Praying the Psalms (73)

Hymn: Crown Him with Many Crowns (234)

Background:

“Asaph,” the author of Psalm 73, suffered a severe bout of myopic faith.

This gifted man was an outstanding musician in the time of David (Ezra 2:41) and an appointed minister of music in the temple as the leader of one of David's Levitical choirs (1 Chr. 15:19; 16:5).

Wrote Psalm 50 and Psalms 73–83.

This psalm was written during a time when he took his eyes off the Lord and focused on the prosperity of the wicked around him.

This look caused him to struggle and lose sight of the eternal because he was giving full attention to the temporal.

This psalm addresses one of life's most difficult problems: How is it that the wicked so often prosper while the godly suffer so much?

He is going to say something true, but then demonstrate his struggle to believe it’s truth.

Psalm 73:1 ESV

1 Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

This tells me how important it is to remind yourself of the truth when you have your wits about you.

Your faith will be attacked from within and without.

Some of you might need to write down truth so that you can be reminded of it when those season of doubt inevitable come.

God is good - (HB. - towv) - a fundamental truth of God.

Psalm 136:1 (ESV) 1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.

What we are going to see is that God’s goodness is not diluted one bit by the hardships He sends our way (bad cup of lemonade).

It is well to make sure of what we do know, for this will be good anchor hold for us when we are molested by those mysterious storms which arise from things which we do not understand. - Spurgeon

to those who are pure in heart. Ps. 24:3-4

Psalm 24:3–4 (ESV) - 3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.

Who makes us pure in heart?

Hymn: Jesus Paid it All (210) - capo 4

The Difficulty of Doubt (2-14)

Why should people who disregard God be the recipients of his goodness more than those who trust him? This was the question in Asaph's mind.

Do you ever wonder if it is worth it to live a life that is pleasing to God, when the ways of God don’t seem to be pleasing to you?

He is struggling with envy.

Genesis 4:3–7 (ESV) 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

Cain wanted what someone else had and he had a choice to accept what the Lord was giving him or take matters in to his own hands and be driven by his own perception of write and wrong and he kills his brother.

There are devastating consequences if you don’t kill the sin of envy. You need to get down to the root of it and yank it out. The Psalmist will get there by the end of the Psalm…but what you are going to see is it is hard very hard not just just give up. Have you ever had to try and dig out an old tree stump? Oh, I will just cut it off at the surface. I will just mound up some dirt over it or put a put a plant in a pot on top of it. But it is still occupying space in the ground and it will eventually rot and corrode and it will colapse. It has to be taken out.

The end of this Psalm the Asaph is going to show up with backhoe and dig the whole thing out, but throughout this Psalm you will see him getting tired and walking away.

V3 - What are you looking at? When you are looking at the prosperity of the wicked? You are looking at the wicked. Your eyes are not where they should be.

4-9 - he is describing the wicked…he is very observant of them.

4 - No pangs until death - (bond, or fetter) something that will restrict your freedoms.

They do whatever they want, whenever they want, for however long they want up to the moment of their death…with ABSOLUTELY no consequences for their actions…that is in this life. (They will die)…but that will happen to all of us…their lives and the way they live them unencumbered by loads of care…that is what I want.

5 - live like no one else (hchmal) - seem to have avoided the curse (Gen. 3:17-19)

7 - they have abundant provisions

8 - they have power and it threatens others…they use power to oppress others.

9 - “against the heavens” “earth” - they are laying claim to all of it - they deny God. (Babel - name for themselves)

10 -14 - consequence - Because the arrogant wicked seem to prosper, their attitude is contagious and it has a damaging effect on others who “turn” and follow their example.

always at ease…never afflicted, what is the point of me following God?

This is getting pretty bleak…this is dispair setting in hard.

Hymn: I Must Tell Jesus (430)

Hymn: O The Deep Deep Love (211)

The Dawning of Truth (15-20)

Here he begins to shift his attention…

15 - he begins to pivot knowing that if he keeps thinking this way it will have a damaging effect on him, but not only him, but others as well…and for generations.

17 - discerned their end. - he gets a bigger perspective. He zooms out.

Grand Canyon - it stretches way beyond the frame. (Heb. 9:27

Hebrews 9:27 (ESV) 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

18 - they slip / they fall (contrast with verse 1-2)

19 - sudden, complete and unexpected - SCARY

What does it gain a man if he gains the whole world and forfiets his soul?

Man’s life does not consist in the abundance of His posessions.

20 - when a dream is over it is over…you are awakened to reality. the wicked will vanish.

Hymn: Heaven Came Down (495) - perspective change

The Delight of Deliverance (21-28)

Here he steps into a new perspective and that new perspective give him deliverance from his doubts.

Where he was once envious, he is now satisfied and content. A MASSIVE SHIFT has taken place and nothing has change in his physical world except for his perspective.

21-22 - embittered / brute beast (not even functioning like a human).

Acting out of instinct not intelligence, reason and spiritual discernment.

God used this painful experience to bring him to a greater maturity and wisdom.

22-23 - Now He starts talking to God! Oh how we need to talk to God.

23-24 - you hold my hand (walks with us and talks with us and guides us)

Hymn: In the Garden (425)

25 - 26 - If He is all you have He’s all you’ll ever need.

27-28 - stability is given to face the times of difficulty and doubt. - we want to “tell of his works.” we want Him to be glorified.

Hymn: Glorify the Name (29)

Hymn: The Old Rugged Cross (186)