Psalm 73 - Our True Treasure is the Nearness of God

Intro

New York City — Fall 2008. The U.S. economy was collapsing, and families everywhere were paying the price. Millions lost jobs, homes were foreclosed, and retirement accounts that parents had faithfully built for decades disappeared overnight. Yet on Wall Street, the very executives whose reckless decisions fueled the crisis walked away with multimillion-dollar bonuses. Families who suffered didn’t get bailouts, but the banks did. The very people who caused so much pain and devastation seemed to come out ahead. And people couldn’t help but ask, “Why did those who acted with greed and recklessness get rewarded? Why do good things happen for bad people?”

And sometimes, it’s the opposite story. Sometimes it’s not the bad who prosper, but the good who suffer. Hill Country, Texas — July 2025. At Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp that had been running for nearly a century, parents dropped off their daughters expecting a summer of fun, worship, and friendship. But in the early hours of July 4th, tragedy struck. A sudden wall of water—over 26 feet high—rushed through the camp in less than an hour. Cabins were torn apart, girls were swept away, and lives were lost. By the end, 27 campers and staff, including the camp director who died trying to rescue the girls, never came home. Families who trusted God, who sent their daughters to a place dedicated to worship and discipleship, were left grieving and asking, “Why would God allow this to happen here, to those who were simply trying to love Him and serve Him? Why do bad things happen to good people?”

And that’s the very tension Psalm 73 speaks into. When we look around and see the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer, it stirs confusion and even the temptation to wonder if following God is worth it. Our hearts can be drawn toward what looks good on the surface but, in reality, pulls us away from what is truly good. The psalmist Asaph wrestled with the same questions we wrestle with today—questions that don’t always come with neat, simple answers. Yet by the end of the psalm, he lifts our eyes to something greater: that our true treasure is not earthly fairness or prosperity, but the nearness of God Himself. That is the only security that cannot be shaken, and the only answer that ultimately satisfies.

Prayer

1. God is Good but the way of the wicked is appealing (1-3)

Before diving into the psalm, we should note that Asaph wasn’t just any random worshiper—he was a Levite, one of David’s chief musicians (1 Chron. 6, 15). He was a man who led others in worship, who knew the truths of God deeply. That makes his honesty here even more striking, because he admits that what he knew in his head was colliding with what he saw in the world.

Psalm 73:1–3 ESV

1 Truly God is good to Israel, to those who 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 arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

“Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.” (v.1) Asaph begins with a doctrinal anchor: God is good to His people. But he makes a distinction—God’s goodness isn’t a blanket promise to every Israelite simply by birthright, but to those who are “pure in heart.” What does that mean simply? It’s not sinless perfection, but sincerity. The pure in heart are those who repent, who trust God, and who live as if He really is God—not just in words, but in their whole life.

That’s the truth. That’s the foundation. But what makes the psalms so powerful is the honesty that follows. Asaph says: “But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped” (v.2). He confesses that he nearly lost his footing in faith. Why? Because he was envious. “For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (v.3).

Guzik points out that envy is often the beginning of many spiritual problems—it’s the lens that distorts how we see God, ourselves, and others. Asaph’s struggle wasn’t because he didn’t know the truth, but because he was comparing his life with those who didn’t even care about God.

And isn’t that us too? Many of us know the truths of Scripture—we pray, we’ve memorized verses, we sing the songs, we know God is faithful and has saved us from sin and death. And yet, we still find the world’s ways appealing. Sometimes life seems easier for those who don’t follow Christ. We can be tempted to envy them, to feel like their way looks better.

That’s where Asaph starts. He knows God is good, but the pull of the wicked’s prosperity almost caused him to slip.

Point 2: The Wicked Seem to Prosper (4-15)

Asaph now will start to list a bunch of different reasons for why the way of the Wicked seems so appealing. Psalm 73:4-15

Psalm 73:4–15 ESV

4 For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek. 5 They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind. 6 Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment. 7 Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies. 8 They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. 9 They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth. 10 Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them. 11 And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” 12 Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. 13 All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. 14 For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning. 15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed the generation of your children.

I won’t go through each verse in detail, but let’s pause and notice what Asaph is saying.

In verse 4, he observes that “they have no pangs until death.” In other words, the wicked seem to live with ease right up until the end. He adds that “their bodies are fat and sleek.” Now, in our culture, calling someone “fat” sounds like an insult. But in the ancient world, it wasn’t negative—it was a sign of abundance. The poor were often thin because they lacked food, while the wealthy were visibly “well-fed.” Asaph is pointing out that the wicked aren’t struggling; they have more than enough.

Verse 5 continues that thought: their lives don’t seem as hard as everyone else’s. They seem to escape the troubles common to the rest of humanity. Think back to the financial crisis example—families lost homes, jobs, and retirement savings, but the executives responsible walked away richer than ever. They weren’t “stricken with the rest of mankind,” like verse 5 says. That kind of injustice is exactly what Asaph is struggling with.

Then he piles on descriptions: prideful, violent, satisfied in indulgence, and filled with malice. And malice isn’t just anger—it’s a hardened hostility, a kind of deep-seated rage that comes out in harsh, destructive words. Verse 9 even says they “set their mouths against the heavens.” They live and speak as though they are untouchable, as if they answer to no one—not even God.

But here’s the key: this isn’t just about individual bad actions. Believers can still wrestle with pride or anger in moments. What Asaph is describing is a whole way of life, a settled posture of the heart. It’s the opposite of being “pure in heart.” Instead of repentance and faith, this is rebellion and unbelief—a heart hardened against God.

Psalm 73:10 In verse 10 we hit a tricky line to translate. The ESV says, 

Psalm 73:10 ESV

10 Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them.

The NKJV reads differently: “Therefore his people return here, and waters of a full cup are drained by them.” The Hebrew is difficult, which is why modern translations differ. But the truth is clear: the wicked are not only tolerated, they are admired. People flock to them. They drink in their words like water, and instead of questioning their pride or arrogance, they look to them for guidance. It’s as if the wealthy and arrogant “must know what’s going on,” so people turn to them as role models.

And culturally this made sense. In ancient Israel—and honestly, in much of human history—there was a widespread belief that material prosperity was a sign of God’s favor. If you were healthy, rich, and influential, it must have meant you were doing something right before God. If you were suffering or poor, maybe you had sinned. That’s exactly what Job’s friends assumed about him. So in Asaph’s day, the prosperous wicked weren’t just envied—they were often assumed to be wise, even blessed.

These people then say in verse 11:

Psalm 73:11 ESV

11 And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?”

This isn’t an honest theological question; it’s mockery. They’re essentially saying, “God doesn’t see what we’re doing. He’s distant. He doesn’t know, and even if He does, He won’t act.” It’s arrogance against heaven itself. They are claiming autonomy: “We’ve figured life out. We don’t need God.”

Then in verses 12–15 Asaph circles back. “Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.”  On the one hand, the wicked are at ease and growing richer. On the other, Asaph has devoted himself to God, to keeping his heart pure, and what has it earned him? He feels stricken, disciplined, rebuked every morning. He’s a worship leader in Israel, guiding God’s people into song and truth, and yet he himself is envious and exhausted by this tension.

Verse 15 is crucial: “If I had said, ‘I will speak thus,’ I would have betrayed the generation of your children.” Asaph recognizes that if he had voiced all his doubts and envy openly while still in the middle of the struggle, it would have harmed others in the faith. As Guzik notes, “Asaph felt the pull of doubt and envy, but he also felt the responsibility of leadership.” He’s honest with God about his struggle, but he refuses to spread it recklessly to the congregation.

And yet, here we are reading it in Scripture. What’s the difference? By the time Asaph writes this psalm, he’s not stuck in envy—he’s writing from the other side of the struggle. If the psalm ended at verse 14, it would leave us in despair. But Asaph shares his story after walking through it, so his testimony becomes an encouragement, not a stumbling block.

Point 3: The Wicked Will Fall (16-22)

Psalm 73:16 ESV

16 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task,

Notice Asaph’s honesty. He says that trying to make sense of life—why the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer—was exhausting. And haven’t we all been there? When we try to be God instead of worship God, when we demand to understand everything instead of trusting His wisdom, it will always leave us weary and frustrated.

But then comes the turning point:

Psalm 73:16–17 ESV

16 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, 17 until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.

The key is worship. Once Asaph entered the sanctuary of God, everything changed.

Sanctuary context: During this time and culture, this likely referred to the temple or tabernacle—God’s dwelling place among His people. But it’s not just about a building; it’s about being in God’s presence. The sanctuary was where sacrifices were made, sins were atoned for, and God was worshiped. When Asaph stepped into that place, his perspective shifted from earth to eternity. He stopped envying the wicked’s temporary gain and started seeing their eternal ruin.

Psalm 73:18–20 ESV

18 Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. 19 How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! 20 Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.

To recap: The wicked will

They are on slippery ground.

They will fall into ruin.

They will be destroyed in a moment.

They will be swept away by terrors.

God despises them as phantoms—here today, gone tomorrow.

Asaph is declaring the certainty of judgment. This is the reality of the wicked: their prosperity is fragile, fleeting, and ultimately fatal.

And Scripture confirms this everywhere:

Romans 6:23 ESV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Nahum 1:3 ESV

3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.

What is amazing about God is how radical it is of how such a just God would actually offer salvation and forgiveness through His Son. Something that I think we should actually hold onto, Church, is to understand how just God is, and it will accentuate how great His love is even more. The thing is, when Asaph had been thinking of worldly desires, he’d forgotten whom he serves and his eternal purpose. During this time he states:

Psalm 73:21–22 ESV

21 When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, 22 I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.

In the beginning of the Psalm, it states that God is good to the pure in heart, but here we see a contrast of where his flesh led him. He says his heart was “pricked”—wounded, disturbed, unsettled. And the image he uses is that he became like a beast. Beasts have no thoughts of eternity. They don’t comprehend who Jesus is. They simply act on instinct. They do what they feel like they must do.

Asaph is saying, “That’s how I was when I let envy and bitterness rule me.” He was functioning as if there was nothing more than the present moment, as if God’s promises didn’t matter, as if eternity didn’t exist.

But here’s where humans are different from beasts. God has given us a soul, a will, a conscience, the ability to think beyond the immediate moment. We can reflect, choose, and ultimately worship. We are not bound to instinct—we are made to know the God of eternity and walk in His purposes. That’s why when we forget God, when we live only for what we see right now, we’re living beneath what He created us for.

And so Asaph comes to the realization: “I was brutish, I was ignorant, I was acting like a beast.” But the grace of God is that He doesn’t leave us there. He calls us back to Himself, to remember that we’re not animals chasing after survival or pleasure—we’re children made to know Him, to worship Him, and to live for His glory. God is good, we just need to have our eyes opened.

Point 4: God is with the Pure in Heart (23-26)

Psalm 73:23–26 ESV

23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

IN verse 23 we start with the heart of what I believe it means to be a follower of Jesus. It is a commitment to serve and follow Jesus Christ. No matter what, you stick with the Lord.

In verse 23, we see the heart of what it means to follow Jesus. To be a follower of Christ is a commitment—no matter what—to stick with the Lord.

This is where the Psalmist points to the ultimate truth: God is His true treasure. After everything—the struggles, the envy, the times of doubt—he knows that nothing on earth can satisfy like God Himself. Church, how many times have we felt that pull? We see the world and what it offers, we get jealous, we think if we just had that, life would be better. But it always falls short. The things of this world may seem valuable, but in the end, they cannot satisfy—they can even destroy.

One thing I love about Christ is that He doesn’t just tell us not to sin because He likes rules. He tells us not to sin because sin damages us. He made us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. So, go to God. Let Him be your true treasure. He alone will satisfy.

Psalm 73:25–26 ESV

25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

This is what we sang today: "Whom have I in heaven? Who else would I run to? There is no one I desire, only You, only You, only You."

Church, it is amazing to be able to declare this with conviction: when you go to God, He strengthens you. Your flesh may fail, your heart may falter, but God carries you. He gives supernatural peace, calm, and joy. Life is stressful. Life is hard. But God is bigger than every stress, every fear, every trial. He truly cares for you. He loves you. That is all you need. The sovereign, reigning God of the universe is on your side. Who else do you need? There is nothing on earth that compares. Who else, church, do you need? God is good Church. He is our True Treasure

Point 5: God is Our Ultimate Treasure (27-28)

The Psalmist comes full circle now—from the sorrow and envy at the beginning of the psalm to this place of clarity and worship.

Psalm 73:27–28 ESV

27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. 28 But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.

He says, “Behold!”—take notice! The way of the wicked, which seems tempting and better than what we are experiencing, will perish. God will bring justice. I know the idea of God’s judgment can feel heavy, even uncomfortable, but justice is part of His righteous character. It is right and good.

Verse 28 shows the contrast and the culmination of the psalm: it is good to be near God. That is the ultimate treasure, Church. You can go through:

Poverty

Divorce

Illness

Betrayal

Loss of a loved one

Times of fear or danger

Seasons of confusion or disappointment

…and still, it is good to be near God. He is your refuge. Your life may be filled with storms, but the nearness of God never fails. When you truly experience Him as your treasure, all you want to do is tell others about Him—about His works, His faithfulness, and His love.

No matter what happens in life, nothing else can satisfy the heart like God Himself. He is our ultimate treasure—the one worth pursuing, holding onto, and worshipping above all else.

Gospel Connection: The Nearness of Christ is made available through His death and is our true treasure.

Even though it might not seem overt, much of Psalm 73 describes the wicked—their ways so appealing, how Asaph was tempted and thinking like a beast. But the heart of the Psalm, and the heart of the gospel, is this truth: even in spite of all that, God is better. His presence is all you need.  I’ve seen it transform my life and the lives of countless others, and I know this Church can experience the same.

1. The nearness of Christ is made available through His death

Of course, His resurrection is essential—it is why we are believers—but this aspect of the gospel is profound. Because of Christ’s death, the veil in the temple was torn.

Matthew 27:51 ESV

51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.

This veil separated humanity from the Holy of Holies, the place where God’s presence dwelt. Christ’s death restores what was once impossible: access to God. While His return will make this perfect, we already experience the promises the Old Testament saints longed for—the nearness of God is available to us now.

2. His Nearness is Our True Treasure

The disciples understood this, and Paul amplifies it in multiple letters:

Philippians 3:8 ESV

8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

and one last one 2 Corinthians 4:7-10

2 Corinthians 4:7–10 ESV

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

This is our true treasure, Church. It dwells within us. It is a supernatural strength that doesn’t make sense by the world’s standards, but it sustains us.

Church, I love Christ. He tests me. He refines me. Life can be hard. But with Him, it is good. Through every trial, temptation, and moment of weakness, He is our treasure. His nearness is enough. His presence is everything.

So What do You do today?

For the non-believer: Place Your Faith in Christ

The Psalmist says in verse 27

Psalm 73:27 ESV

27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.

This is true. God will judge the unfaithful. I know that can be scary, and maybe you don’t want to hear it. But if you are far from God, this is also a wake-up call—a chance to see the truth and respond. The Psalmist also shows us that trying to make sense of life without God is a wearisome task. Don’t wrestle with it alone. Today, God is giving you an opportunity to place saving faith in Christ. While the unfaithful face judgment, the faithful are saved by His grace.

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Confess with your mouth that you cannot save yourself and that only Christ can. Declare that Jesus is Lord, that He died for your sins and rose again on the third day. He is alive, not a dead God. Repent of your life and follow Him today.

For the Believer: Be On Guard

Although this Psalm is speaking more about a state of unfaithfulness than specific actions, it still serves as a strong warning for us. Even the Psalmist, a worship leader and man of God, wrestled with the gravity of his sinful desires and the pull of his old self. He acknowledges in verse 2 that his “feet had almost stumbled, [his] steps had nearly slipped.” And yet in verse 18, we see that God has set the wicked in slippery places.

As Rocco mentioned last week, sin often starts small—just a thought, a glance, a choice—and can grow until it feels impossible to stop. Church, be careful.

1 Peter 5:8 ESV

8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

You could slip at any moment and into a state where you are rebelling against God. We must be vigilant.

So how do we stay on guard? Psalm 73 gives us guidance:

Guard Your Eyes → Protect your heart from envy and comparison. Asaph says in verse 3, “For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” Keep your eyes fixed on Christ, not on what the world offers (Hebrews 12:2). Don’t let the success or possessions of others grow into discontent in your heart.

Guard Your Steps → Stay alert and aware, recognizing slippery ground before it causes a fall. Asaph confesses in verse 2 that his “feet had almost stumbled, [his] steps had nearly slipped.” Be intentional about your choices. Paul reminds us to “walk in the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). Step carefully and pursue obedience daily.

Guard Your Heart → Keep your treasure in Christ. Let the fleeting things of this world fade so that your desire is fixed on God, your ultimate portion (vv. 23–26). James 4:7–8 tells us, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” The more you pursue nearness to God, the less room there is for sin to take root.

Being on guard isn’t about fear—it’s about faithfulness. It’s about living in a way that keeps you close to God so that when temptation comes, your heart is already aligned with your true treasure: Christ.