Psalm 73: Until…

This Psalm, like the ten psalms before it, are attributed to Asaph, and we have no reason

to doubt that this is so. It is a story of discouragement, followed by encouragement and

enlightenment as to God’s dealings in the world – and it contains some of the most

memorable poetic lines in the entire Psalms. There is no information given as to the

events giving rise to it, except to say that Asaph was in great distress looking at the

prosperity of the wicked. The Psalm has been divided into the following sections:

• That there is a God who presides in the affairs of people.

• The psalmist observes that the wicked seem to be prosperous.

• He seeks to hide his feelings on the matter so as not to harm the godly and

humble people.

• He has a revelation in the sanctuary which calms his heart – that God is indeed

just and will right all wrongs.

• He realizes that he has been short-sighted.

• He commits himself to God.

(1) A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are of a

clean heart. (2) But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had

nearly slipped. (3) For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the

prosperity of the wicked.

• Asaph spells out the truth that God is good to Israel and in particular He is good

to those who have a clean heart. Indeed, Jesus taught us that God sends His rain
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on the just and the unjust alike. Yet we know He especially favors those who

serve Him.

• Asaph developed an anxious concern in his heart as he surveyed the human

condition and saw that many of the wicked prosper. This almost caused him to

slip; in other words, he nearly fell from his position of faith through envying the

wicked.

• The prosperity of the wicked has been a temptation to many who (a) felt deprived

when they did not have what they saw the wicked have; or (b) felt encouraged to

do evil thinking that God did not see their actions.

(4) For there are no cords in their death, but their strength is firm. (5)

They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other

men. (6) Therefore pride encircles them as a chain; violence covers them

as a garment. (7) Their eyes bulge out with fatness; they have more than

heart could wish. (8) They are corrupt, 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 wrung out to them.

• A in-depth description of the wicked follows. The reference to "no cords" means

cords or bands tightly drawn, and is meant to refer to pain gripping people. His

sense is that they have no trouble as others even in death.

• Because of how they prosper this they are clothed with pride. All of this

encourages them to become violent.

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• Verse 6 is almost comical in its exaggeration – the wicked are so heavy from their

life of luxury and gluttony that their eyes are bulging out of their heads. Here we

could imagine a stereotypical Roman emperor feasting on a couch all day and

then purging himself so that he could continue.

• In verse 8 we see their boasting: they plan to rob and commit other acts of

oppression, and speak proudly in general. In verse 9 we also see that they speak

against the heavens - literally they speak as if they were in the heavens and thus

had heavenly authority. Their tongue is running all over the place!

• In verse 10 the idea is that his (meaning God's) people return – not to a place –

but to this idea that Asaph is spelling out for us; they cry the waters of a full cup.

(11) And they say, “How does God know? And is there knowledge in the

most High?” (12) Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world;

they increase in riches. (13) Verily 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 say, I will speak thus, behold, I

would offend against the generation of thy children.

• This is the complaint of the righteous - they are tempted to think that all they

have done to serve God and all they have done to keep a pure heart and clean

hands is a waste of time.

• In verse 14 his entire day seems to be filled with vexation. He feels punished

every morning.

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• In verse 15, he sees a different problem faced by many spiritual leaders - if he

begins to speak about these matters and his own doubts publicly, he will

discourage the people of God. Barnes says, "The idea is, that he “ought” not to

say or do anything which would tend to lessen their confidence in God, or which

would suggest to their minds grounds of distrust in God, or which would

disturb their peace and hope. This was alike an act of justice and benevolence

on his part. Whatever might be his own troubles and doubts, he had no “right”

to fill their minds with doubts and distrust of God; and he felt that, as it was

desirable that the minds of others should not be harassed as his own had been, it

could not be kind to suggest such thoughts."

(16) When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; (17) Until I went

into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.

• This is the most profound line in the psalm, and is the turning point in Asaph’s

story. Whenever he thinks about the situation he feels intense pain and spiritual

confusion.

• It is when he goes into the sanctuary of God that he understands the end of the

wicked. Only when he beings to worship does he see the truth about the wicked

and their seeming prosperity in this life. Worship, and the act of seeing God by

faith, provides for us many important things, but two things in particular that will

keep us mentally and spiritually strong for the long haul:

o First, worship refreshes us in our inner man. Fatigue is one of the greatest

sources of spiritual weariness and can quickly turn to depression. We saw

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this in the case of Elijah, who ended up believing he was the only one left

serving God.

o Second, worship brings us into a place where we regain a proper

perspective. When we come into God’s presence we again hear the Lord’s

voice speaking to us and can once again perceive His activity. This will

keep us from attributing false motives to the Lord.

(18) Surely you did set them in slippery places; you cast them down into

destruction. (19) How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment!

They are utterly consumed with terrors. (20) As a dream when one

awakes; so, O Lord, when you awake, you shall despise their image.

• Asaph sees that the prosperity of the wicked, while very real, is actually a slippery

perch from which they will soon slip. Soon God will tear their imagined success

away from them. We can think of Pharaoh here, whom God raised up as a

demonstration of his own glory. We can also think of a Hitler, cheered by crowds

of hundreds of thousands and overrunning nations, but dying in a ruined city.

• From Heaven’s perspective, the wicked are just a dream that will vanish away

from God’s mind.

(21) Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my inner man. (22) So

foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before you.

• Asaph laments the fact that his heart was grieved, or literally soured, by his

thoughts. The reference to the inner man is literally to the kidneys, which for the

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Hebrews carried the same idea as when we say our heart. He was like an

uncomprehending beast in his failure to perceive what God was really up to.

(23) Nevertheless I am continually with you; you have held me by my right

hand. (24) You shall 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 beside you. (26) My flesh and my heart fail, but God is

the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.

• This is some of the best poetry, and most encouraging, in all of the Psalms. Asaph

knows that in spite of everything, he has always been with God and in God’s care,

held by the right hand of God – especially meaning for the Christian!

• In all of life he can trust that he shall be led by God’s counsel, or advice, and that

his final end would be to be received into God’s glory.

• Verses 25 and 26 have encouraged the saints for 3,000 years – God is our

sufficiency and all that we truly need or desire. Even if our body and our inner

man grow faint, God is our strength and our portion forever!

(27) For, see, those who are far from you shall perish; you have destroyed

all who commit adultery against you. (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.

• It is true, he now sees, that God destroys all those who faithlessly abandon Him;

he, on the other hand, will draw near to God and declare His works.

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