Well have you ever watched your dog? He probably didn't do this purposefully at the beginning. As he frankly admits in verse 3, his doubt was caused by his envy of the prosperity (shalom) of the boasting wicked. He was evil. He said these people mock at God (:8). In :11 he says they say: How does God know? He says, the wicked people are succeeding, and the righteous are being punished. Close Filters Scripture . In addition, the Hebrew word lebab, heart, occurs six times in the poem.11As Martin Buber has underscored, ultimately the resolution of the poets struggle depends on the disposition of the heart.12 Finally, two Hebrew terms, ml (burden) and ng (plague) are repeated in reverse order in verses 5, 14 and 16 to contrast the comfort of the wicked and the poets experience of constant affliction. Your Bible study. Or maybe he does business with an ungodly person in town who seems to have the Midas touch. The poet introduces his honest confession with the emphatic contrastive phrase But, as for me. This phrase introduces the yes, but factor. Psalm 73 belongs to the didactic psalms, conveying personal wisdom and faith. Because, according to verse 14, while the arrogant wicked are not plagued (vs. 5), the speaker is plagued constantly. [1] Psalm 73 is written by Asaph a Temple musician. Because God has showed me that things are going to end differently than they are right now. We're sorry, an error occurred. Psalm 73 begins with a summary of his theology. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped. To not be senseless and ignorant; like a beast before (God) as Asaph says in :22; To believe that it WILL end better for those who trust in the Lord and do good., You often hear people today say: Dont be on the wrong side of history. We hear that a lot from people today who believe that God and the Bible and fading away into history, and the future holds only the triumph of godless values. As we will see shortly, this is a man who is resting in God's goodness. Isn't that just like life sometimes? Pedestrians and shop owners poured into the streets to watch the spectacle of a whale carcass driven through the streets of downtown Tainan. While the first half of the Psalm is marked by a man-oriented perspective, he now sees things from a God-oriented perspective. In short, verse 27 declares that autonomy is a harlotry that does not work.54. Moreover, the opening behold (hinneh) at the beginning of verse 27a matches the behold in the summary description of the wicked in verse 12.50 This obvious cross-reference to verse 12 shows that through his transforming temple experience the psalmist made the startling discovery that his earlier perception about the wicked was false.51 The prosperity (shalom) of the wicked is not forever! This Psalm is his very personal testimony. Some of us today, if we are honest, might say that we are troubled by some questions is our lives just like Asaph was. On January 17, 2004, a 66-ton whale died and was beached on the southwestern coast of Taiwan, near the city of Tainan. Asaph is struggling with the World and the people in it. Brief outline from a message given at a nursing home, but suitable for any audience. II. Psalm 25:2 E-Mail Challenge. That's the situation of the psalmist in Psalm 73. Psalm 73 tells the story of a godly man who felt his faith slipping away. Scripture: Psalms 73:24. Consider this godly guidance when you get a raw deal. It wasnt right. He opens it with a truth: Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But then he begins to tell his own personal testimony in :2, But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling. He says God is good; I know that but I came close to stumbling (in the Bible stumbling means to be lost; to give up the faith. God can handle our hardest questions and still love us. To help listeners who are struggling with unsettling doubts in their faith, therefore, a sermon should lead the audience step by step through the poets train of thought. But Asaph is in trouble. Listen to his confession in v. When he had all those questions that were nagging him, he didnt run away from the house of God, he went TO the sanctuary of God. The fact that this vigorous protest is introduced by the same adverb surely as verse 1 and the fact that the phrase pure in heart is a repetition from the asseveration of divine justice in verse 1 suggest that verses 13-14 function as a counter claim to verse 1. Put yourself in the position to where you can hear from God. This psalm is a brutally honest confessional, from the heart of Asaph to the God he felt had given him a rip off. Denomination: Methodist. There he was reminded of God's attributes, character and power. Psalm 50:1-5 A psalm of Asaph. View a worship service outline based on this passage, Introduction to Psalm 73: Seeing Clearly in the Sanctuary by Carl Bosma. I just know that suddenly, Asaph started paying attention, and his confusion deepened. When I read that story I wrote an article and sent it to the Oklahoma Baptist Messenger, which basically said that because Whitney Hand knows Jesus as her Lord & Savior, that that wasnt the end of the story for her. According to the twice repeated expression "Happy are those," in verses 1-2, divine forgiveness of sins is the gateway to happiness. Perspective is God's gift to our inward sight, and with it we have a surefootedness to move ahead confidently as we live, learn, and labor. Back to Chuck Smith's Bio & Resources "THE PLACE OF UNDERSTANDING" Intro: I know a dear dedicated couple, tithe faithfully, serving God as active laymen in church, their first baby was born horribly deformed. It is good for me to draw near We have already seen that those who are far off shall perish; therefore, it is ill for them. (John 3:16 sermon), "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. Do not covet your neighbor's wife, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." read more, Scripture: Then he asked in 13:24 Why do You hide Your face and consider me Your enemy? The section as a whole concludes with a summary statement in verse 12, a verse in which the term wicked is repeated from verse 3 and the phrase at ease (NRSV; cf. I like Asaph already. The answer is that these verses serve as a rhetorical foil for the passionate protest that follows in verses 13-14. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); A Southern Baptist pastor for almost 35 years, I currently serve as Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Angleton, Texas, and post my weekly sermons on this site, as well as a brief overview for Sunday School teachers of the weekly Lifeway "Explore the Bible" lesson. Then I perceived their end. There are a couple of things here that Asaph says changed his perspective on what he saw happening around him: A. He says, God showed me that what I am seeing around me NOW, is NOT how this story is going to end: He says in :18-20 Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. Ps 26:7-8) in dramatic transformation of the psalmists despairing doubt (vv. What is worse, according to verse 11, the wicked are very cavalier about God. He didn't pretend everything was okay. Ps 30:7) recalls the word shalom in verse 3. Dont give up your faith. There is a sense in which we cannot be nearer to God in one view than another. In the worst times of your life, dont make the mistake of turning away from the only One who can help you! But despite his efforts to serve and honor God, his life was marked by difficulty. Blessed be the Lord for evermore. Everything changed. 4. Psalm 25:6-9 All The Wrong Notes. As Brueggemann rightly notes, this summary is not a condemnation of the wicked. In fact, in rather strong language, he acknowledges that he behaved as a brute beast38 with God. Psalms 73:25-26. For example, my father recited the beautiful words of verses 24-25 of this psalm to my mother on August 27, 1945, just before she died. He was used more by Satan than perhaps anyone else in his lifetime. They do not need God. Job was a righteous man who lost all his children, his possessions, and his health. Scripture: Psalm 73:25-26. Because they live at ease, therefore, according to verse 6, they are proud21 and violent. What happened to him, and what he saw happening around him, raised questions that caused him to give up his faith. And he's about to get as real as it gets. If you've ever had something happen to you that was out of human control but seemed so unfair that you don't understand how a good God could let it happen, then you need to sit awhile with a choir director named Asaph. How do you hold to the conviction that God is good when life stinks? We dont know why; its not our place to guess or even speculate. The opening statement God is good echoes Psalm 25:8 and 34:8 and the phrase pure in heart recalls Psalm 24:4. Sermon Notes Introduction to Psalm 73: "Seeing Clearly in the Sanctuary" by Carl Bosma. I try to be faithful and do right, and I have to fight for every inch. For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked. If it is, then just eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you may die. If this life is all there is, then it may not be worth it to serve God, because there are people who sin, and cheat, and steal, and seem to get away with it while people who obey God sometimes suffer. In the opening verse (vs. 1), the meaning of the predicate adjective good is ambiguous. *other, THE STORY OF CHICKEN LITTLE Introduction to Psalm 73: "Seeing Clearly in the Sanctuary". They were at once the lay face of the church, the spiritual heart of civic government, and the social kin who claimed the allegiance of peers and the obedience of subordinates. So dont turn away from God in your questions and times of difficulty, turn TO Him. Armed with a new perspective about God and this world, Asaph also sees himself clearly. Im sitting on the couchwith my eyes closedattempting to nap. You have words of eternal life. He says God is good; I know that . He ceased being concerned about the sin of the successful and starting focusing instead on the success of the sinful. How to Live with God as Your Portion By Kristine Brown . Before you bail out on God, Asaph wants you to sit with him and learn from his experiences. Here is where Asaph's perspective is expanded. Job had questions like this, didnt he? Sep 11, 2018. Put yourself in the position so that God can speak to you. They don't face the hardships I face. See, what we have to remember is that this life is not all there is. The repetition of the verb to tell (sfr) from verse 15 in verse 28c shows that the psalmists speech has now changed dramatically from self-pity (vv. be blessed man of god. It seemed to many people like he was just continuing to sin and get away with it. CSB Experiencing God Bible, Hardcover, Jacketed. 89:52, ending Book 3). Rating . Psalm 25:1-10 Riding Out The Waves. Behind every support specialist, Bible study editor, graphic designer, and accountant is a Sunday School teacher, kids volunteer, or small group leader. Truly God is good to Israel, To such as are pure in heart. So what good is it to be a believer? Why do I serve in ministry, week after week, but it doesnt seem like it is doing any good, and no one is responding or changing? Psalm 73:23-24 23 Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. He found God again. You didn't see that coming. Chuck Smith :: Sermon Notes for Psalm 73. Because ONE SECOND after they died, it all changed suddenly, didnt it? Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Asaph was one of three directors who worked under King David. He said in Job 10:18, Why then have You brought me out of the womb? In other words, his suffering was so great, why would God allow him to be born if he was going to have to go through all of that? Asaph confessed his self-pitying, self-centered bent. An Assuredly Good Thing. This Psalm is his very personal testimony. Maybe it happened at home with a parent or grandparent, your husband or wife or best friend. (Psalm 41:9), Listen, the real Bible not just the feel good parts of the Bible that get quoted in a lot of our devotionals the real Bible is FULL of these REAL, honest, hard questions that Gods people have brought before Him. Psalm 26 A Life Of Integrity. Consequently, the solution of the psalmists heart-rending problem transcends human wisdom. Like Asaph, come into the sanctuary of God.. Verses 4-5 of the first part detail why the wicked enjoy shalom. So make the visit that Asaph made; put yourself in the place where God can speak to you about the issues of your life: be faithful in your church attendance; be faithful in your daily Bible reading. Four promises from God in this passage: 1. Copyright 2003-2023 | Outreach, Inc., All rights reserved. In the NT Jesus says dont cause one of these little ones to stumble that means dont do anything that might cause someone to be lost.) Her senior year she was having a great season, when in the first half of a game, she blew out her knee again, ending her career at OU. As a result, "Psalm 32 serves as an important check against any tendency . In either case, questioning and doubts are not virtues, as some have suggested.60 Ultimately, the truth is that continuous questioning and doubt destroys human relationships. It's remarkable how inefficient these actions are. It's not fair.". However, a bad illustration can distract and confuse if the listener. According to Isaiah 48:22, there is no peace for the wicked. Its the same thing with our daily Bible reading. But it wasnt just that he came to God; God actually SHOWED him something specific that helped him: he says in :17, Then I perceived their end. He says God showed me not just what the present state of these wicked people is, but what their END is going to be. And they show us that we can be HONEST with God; we dont have to hide in some kind of fake spirituality and hold any of our questions back from Him. 2-3) While Asaph had once been confident in God, his faith is now faltering. 13-14; vv. He preached in the same church as C. H. Spurgeon over one hundred years earlier. His big concern is immediate gratification. Elmer A. Martens. "It was oppressive to me," he said. "Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him." They can take care of themselves. When you did the right thing, but got the back of the hand anyway. Hah." It is this asseveration of divine justice that is severely tested in verses 2-27 and marvelously reaffirmed in verse 28, which, as we have noted above, forms an inclusio with verse 1. Asaph was eaten up with it. "You are guiding me with your counsel," he said . by Carl Bosma. So he says in :13, Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and washed my hands in innocence. Maybe Lazarus was tempted to give up HIS faith. In the Psalm Asaph recounts a time of wavering faith and growing doubts. D. The book of Job and Psalm 37 deal with the same problem, but in this life; Psalm 73 deals with it in light of Matthew 25. Asaph takes his raw deal to the right place and finds out that he didn't have it bad after all. Asaph believes God exists, that He is good and sovereign over all. Like Asaph, come into the sanctuary of God.. As such, it has proved to be an enduring source of comfort amidst suffering. In addition to the important connections between Psalm 73 and Psalms 1 and 2, Psalm 73 also shares important themes with Psalm 34. The hand anyway but got the back of the predicate adjective good ambiguous! Now faltering Verses 4-5 of the sinful and confuse if the listener on couchwith! 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