospect of death, and they seem untroubled because they often get what they desire, while we as God’s seem to have so little in comparison. We can miss what we do have is so much more and better, things not seen with the eye or proudly impressing others. Or we can demand the same things from God, V.P. even creating a “gospel” of getting whatever we ask and enjoying ourselves as if this were our best life in the here and now. The description here of those we may envy is not a pretty picture; they have pride and violence in their abundance, and laugh at those suffering or not as well off. They curse heaven and the Lord who rules there, as they speak to everyone on earth about anything other than God and spiritual matters to please or honor Him. They say that God does not know or see them nor their words and deeds. They think themselves to be above Him and live in sin accordingly as their easy life, importance, and riches become their objects of worship. Like Asaph, we are sometimes drawn into doubts, thinking that what we do for God is not worth it, or even meaningless if we do not prosper as the wicked do. But that would not make us true to God’s people who know better. These thoughts vanish away when we pray in worship and consider the eternal outcome of the evil ones who live for the now and ignore the Everlasting One. Their judgment will end it all in an instant, destruction falling on them by the One they mock and ignore by slander and rebellious words and deeds. They will be their own nightmare as God awakes them from their dreams and judges them. When we even start to envy such people, the right thing to do is not to continue in such ignorance, but to pray with the assurance that God is always by us, that He holds our hand and guides us right and righteously in His counsel and judgment. He will receive us to Himself in eternal glory in the New Jerusalem! Who then do we have in heaven but Him, and none on the earth should we desire more than Him. Even when we fail and want to give up or give in, we can instead trust our weak hearts and minds to His strength because we are His portion. Those near God have this assurance in Christ according to His righteousness and atoning work on the cursed tree to take the penalty of our sin on Himself. Those who live opposed to Him and wickedly mock as they amass all for themselves in this life, they will suffer loss forever. We however, draw nearer to God by faith, trusting His grace and goodwill to men whom He chooses, that we may tell of these great works to others, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord. This is the end of the wicked in judgment and the assurance of grace! Amen.
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