WHEN THE FOUNDATION SEEMS TO FAIL – Psalm 73
Life is hard.
Not only is life hard, but we have an enemy that loves to capitalize on those stressful moments to cause our perspective of God’s goodness to be distorted. This is where we find ourselves in our text this morning. Asaph was a musician for King David and was credited with writing a handful of Psalms starting with Psalm 73 (our text this morning). We don’t know a lot about Asaph or what was going on in his life when he penned this Psalm, but we can see through his words that he was struggling. He doesn’t start out this Psalm sharing his struggles, rather he starts it by sharing an unquestionable truth.
Psalm 73:1
1 Truly, God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure.
Asaph starts with a foundational statement of truth. He wants to declare a truth that is in direct contrast to what he shares with us later in this Psalm. To help us understand this truth, we need to understand that this truth was written under the old covenant. If we were to proclaim this truth as those who are under the New Covenant it would read something like, “Truly God is good to His children, to those who have made Him Lord of their lives”. This is a truth that we must never forget because it was the truth before the beginning of time. It’s the truth in our lives right now, and it will be the truth in the future. God is good!
Then Asaph does something we need to take note of. Once he finishes his truth statement, he starts the second verse by adding a qualifier…. “BUT”.
Psalm 73:2
2 But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.
Anytime we add a “but” to a truth statement about God, it’s usually because we are trying to justify our behavior. Take for instance, “I know the Bible says it’s a sin, but….”, “I know that God says I should do this, but…”, “I know what I’m doing is wrong, but….” These are just a few examples of how we use “buts” to justify our behavior, and regardless of his position, Asaph did the same. But what caused him to almost slip. (Pay attention to the “almost” here)
Well, he tells us in the first part of verse 3. It’s because of sin - the sin of envy.
Psalm 73:3-12
3 For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. 4 They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong. 5 They don’t have troubles like other people; they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else. 6 They wear pride like a jeweled necklace and clothe themselves with cruelty. 7 These fat cats have everything their hearts could ever wish for! 8 They scoff and speak only evil; in their pride, they seek to crush others. 9 They boast against the very heavens, and their words strut throughout the earth. 10 And so the people are dismayed and confused, drinking in all their words. 11 “What does God know?” they ask. “Does the Most High even know what’s happening?” 12 Look at these wicked people— enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.
Not only did Satan have Asaph doubting the absolute truth that God is good, but Satan has him also doubting God’s goodness in his present circumstances. He has him comparing himself to sinners, and it seems to Asaph that they have it so much better. They don’t seem to be struggling with the things that he is struggling with. They seem to be living a hedonistic lifestyle in health, while he is serving the Lord in sickness. Not only do they seem to be doing much better in those ways, but they are arrogant about their sin while they are succeeding. Asaph, in his present circumstance, is having a really hard time understanding what God is doing. He even says that it’s not just him that’s having these thoughts. There are people wondering if God really cares, or does He even exist at all. Comparison always takes our focus off what matters and directs it to ourselves. Absolute truth and God’s goodness in the present aren’t the only things that Satan had Asaph doubting.
Psalm 73:13-16
13 Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason? 14 I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain. 15 If I had really spoken this way to others, I would have been a traitor to your people. 16 So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is!
Asaph starts doubting God’s goodness in his past. Satan had distorted his perspective of God’s goodness so greatly that Asaph had forgotten the answered prayers, the times God had met him at his breaking point, the times God had miraculously come through right on time, and all the times he had experienced grace and mercy over the years. This was all because Asaph let a sin called envy into his life and gave it room to grow. So, what can he do? How can he fix this sin issue that has taken over his life? Easy - he goes to church.
Psalm 73:17-20
17 Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked. 18 Truly, you put them on a slippery path and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction. 19 In an instant they are destroyed, completely swept away by terrors. 20 When you arise, O Lord, you will laugh at their silly ideas as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.
It might seem to be the cliché answer but let me explain to you why going to church or the sanctuary corrected Asaph’s perception problem.
In the Sanctuary, Asaph would have heard prayer and worship.
True prayer and true worship are fixed, not upon us, but rather on God. He is the focus of all true worship and prayer. So, when Asaph started to compare himself to sinners, he was focused on himself, but now he was able to regain the correct focus and that was on God. With his eyes now placed upon the eternal God, he realized that what matters is not the here and now, but rather what matters most are those things that are eternal. He realizes the destiny of those he envied, and his jealousy turns to pity.
In the Sanctuary, Asaph would have heard the truth proclaimed.
Asaph would have heard truth proclaimed through the reading of scripture and preaching and would have been reminded that there is a truth that transcends his experiences, his feelings, and his doubts. There is an absolute truth that transcends everything, and that is the same truth he proclaims in verse 1. God is good!
In the Sanctuary, Asaph would have seen sacrifices.
In the temple, people came and offered sacrifices to atone for their sins. He would see animals’ lives taken and blood spilt for the sins of people to be removed. He would be reminded about how serious God takes sin. The same goes for us who are under the new covenant. We walk into our church, and we see empty crosses, and those should be a reminder that God so loved us that He sent His only son to die for us, to give us a way to be made right with Him. Sin is a big deal to God! It should be a big deal to us.
But now what? When faced with your sin you must do what we are all called to do when that happens - confess and repent.
Psalm 73:21-22
21 Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. 22 I was so foolish and ignorant— I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
When the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin in our lives, we must never quench the Spirit, instead, we must respond to the Holy Spirit. 1 John 1:9 tells us “If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” We must respond to the Holy Spirit’s call in our lives. Then, knowing we have been forgiven and cleansed, we can’t help but worship.
Psalm 73:23-28
23 Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. 26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever. 27 Those who desert Him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you. 28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.
Asaph declares that despite all his foolishness and sin, God never let him go. He held on and brought him through it to experience God as he never had before. This reminds me of what Job said after all he had been through, “I thought I knew about you God before all this happened, but now I’ve tasted, and I’ve seen you are good.” Asaph is also reminded that this world is not his home. This is just a very temporary stop along the way to eternity with God. He is now closer to God than ever before and knows how good God is. His trust is in God alone, and he is going to tell every one of the things God has done (which oddly enough is through this Psalm about his journey).
Even though Satan wanted Asaph to doubt God’s truth, to doubt God’s goodness in the present, and to doubt God’s goodness in the past, Asaph instead gave God all the glory. Once Asaph fixed his focus on God, instead of himself and his circumstances, his perception was no longer distorted. He gave the glory to God and proclaimed His goodness for everyone to hear. This was such a huge victory in the life of Asaph that we are still talking about it over 2,500 years later. God’s truth never changes. God is still good yesterday, today, and forever. God can take your present struggles and turn them upside down for His glory. Fix your eyes on Him, repent of the sin that caused your doubt in the first place, and proclaim His goodness to everyone who will hear. God is still in the business of giving beauty where you only see ashes. God is so, so Good!
