Psalm 73 Commentary
Fake Suffering, Fake Success
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KEY THOUGHT: Truly God is good to Israel, To such as are pure in heart. [Psalm 73:1 NKJV]
Kindly read your Bible before going through the commentary!
Psalm 73 NKJV
BOOK THREE
Psalms 73–89
The Tragedy of the Wicked, and the Blessedness of Trust in God
A Psalm of Asaph.
73 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 [a]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 [b]eyes bulge with abundance;
They have more than heart could wish.
8 They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;
They speak [c]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 [d]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 [e]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 [f]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 [g]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 [h]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.
Footnotes
a. Psalm 73:4 pains
b. Psalm 73:7 Tg. face bulges; LXX, Syr., Vg. iniquity bulges
c. Psalm 73:8 Proudly
d. Psalm 73:13 kept my heart pure in vain
e. Psalm 73:16 troublesome in my eyes
f. Psalm 73:21 Lit. pierced in my kidneys
g. Psalm 73:26 Lit. rock
h. Psalm 73:27 Are unfaithful to You
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Psalm 73 Commentary
Two perceptions are presented in this chapter. In the first, the psalmist can see but not clearly. He is like one with scales on his eyes. In this state, the arrogant and wicked appear prosperous. They are the envy of the neighborhood.
They appear to have no struggles, and they enjoy good health. They confirm it with pride. Arrogance, oppression, and threats. They define their own. Nothing seems to stand in their way.
They draw men and women to themselves as an example of success.
But in the second perception, and while in the presence of the LORD, the eyes of the psalmist are opened. He can see clearly.
It is all vanity; a chase after wind. The LORD brings it all to nothing. There is no future for them. What the psalmist calls “final destiny”. Eternity in the presence of the loving Creator God isn’t their portion.
But even here, while they seemingly enjoy themselves, their lives are full of fear. Probably their excesses are a consequence of the terrors they constantly experience.
That is exactly the point! Arrogance, oppression, and threats come from deep-seated fear. The saint doesn’t have it. Therefore, the saint doesn’t have to go for the same sinful excesses. Let one whose cap fits wear it; the saint doesn’t have the reason to do so.
But it takes the presence of the LORD for one to see the picture clearly. From this position, the saint can see clearly. Firstly, the saint can see the meaninglessness of the vanities around and about the wicked men and women. Secondly, the saint can also see the blessedness of the righteous man.
The saint can see that the LORD is always around, providing guidance and counsel. The saint doesn’t live their life by themselves. Their steps are ordered by the LORD. And their future? After their earthly pilgrimage ends, the LORD will take them into glory. Hallelujah!
The saint can see more. They actually don’t desire anything from this earth. This is remarkable! If the saint is drowned in desires and unfulfilled appetites, it could be a good signal that they need a visit to the palace of the Great King.
If your greatest desire is to own the latest car, you probably want to visit the palace and check your spiritual status!
An easy pick from this chapter is the laughable situation that saints find themselves in. We are deeply troubled by the wrong perception. Get the proper lens and see correctly, then you know the LORD doesn’t have to solve any of your made-up problems!
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