Bible Passage: Psalm 73

I. Verse 1: “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart”

1. It’s a confessional statement of people of Israel—Asaph appears to be stating the generally accepted truth, but …
2. He seems to be disconnected between the general confession and personal reality
3. It looks like that Asaph misunderstood the expression “God is good”
4. It looks like the psalmist was distanced from God
5. He probably equated goodness of God to material prosperity—money, power, and position
6. The lesson in this psalm is “God’s eternal goodness” is not necessarily “goodness” materially
7. For a period of time, Asaph was unhappy with his faith and his vocation

II. Verse 2-3: But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked

1. There is a contrast between what he said in verse 1 and what he is saying now in verses 2 & 3 with the emphatic disjunctive “but”
2. He seems to be honest about himself—“almost slipped,” “almost lost foothold,” “envied the arrogant and prosperous wicked ones”
3. He took his eyes off from God and his faith, and started focusing on wrong places and people
4. He entered a crisis which is not caused by external agents like enemies or conspirators, but by internal factors—beginning of the crisis of faith
5. He compared his life with the godless people

III. Verses 4-12

1. There are 12 “they” and “their”!

a. What the psalmist focused passionately influenced his thoughts and actions
b. He developed a kind of appreciation towards the lifestyle of the wicked
c. The Psalmist developed an unhealthy passion for money, materials, and social prominence of others (vv. 4-12)
d. Consequently, he paid a costly price spiritually, which he describes in the next verses

IV. Verse 13-17: Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments. If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply (the beginning of the “I” section)

1. Dissatisfaction (verse 13)
2. Bitterness (verse 14)
3. Double life (verse 15)
4. Distress (verse 16)

V. Verse 17: “Till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny”

1. An encounter with God
2. It’s the game changer

VI. Verses 18-20: the “they” section (5 “them”)

1. Asaph sees the same people he ones fantasized about (he sees them differently—contrast)
2. They are actually on slippery ground and their destruction is imminent
3. Entering God’s presence brought about a new perspective, completely opposite of what he had in verses 4-12

VII. Verses 21-26: the “I section” (15 times “I” and “my”)

1. In verses 21 & 22, Asaph develops a healthy realization of the result of looking at the wrong place
2. In verses 23-24, Asaph was amazed at how God continued to be with him even during his spiritual dryness—God’s covenant faithfulness (cf. verse 1)
3. In verses 25-26, Asaph comes back to where he needs to be

a. Who have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you
b. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever

VIII. Verses 27-28: Asaph’s crisis is solved and gets an eternal perspective of “goodness of God”

1. Those who are far from you will perish
2. As for me, it is good to be near God

a. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge
b. I will tell of all your deeds

IX. Observations:

1. There can be seasons in which believers remain disconnected from the basic tenets of their faith and, consequently, remain dissatisfied with their faith

a. Doubt about God's grace and mercy toward you is the enemy of your faith (vv. 1-2)
b. The weaker you are in your grasp of the essentials of our faith, the greater are chances for your doubts to win you over
c. If doubt is unchecked, it can result in disbelief

2. What you focus passionately influences your thoughts and actions (vv. 4-16)

a. When you focus on the things of this world more than the things of God, the thoughts about the world will take you captive
b. Result of looking at the wrong place put you on a slippery slope (vv. 13-16)

3. Regular meeting with God ALONE will keep you in right perspective (verse 17-28)

a. God's goodness is not always worldly blessings (vv. 18-20)
b. God presence throws light on your flaws (vv. 21-22)
c. God’s presence will teach you that what you are is more important than what you have (23-28)

4. Believers must avoid developing a utilitarian relationship with God

X. Jesus’s visit with “rich/wicked Zacchaeus” brought in him a new perspective in his life Luke 19:1-10)

1. Jesus came to seek and save the sinners (cf. Mark 10:45-56)
2. When Zacchaeus gained a perspective through Jesus, he began to place less importance on materials/world (Luke 19:8)
3. Jesus gives new perspective to everyone who lets Him come into His life

Takeaway:

Be honest about your struggles, and come out of your spiritual slippery slope