Psalm 73:1-28 A Psalm of Asaph.

 ¹Truly God is good to Israel,

To such as are pure in heart.

²But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;

My steps had nearly slipped.

³For I was envious of the boastful,

When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

⁴For there are no pangs in their death,

But their strength is firm.

⁵They are not in trouble as other men,

Nor are they plagued like other men.

⁶Therefore pride serves as their necklace;

Violence covers them like a garment.

⁷Their eyes bulge with abundance;

They have more than heart could wish.

⁸They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;

They speak loftily.

⁹They set their mouth against the heavens,

And their tongue walks through the earth.

¹⁰Therefore his people return here,

And waters of a full cup are drained by them.

¹¹And they say, “How does God know?

And is there knowledge in the Most High?”

¹²Behold, these are the ungodly,

Who are always at ease;

They increase in riches.

¹³Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain,

And washed my hands in innocence.

¹⁴For all day long I have been plagued,

And chastened every morning.

¹⁵If I had said, “I will speak thus,”

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

¹⁶When I thought how to understand this,

It was too painful for me—

¹⁷Until I went into the sanctuary of God;

Then I understood their end.

¹⁸Surely You set them in slippery places;

You cast them down to destruction.

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

They are utterly consumed with terrors.

²⁰As a dream when one awakes,

So, Lord, when You awake,

You shall despise their image.

²¹Thus my heart was grieved,

And I was vexed in my mind.

²²I was so foolish and ignorant;

I was like a beast before You.

²³Nevertheless I am continually with You;

You hold me by my right hand.

²⁴You will guide me with Your counsel,

And afterward receive me to glory.

²⁵Whom have I in heaven but You?

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

²⁶My flesh and my heart fail;

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

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

You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.

²⁸But 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.

Preamble: This section of the Book of Psalms begins with a Psalm from Asaph, his second; Psalm 50 was his first; but now there are eleven in a row from him. Asaph himself was a seer (2 Chr. 29:30), and a chief musician, (1 Chr. 16:5) who was appointed by David along with two other Levite families to lead worship in the Temple, which he did with his sons during Israel’s most important kingdom era, the reign of King David. As such he was a compatriot of King David under his authority (1 Chr. 15:16-19; 16:7, 37-42; 25:1-2, 6, 9; 25:1-2; 26:1; 2 Chr. 5:2-14, vs.12; 20:14; 35:15; Nehemiah 12:46-47 etc.). Now his sons would also carry on this legacy right until the days of Ezra and Nehemiah (Ezra 2:41; 3:10; Nehemiah 7:44; 11:15-17; 12:32-36 etc.). And like Psalm 49 this Psalm deals with one of the most unsettling topics for those who seek to live righteously, and that is the prosperity of the wicked.

Commentary

Vs. 1 “Truly God is good to Israel,

To such as are pure in heart.”

Asaph opens this psalm with a bold declaration of God’s goodness towards Israel. For truly God is good to Israel, to everyone who is pure in heart, as Jesus Himself has said: “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.” ^{Matt. 5:8} 

Vs. 2-3 ²But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;

My steps had nearly slipped.

³For I was envious of the boastful,

When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Asaph now takes a personal turn in this Psalm, describing his own struggles in the faith which began when he saw how those who are boastful, and those who live wicked lives are often free of the plagues and troubles of other men.

Vs. 4-9 ⁴For there are no pangs in their death,

But their strength is firm.

⁵They are not in trouble as other men,

Nor are they plagued like other men.

⁶Therefore pride serves as their necklace;

Violence covers them like a garment.

⁷Their eyes bulge with abundance;

They have more than heart could wish.

⁸They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;

They speak loftily.

⁹They set their mouth against the heavens,

And their tongue walks through the earth.

For as he observed they pass away easily, that they're lives are often free from the pain and suffering that often afflicts others, indeed their strength is firm. Nor do they find themselves with the troubles that descent folk often do, for they are not victims of anyone, no they make victims and prosper while doing so. Nor are they plagued like other men who work hard but never get ahead. For they are ever so skillful at always ensuring their own prosperity and peace, at making sure their cup is always full, even when this comes at the expense of others unjustly, yet they still get ahead. Therefore, pride serves as their necklace, and violence covers them like a garment. For that is how they live and proser by the strength of their own hands, schemes, and maneuverings. So, when Asaph saw their prosperity, he was greatly discouraged, because their eyes bulge with abundance, and they have more than heart could wish. Such then is their self assurance and arrogance that they think they will continue to prosper no matter what they do or say. Therefore they openly scoff at living righteously, and speak wickedly concerning oppression, for it brings them success then they are all for it. Indeed they treat and hold the people they use and abuse in utter contempt. Therefore, they speak loftily like they are kings. though they themselves are only dogs and swine. They even set their mouths against the heavens, speaking all  manner of blasphemy against Almighty God, while their tongue boastfully walks through the earth like they are the owners of it all, for they fear no one. 

Vs. 10 “Therefore his people return here,

And waters of a full cup are drained by them.”

Because of their wicked manner of life God’s people (all people who live righteously) often end up as their victims, as people who have been robbed of their dignity, prosperity, and peace by their self serving works and ways.

Vs. 11 And they say, “How does God know?

And is there knowledge in the Most High?”

In their arrogant unbelief they even openly deny God’s Person and Existence, for they do not believe that He is, that He observes all their ways, for they do not experience His Hand upon them, for good or for harm, therefore they say is there any knowledge in the Most High.  

Vs. 12 “Behold, these are the ungodly,

Who are always at ease;

They increase in riches.”

When Asaph saw the prosperity of the wicked, he concluded that the ungodly are always at ease, that they always increase in riches. This though is not a given. Yes, the ungodly of this world very often prosper, just look at the icons of pop culture. And with all the world under Satan’s influence its easy to see how he has a hand in prospering those who do his bidding, who serve him in leading or better misleading others to their own destruction as well. But for every prosperous sinner, there are several more who are wallowing in the fallout from their own sins. Again, Asaph wrote this during a time of his own ongoing affliction, when he thought he would not see God’s goodness again in his life (think Job here). Therefore he felt compelled to decry the apparent injustice of suffering while wicked people do not. 

Vs. 13-14 ¹³Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain,

And washed my hands in innocence.

¹⁴For all day long I have been plagued,

And chastened every morning.

Asaph’s frustration continues as he recalls how he cleansed his own heart, how he disciplined himself to keep away from his sins and not yield to temptations. And yet all day longed he found himself plagued and chastened every morning, which again is but a season in our lives, just as the wicked prosperity is, for in the end the Lord delivers those who live righteously out of them all!

Vs. 15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”

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

Asaph even refrained his mouth from speaking out his frustrations in the presence of his brethren lest he should discourage their hearts. For prayer is the place for that as we will see.

Vs. 16-17 ¹⁶When I thought how to understand this,

It was too painful for me—

¹⁷Until I went into the sanctuary of God;

Then I understood their end.

In considering all of this, Asaph’s own heart could not resolve or settle the manner, it was just too painful for him to contemplate anymore, that is until he went into the sanctuary of God, removed from this world’s noise and confusions he found the peace and understanding he was looking for.

Vs. 18-20 ¹⁸Surely You set them in slippery places;

You cast them down to destruction.

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

They are utterly consumed with terrors.

²⁰As a dream when one awakes,

So, Lord, when You awake,

You shall despise their image.

And so it was there in the sanctuary of God that Asaph not only regained his perspective, but also his faith grew as well. For he saw that God Himself deals with them all, that He appoints the time and the means for their own downfall and ruin. Therefore when He awakes they are brought to desolation in moment and they are utterly consumed with terrors. For when the Lord awakes to render His judgment there is no recourse, there is no escape. For God Almighty shall despise their image. Therefore their end always comes, suddenly without any recourse, He deals with them all.

Vs. 21-22 ²¹Thus my heart was grieved,

And I was vexed in my mind.

²²I was so foolish and ignorant;

I was like a beast before You.

Asaph now feels like a fool for ever doubting the justice and righteousness of God. Indeed, he now feels like his previous understanding was no better than that of a wild beast. Like an animal that only lives by its senses, and not by faith in God.

Vs. 23-24 ²³Nevertheless I am continually with You;

You hold me by my right hand.

²⁴You will guide me with Your counsel,

And afterward receive me to glory.

Asaph now realizes the longsuffering patience that God has been extending towards him during all of this, that He remained right beside him through all this unsettling time for him. That He has been the One upholding, and He will continue to be the One who upholds him. For our God will guide us by His counsel and afterward He will receive us into His glory. We are most blessed then to have His counsel  given us so that we may escape all the lies of this world that always turns against Him. 

Vs. 25-26 ²⁵Whom have I in heaven but You?

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

²⁶My flesh and my heart fail;

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

What a breakthrough Asaph has now had! From questioning God’s goodness towards him, to now wanting no one but Him! Unshakable faith then does not come by the road of ease and comfort, but by the road of affliction and sorrow.

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

You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.”

Asaph now knows that those who reject God shall perish. That those who desert Him for harlotry, for their own heart’s idolatry, He shall destroy.

Vs. 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.”

Having resolved all his inner dilemma, Asaph has but one thought now, to draw near to God. For I have my trust in the Lord God that I may declare all Your works are the words of man now fully settled in his faith. Therefore, turn to God in your troubles and do not be like those who turn against Him when affliction or evil finds them. For if you do He will bring you through to the other side, where new and everlasting life is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.