D. The book of Job and Psalm 37 deal with the same problem, but in this life; Psalm 73 deals with it in light of Matthew 25. But Asaph is in trouble. What troubled the psalmist is that their lifestyle works.23. God is big enough to take your anger, your pain, and your questions. I just know that suddenly, Asaph started paying attention, and his confusion deepened. Apparently he ignored the sound advice from Proverbs 23:17 (Do not let your heart envy sinners but always continue in the fear of the Lord). 13-14), the poet first embarks on an extensive and vivid description of the actions and words of the wicked in verses 4-12.18. Yet over the years they bring steadfastness . The poet introduces his honest confession with the emphatic contrastive phrase But, as for me. This phrase introduces the yes, but factor. Psalm 73 is a favorite for many Jewish and Christian believers because the words of this precious psalm ring true to their experience. Two weeks later, on January 29, authorities decided to truck the dead whale to a laboratory where they could do an autopsy. Denomination: Methodist. I tripping over something that just doesn't make sense! God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him Learn more about Desiring God . Thank you for the inspiration you provide. State your [case], so that you may be vindicated." Be like the disciples in John 6, when Jesus had told the crowds that had been following Him some difficult things about what it meant to believe, and everyone was leaving Him. Im sitting on the couchwith my eyes closedattempting to nap. 1:18-24 sermon), "Following Jesus" (Matthew 4:18-22 sermon), "How To Seek The Lord" (Isaiah 55:6-7 sermon), "The Purpose of God's Blessings" (Psalm 67 sermon), "The Importance of Forgiving Others" (Matthew 6:14-15 sermon), Teacher's Overview of Lifeway's "Explore the Bible" lesson: John 11:32-46, "I AM The Resurrection", "The Disciple's Character" series (Beatitudes Mt. There may be times when it seems to be going that way and it looks like that a lot in America today but the Bible says it will not end there. Psalm 73-Smith, Terry L. "A Crisis in Faith: An Exegesis of Psalm 73," Restoration Quarterly 17.3 (1974) 162 . Join Plus; Plus . They enjoy their sin for a time, perhaps from a human perspective for a lifetime. While CHICKEN LITTLE was hit in the head by a piece We'll be back to it some day. or why have I looked for sympathy but there was none. (Psalm 69:20) Why do dictators, child molesters, and corporate raiders get off easy? (John 3:16 sermon), "The Message of the Cross" (I Cor. Now get ready for the stinger. To help us, we will turn to the Psalms, where the raw emotions of real people who just hit the wall are expressed, and where deep reservoirs of truth are found that can help you through. Jobs questioning and doubt is a case in point. In fact, their existence is as insubstantial as a dreamhere today, gone tomorrow (cf. They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors!. Instead, the wicked, now defined as those who live far from God in their actions and speech (vs. 11), will perish.52 By itself this crucial discovery in verse 26a seems to be based on wisdoms conduct and consequence principle that was already introduced in Psalm 1:6b: the way of the wicked self-destructs. Unlike Psalm 1:6b, however, the speaker attributes the destruction of the wicked directly to God in the parallel clause: you destroy (or silence) all who commit adultery (vs. 27b).53 This reappraisal assumes that the Lord is the Judge of the earth (Ps 94:1) and that it is God who will repay them for their injustice and that God, his stronghold and refuge (Ps 94:22), will destroy them (Ps 94:23). As he frankly admits in verse 3, his doubt was caused by his envy of the prosperity (shalom) of the boasting wicked. Baptist, So there I am. Others, however, claim that it is a song of thanksgiving by an individual. Last October it all came crashing down, with a New York Times investigation, and complaints by dozens of his victims. Because my wife is out of town visiting her elderly parents, our dog, who is lovesick for her, spends his entire day and night in our bedroom, in some doggie blankets, placed on the Before you bail out on God, Asaph wants you to sit with him and learn from his experiences. God showed Asaph that it can all change so suddenly. He says God is good; I know that . They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills. The first correction concerns the fate of the wicked in verses 18-20, which is introduced with the emphatic particle surely. In somber language he describes at length what was already introduced in summary fashion in Psalm 1:6b.34 Unlike Psalm 1:6b, however, God is directly involved in their destruction. 1. You examples are superb. WHEN a man is sick, everybody knows what is good for him. How many rash words and unsifted actions have we wished to take back because of the negative consequences they brought about? The difficulty uppermost in the mind of the Psalmist is the carefree, even prosperous life of the evil-doers in contrast to his own torment as a godly person. They aren't accomplishing anything. The basis for the speakers short admission is the realization of Gods presence, the third reorientation, which is introduced by weani. Psalm 25: Guidance From Above. Verse 25-26. (ESV). On the basis of these and other repetitions the compositional structure of Psalm 73 may be subdivided as follows: vs. 1; vv. be blessed man of god. In v. 4-12, he breaks down what he had observed. You didn't plan for it. Verse 27 summarizes his new reorientation concerning the wicked. You have words of eternal life. This service acknowledges the seeming inequities of life and the doubts that arise yet declares strength, hope and protection in God our Sovereign Lord. It begins with an emphatic causal statement (ki-hinneh) (vs. 26a): because, look, those who are far away from you will perish.49 The fact that this emphatic statement begins with the conjunction because (k) suggests that verse 27 stands in sharp contrast to verses 23-26. Why should I be honest? In addition, the Hebrew word lebab, heart, occurs six times in the poem.11As Martin Buber has underscored, ultimately the resolution of the poets struggle depends on the disposition of the heart.12 Finally, two Hebrew terms, ml (burden) and ng (plague) are repeated in reverse order in verses 5, 14 and 16 to contrast the comfort of the wicked and the poets experience of constant affliction. Numbers 11:4-35, Psalm 73:1-28, Tags: They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like mankind. The smell was almost unbearable. Verse Psalms 73:28. ", Building Your Life On The Rock (Matthew 7:24-27 sermon), "This Is My Story: The Woman At The Well" (John 4:1-42 sermon), "The Greatest Verse in the Bible?" Envy The admission that his feet almost slipped suggests that perhaps the law of God was not in his heart (Ps 37:30). Maybe Lazarus was tempted to give up HIS faith. Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment. :4 There are no pains in their death, and their body is fat. We're kicking this study off on a bruising, but all-too-common experience that can leave your teeth on edge and bitterness in your heart. What Asaph Knew. Psalm 25:1-10 Riding Out The Waves. Psalm 73:23-24 23 Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. For I have been stricken all day long, and chastened every morning., Asaph says, look at these wicked people, who mock God, who do wicked things to other people. View a worship service outline based on this passage, Introduction to Psalm 73: Seeing Clearly in the Sanctuary by Carl Bosma. So they say: Dont be on the wrong side of history.. I want answers, God." Each of these sections is dominated by they and concludes with a very important therefore (vv. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds. As such, it has proved to be an enduring source of comfort amidst suffering. As long as Asaph tried to reason his way out of his troubled perception apart from God, he would hit his head against the wall. But as for me, it is good to be near God. How the Psalms Speak to All of Our Emotions Dane C. Ortlund. Rover is only concerned with the immediate. Change). (1 John 2:17) God completely controls their destiny, not them. Life has a way of suddenly altering its course down hard paths, leaving us hurt, confused, and weak, with lots of unanswered questions. 4. Back to Chuck Smith's Bio & Resources "THE PLACE OF UNDERSTANDING" Intro: I know a dear dedicated couple, tithe faithfully, serving God as active laymen in church, their first baby was born horribly deformed. Psalm 73:1-3, Tags: His faith was tested and he almost fell away. Unless otherwise specified, content on this website is licensed as Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. I try to be faithful and do right, and I have to fight for every inch. (LogOut/ 2 But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling, My steps had almost slipped. The visit he made: We'll see that they don't necessarily sync up very well. Asaph is struggling with the World and the people in it. He just couldnt figure it out. Psalm 73:28 Sermons Topics . (Nik Ripken, the author of the video were going to watch the next several Wednesday nights, was like that. Because He kept six crematories working night and day, on Sunday and feast days? He is married to Leeanne and is the father of Joey and Craig. He says, there are wicked people in the world, whom you would THINK God would be punishing, but instead they are not only not being punished, they are succeeding; they are prospering. Sep 11, 2018. He DIDNT but he said, he almost did. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Thank you so much for that blessing Peter! Psalm 25:6-9 All The Wrong Notes. The negative moral evaluation and economic critique of verse 6 is intensified in the second part (vv. They live longer, play more, and get away with everything. God is the Christian's inheritance as the light of his intellect. But then he begins to tell his own personal testimony in :2, "But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling.". Summary: To the ancient writers the word glory meant praise, splendor, brightness, majesty, honor and dignity. Several times in recent months I have had individuals say to me: Pastor, that message today was for me! God is the Christian's inheritance as the rest of his soul. Thats like Asaph here. His eyes were locked in on the prosperity of the wicked and he was overcome with envy. Study Psalm 73 using Charles H. Spurgeon's Treasury of David to better understand Scripture with full outline and verse meaning. Ps 26:7-8) in dramatic transformation of the psalmists despairing doubt (vv. Psalm 73 is a favorite for many Jewish and Christian believers because the words of this precious psalm ring true to their experience. Verses 21-22 are a flashback on his traumatic experience reported in verses 2-16.36 In these verses he admits that when his heart and kidneys were poignantly disturbed (vs. 21) about the shalom of the wicked, he was stupid and lacked understanding (vs. 21ab).37 For all practical purposes, he confesses that his envy of the arrogant (vs. 3) was completely wrong. You live by lust, power, greed, and deceit, and you become a celebrity. But he didnt get away with it, did he? They are self-promoting, anti-God, and worldly, and they are the ones that are getting a slice of the pie, not me. Such a condition is contrary to the basic belief that God rewards the good with good. Ps 30:7) recalls the word shalom in verse 3. The inner conditions of the dead mammal, combined with the bumps in the road caused an eruption that the townspeople will not soon forget. In the end, it is these nailed hands that will receive us into glory, according to his promise: Oh the happiness of the pure in heart; they will see God (Mt 5:8). An Assuredly Good Thing. He was one of the great worship leaders in the OT. He said in :3, For I was envious of the arrogant He said the wicked in his land seemed to prosper, and he was jealous of them. Still, in v. 15, he stops to consider the impact his next steps will have: "If I had said, 'I will speak thus,' I would have betrayed your children." Asaph had been checking out the people playing for the other team. These are a lot like Asaphs questions, arent they? How is that right? 3 For I was envious of the . "You try to honor God and stay humble and do good, you'll have a tough, mediocre life. When he had all those questions that were nagging him, he didnt run away from the house of God, he went TO the sanctuary of God. According to Psalm 1:6b, the way of the wicked self-destructs. Once again he is able to see life from the perspective of eternity and his confidence and contentment in God are restored. This Psalm is his very personal testimony. In the deepest part of your heart you just want it to end better for her. In short, verse 27 declares that autonomy is a harlotry that does not work.54. It's remarkable how inefficient these actions are. Psalm 73. So why am I serving God? 2. God is NOT insane; it IS worth it to serve Him, literally no matter what the cost. Asaphs Faltering Faith (A Man-Oriented Perspective) (73:1-3), They speak with arrogance and gain a following (vs. 8-10), Summary: The lives of the wicked are easy and prosperous (vs. 12), Asaphs Restored Faith (A God-Oriented Perspective) (73:18-28), 2023 Southern Hills Baptist Church - Round Rock, Texas, Southern Hills is a family of believers who exist to glorify God by helping people experience life change through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Psalm 73: Remembering the Truth in Times of Doubt. And is there knowledge with the Most High? He says these people are basically spitting at God and getting away with it! Tension and struggle flow like lava from a volcano in Psalm 73. Read Online Responsorial Psalms For Funeral Liturgy Pdf For Free A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don't Plan to Die Common Worship: Pastoral Services The 1928 Book of Common Prayer Funeral Hymns Holy Bible Common Worship: Times and Seasons President's EditionContinuing Bonds How God guides The Moon by Night Elegy in a country church yard, on the evening of a funeral. Psalm 73:28, Tags: Hang on to Him! As a result, "Psalm 32 serves as an important check against any tendency . In light of the prosperity of the wicked, the poet concludes that his attempt to lead a moral life has been absolutely in vain: Surely, in vain I have kept my heart pure and washed my hands in innocence. He says in :16 that all of this WAS troublesome in my sight UNTIL I came into the sanctuary of God. This switch marks a major turning point in the poem. We can also affirm the future because God's Presence companions us. (Lee Eclov, Vernon Hills, Illinois; source: "Thar She Blows!" 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