Faith On Trial

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Psalm 73 NIV
A psalm of Asaph. 1 Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. 2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. 3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. 5 They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills. 6 Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. 7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity; their evil imaginations have no limits. 8 They scoff, and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression. 9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. 10 Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. 11 They say, “How would God know? Does the Most High know anything?” 12 This is what the wicked are like— always free of care, they go on amassing wealth. 13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence. 14 All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments. 15 If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children. 16 When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply 17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. 18 Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. 19 How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! 20 They are like a dream when one awakes; when you arise, Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. 21 When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, 22 I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. 23 Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 27 Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. 28 But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.
SECTION OUTLINE SEVENTY-THREE (PSALM 73)
Asaph, a chief musician appointed by David and author of several psalms, deals with the question, Why do the wicked prosper and the righteous go unrewarded?
Ps. 73 the psalm is divided into three parts: the crisis of faith (vv. 1–12), the turning point in the crisis (vv. 13–17), and the resolution of the crisis (vv. 18–28).
I. Asaph and the Evil Ones(73:1–20)
A. The consternation (73:1–20): Psalmist Asaph is deeply troubled by two matters:
1. The prosperity of the godless (73:3–12)
a. They enjoy health and wealth (73:3–4).
b. They have no worries or problems (73:5).
c. They are proud and cruel (73:6).
d. They have everything (73:7).
e. They are arrogant toward God and people (73:8–12).
2. The pain of the godly (73:1–2, 13–16)
a. He feels like he is about to fall off a cliff (73:1–2).
b. His life of purity seems unrewarded (73:13).
c. He is constantly plagued with problems (73:14–16).
B. The clarification (73:17–20): Asaph realizes the destiny of the wicked.
1. The place of this revelation (73:17): Asaph realizes this while he is in the sanctuary.
2. The particulars of this revelation(73:18–20)
a. The wicked are on a slippery path to destruction (73:18–19).
b. The present life of the wicked is but a dream (73:20): They will vanish from the earth when the Lord arises.
II. Asaph and the Exalted One(73:21–28): Asaph acknowledges two great truths about God:
A. God is guiding him (73:21–24).
B. God is watching over him (73:25–28).
73:1–12 These verses articulate the crisis of faith.
73:1 God is good. What clouded the psalmist’s heart and troubled his relationship with the Lord has been resolved but only through struggle.
73:2 my feet had almost stumbled. An obedient life is often compared to a walk along a straight path (Prov. 1–9). The psalmist describes doubt and skepticism with the image of falling off a path.
73:6 pride is their necklace. The prosperity of the wicked leads to the deeper sins of pride and violence.
73:7 eyes swell out. A figure for a heart made insensitive by overindulgence (1 John 2:16).
1 John 2:16 NIV
16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.
73:9 against the heavens. The proud are not afraid to talk as if they had created the world themselves, leaving God behind (Acts 20:22).
73:13–17 These verses articulate the turning point in the crisis.
73:13 in vain. Shows the poet’s attitude before he resolved the issue in his mind.
73:15 If I had said. If he had broadcast his doubts and complaints before coming to a solution, he would have instilled doubt in the community of God.
73:16 this. The prosperity of the wicked and the suffering of the righteous.
Psalm 73:17–20 NIV
17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. 18 Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. 19 How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! 20 They are like a dream when one awakes; when you arise, Lord, you will despise them as fantasies.
into the sanctuary. The change came for him when he entered the presence of God revealed in the temple.
Alexander the Great (356–323 BC) spent his final years consolidating the vast empire he had built. The enormity of his accomplishments led to a heightened sense of his own greatness. By 324 BC, he seemed to have become convinced of his own divinity, not at all uncommon amidst the mythological mind-set of ancient Greece. Following a lengthy banquet in early June 323 BC, Alexander came down with a fatal illness, and on June 13 he died. His body was buried in a gold coffin in Alexandria. In the twelve short years of his reign.
The Herodian - A literal Mountain of a Castle. Died painfully, rotting from the inside out.
Acts 12:21–23 NIV
21 On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22 They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” 23 Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.
We stood at the location of this very event.
their end. Though the wicked may prosper for a time, their final lot is destruction.
GOD IS FAITHFUL… EVEN WHEN WE ARE NOT.
73:22 brutish and ignorant. His negative emotions blocked clear thinking about God and His ways.
If we allow our perspective toward the circumstances to prevail, it can make us utterly useless to God.
Steven Runge
Psalm 73:23 NIV
23 Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.
you hold my right hand. God is close to the worshiper to counsel and guide him.
Psalm 48:14 NIV
14 For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.
Hebrews 13:5–6 NIV
5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” 6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
Psalm 73:24 NIV
24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.
to glory. While some take this as a reference to eternal glory, a reference to earthly fame and reputation is more likely.
Matthew 6:31–33 NIV
31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
73:25 nothing … besides you. An example of hyperbole to emphasize the fact that God is the psalmist’s ultimate desire (cf. 16:2 note).
73:28 good to be near God. The presence of God is the ultimate resolution to the problem of the prosperity of the wicked.
Psalm 73:25 NIV
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
Psalm 73:28 NIV
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.
God is good to His people. even when they’re perspective is off.
What I really see in this Psalm is that God is going to take care of his children.
Are you a Child of God? I am not asking if you are created in the image of God, I am asking if you are a child of God?
Only those who are alive in Christ through faith have the promises told today.
Have you recognized you are a sinner in need of a savior?
That you are guilty before God and have no hope of justification on your own?
Have you repented before God?
Believed that Jesus took the punishment for your sin upon himself on the cross of Calvary?
That Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to the Father?
That He is coming again to judge the living and the dead, giving to each the righteous justice they deserve?
Are you completely trusting in Christ alone for your being forgiven and right with God for the day of judgment coming?
If you have questions about this, good. I would love to speak with you. Please come to me after this service and we will talk.
But above all, if you question this, ask God to have mercy on you, ask Him to provide the grace and faith to be and believe as a child of God.
Prayer.
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