Psalm 73

In this life it is sometimes hard to understand how those whose life is driven by greed and deception become the rich and powerful. They are the ones that the world wants to emulate. They are the ones that become our idols. They are the ones we view as successful. It is easy to get caught up in the world view of living and forget God's ways. But if we view the world in His love for others we will begin to have compassion for all His creation. For He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that no one would have to perish but that everyone would have an equal choice of eternal life with Him. As believers we have the peace and security of knowing that God protects those who place their trust in Him. In this life we may or may not see prosperity but in the next life we will walk the streets of gold without poverty, without pain, without sickness or death. To God be all the glory!

A Psalm of Asaph.

1 Truly God is good to Israel,

To such as 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 boastful,

When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4 For there are no pangs in their death,

But their strength is firm.

5 They are not in trouble as other men,

Nor are they plagued like other men.

6 Therefore pride serves as their necklace;

Violence covers them like a garment.

7 Their eyes bulge with abundance;

They have more than heart could wish.

8 They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;

They speak loftily.

9 They set their mouth against the heavens,

And their tongue walks through the earth.

10 Therefore his people return here,

And waters of a full cup are drained by them.

11 And they say, "How does God know?

And is there knowledge in the Most High?"

12 Behold, these are the ungodly,

Who are always at ease;

They increase in riches.

13 Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain,

And washed my hands in innocence.

14 For all day long I have been plagued,

And chastened every morning.

15 If I had said, "I will speak thus,"

Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.

16 When I thought how to understand this,

It was too painful for me—

17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God;

Then I understood their end.

18 Surely You set them in slippery places;

You cast them down to destruction.

19 Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment!

They are utterly consumed with terrors.

20 As a dream when one awakes,

So, Lord, when You awake,

You shall despise their image.

21 Thus my heart was grieved,

And I was vexed in my mind.

22 I was so foolish and ignorant;

I was like a beast before You.

23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;

You hold me by my right hand.

24 You will guide me with Your counsel,

And afterward receive me to glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven but You?

And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.

26 My flesh and my heart fail;

But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

27 For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish;

You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.

28 But it is good for me to draw near to God;

I have put my trust in the Lord God,

That I may declare all Your works.

The NKJV Study Bible says this: Psalm 73 is a psalm of trust with some features of the wisdom psalms. The psalm is unusual in that it tells a story about the psalmist's struggle with envy, doubts, and his faith in God. But through his struggles, the psalmist Asaph learned to trust in God. The structure of the poem is as follows: (1) the temptation to be envious of the wicked; (2) a description of the wicked; (3) the realization that the end of the wicked is the balancing factor; (4) the psalmist's regret over his uncertainty; (5) a renewed resolve to trust in God alone;(6) the destruction of the wicked; (7) a renewed trust in God. In the opening verses Asaph describes the crisis of faith he experienced. He begins with one of the basic elements of biblical theology, that God is good to Israel. But then he confesses that he almost stumbled when he became envious of the success and wealth of the wicked. Asaph observes that the attitudes and actions of the wicked seem to place no constraints upon them. They appear not to have trouble. Their pride and violence are not hidden but are displayed like jewelry. They fulfill their lustful appetites and boast about their wicked accomplishments. Asaph describes the apathy about God characteristic of the wicked, who had concluded that God—if there was a God—was disengaged from people's lives. Asaph is bothered by the fact that with this aberrant view of life the wicked are still able to enjoy life, drink their fill, and live at ease. Thus the psalmist feels that his own acts of righteous living are without meaning or purpose. Asaph realizes that if he continued on this path, he would be abandoning the faith. He finds the issue painful to consider until he comes to a new sense of enlightenment in the sanctuary, the temple in Jerusalem. He rediscovered something he probably knew but had not really considered: The prosperity of the wicked will not last. Their wealth will have no value in the next life. Asaph remembers that the wicked are just a step away from disaster. In a moment they could find all of their wealth valueless and their pleasure vanished as they face an eternity separated from the presence of their Creator. Asaph was grieved because of his own lapse of faith. In the manner of a wisdom psalm, he speaks of his own foolishness. But God had never left him, even when he struggled with doubts. What helped the psalmist gain a proper perspective on this life was the afterlife. The righteous will have the glorious privilege of living with God forever. There are those who may enjoy great wealth and notoriety today, but nothing they have or do will last forever. Therefore, Asaph concludes he has put his trust in the Lord God. Only those who place their trust in God will find eternal life and eternal peace.