Psalm 73

Is God good? We know we are supposed to say "yes" to this. "God is good." We sing songs about how God is good all the time. But when we say, "God is good," I think a lot of times we tend to put this very tiny, quiet question mark after it. God is good? Why do we turn God's goodness into a question? What makes us wonder, and doubt? We can maybe point in two different directions. The first, is that sometimes life is really hard for us. We suffer-- maybe in our home life, or at work. Maybe with finances. Maybe with persecution. We suffer, and we wonder, where is God? Does God care? The second, is that when we look at the world, it's not always obvious that God is good to his people. We see people who seem to be committed to God, and serve Him wholeheartedly, and they aren't doing very well. At the same time, we see people who are wicked, and violent, and mock God and his people-- and these people are the ones who are prospering. And maybe we look at these two groups of people-- the righteous, and the wicked-- and we wonder, is God good? This, basically, is Psalm 73. The psalmist is having a hard time of it in life. He is suffering. Meanwhile, the wicked are prospering. What conclusion should he draw from this? Should he let his experience-- his perception-- shape his theology? Should he base his understanding of God, on what he has seen? And, should he join the wicked, and prosper with them? (73:1) A psalm of/for Asaph. "Surely, good to Israel, God is, to the pure of heart, The psalmist starts his song, from where he ended up. The psalmist knows that God...is...good. Surely, this is true. And then, in the second line, he clarifies WHO God is good to. God is good to the pure of heart. God is not good to everyone. There are people He doesn't help. There are people who don't have his favor. But to the poor of heart? Absolutely, God is good. Now, we can find ourselves agreeing with the psalmist here. "Amen! God is good to the pure of heart." We can find ourselves singing "Hallelujah!" And we can do this, without really thinking about what this means, or if we really believe this. We can do this, without admitting we put a question mark after this. The psalmist knows that God is good, but he knows this as someone who has come through the dark valley of doubt. He sings this as someone who has come through a hard-fought fight. And it's this fight, that he now begins to tell us about. Let's read through verse 11: "Surely, good to Israel, God is, to the pure of heart, (2) while I, very nearly my feet spread out, my steps almost slid, (3) because I was envious of the arrogant ones; The peace/prosperity of the wicked I was seeing. (4) For there aren't restraints/bonds/pangs for their death, while fat/healthy, their bodies [are]. (5) In the hardship/toil of men, they aren't, while with mankind they aren't plagued. (6) Therefore, they wear as a necklace, loftiness; A garment of violence covers them. (7) Their eyes have bulged out from fatness; The imaginations of their heart has passed over/overstepped. (8) They scoff, and they wickedly speak oppression; From a high place they speak. (9) They set in (/on/against) the heavens their mouth, while their tongues walk in (/on/against) the earth. (10) Therefore, he brings back his people to here, and abundant waters are drained for/by them, (11) and they say, "How does El/God know?, and is there knowledge with the Most High?" The psalmist used to have no problem believing, and saying, that God is good. But then he started looking at the wicked, and their prosperity. And their prosperity really, really bothered him. He was filled with envy. We live in a society that is marked by envy. We see people who are rich, and we think, "That's not fair. No one deserves to be a millionaire. No one needs that kind of money. It's only fair to tax them at a high level, and take half (or more) of their income. It's only fair, that some of their money, should be my money." We say this, or think it, without accepting that these people are the ones who are smarter, or more ambitious, or more brave, or harder working than us. Or all of those things. Jeff Bezos is the richest man in the world, and he deserves to be. He's brilliant. He saw the potential to completely reshape how people shop, and live. He's hard-working, building a company from scratch. Taking enormous risk in doing so. Me? I want a job that pays the bills, that's done when the last piece of cardboard is delivered. I want a job working for someone who has the good ideas, and who knows how to run a good business. But I don't want to take out huge debt to start up my own good idea. And I don't want the hassle of having employees, and dealing with all the stuff business owners do. And as part of this, I accept that I will live differently than Bezos. My life is going to be more simple. And I don't begrudge him his jets, or mansions, or fancy food. All of us struggle with different sins. Envy, as far as I know, hasn't been one of mine. But maybe for you it is. Maybe you see people prospering-- owning nice things, going on amazing vacations, or spending time at their second houses-- and you find yourself envious. You want their stuff. You want their life. And, for whatever reason, you can't have it. If this is you, know that envy is a terrible, rotting sin. It keeps you from contentment, and happiness, and joy. Envy, if it's not resisted, turns people into total idiots (cheating ahead to verse 22). Now, the situation the psalmist describes is more complicated than this. His problem isn't simply that other people are prospering. His problem is that it's the wicked who are prospering. It's one thing to see a friend, or family member, or co-worker prospering. Maybe, we can rejoice with them, and view their prosperity as an answer to prayer. Hopefully, this is part of how we pray for people-- that they would prosper, and be in good health, in everything: 3 John 2 (NKJV): 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. But when you see violent, wicked people prospering, that raises questions. Right? If you see looters rushing into stores, stealing TVs, and shoes, and watches, and torching stores when they are done-- and then getting away with it... are they smarter than you? Are they better off than you, stuck in your toilsome job, dealing with the ordinary problems of humanity? Or, imagine that you're in a big city that's half-run by some gang, or the Mafia. You see their easy way of life. You see that they don't have the same struggles as humanity. You see that they are above ordinary problems. They lounge at their pools, drinking, soaking up the sun, working hard on their tan, while you're scraping by. You see them wear violence on their sleeve, and you walk around in terror of them, scared of upsetting them. They walk, and talk, like they are gods-- like their voice belongs in heaven. And you know that no one dares to touch them. You see all of this, and you wonder, is God good? Does God know what's going on? Does God care? The psalmist saw all of this, and his feet almost slipped. It was too much for him; it was straining his understanding of God and the world to the breaking point. Maybe, God is truly clueless. Maybe, God doesn't really know, or care. Maybe, God isn't actually good. And so he found himself at the edge of a cliff, ready to jump. Ready to embrace the dark side. Verse 12-14: (12) LOOK! These are the wicked ones!, while at ease forever they have grown in strength. (13) Surely, in vain I have kept my heart pure, and I have washed in innocence my hands, (14) and I have been plagued every day, and my rebuke/criticism every morning. Stop, for a minute, and really look at the wicked ones. What do you see? The wicked live in total ease, forever. And they only grow stronger. Their prosperity is permanent, and inevitable, and growing. The righteous get crushed. The wicked win. This is how the world works. What's the point of keeping a pure heart, if that's true? Surely, it's useless to be faithful to God. Surely, you're better off being wicked. Every single day, life is like a plague. It's brutal, painful. Verse 15-20: (15) If I had said, "I shall speak like in this manner, LOOK! The type/class/group of your sons/children I would have betrayed, and I decided to understand this. Toil/trouble it was in my eyes, (17) until I went to the sanctuaries of El/God. I perceived their end. (18) Surely, in slippery places you are setting them, You have brought them down to ruins. (19) Surely, they have become as a desolation in a moment. They have been completely swept away from/by calamities. (20) As a dream from the time of rising, Lord, while/when awakening Their image/likeness you despise. So the psalmist recognizes, he's teetering at the edge of a cliff. He's ready to embrace the dark side. But the psalmist made a decision-- he was going to figure this out. Is all of this the truth? Is this right? Or, at some point, did he become an idiot? Where do you go to find your answer? How can you know? You have to go to God. And when the psalmist turned to God, he perceived the truth. The road the wicked are on looks good. It looks smooth, and well-traveled. But what's the truth? That road is like a slippery slide. And it ends, ultimately, in ruin-- in them perishing, and being swept away. They are like a bad dream, that's suddenly gone. It's not real, or substantial. Verse 21: (21) When my heart was embittered, while [in] my kidneys I was pierced, (22) I was stupid, and I didn't understand/know. Like animals I was to you, (23) but I [am] always with you, you have held (on) my right hand. (24) In/with your counsel you lead me, and afterward in glory you shall receive me. (25) Who [is] for me in the heavens?, and besides you, I haven't desired on the earth. (26) It has failed, my flesh, and my heart. The rock of my heart, and my portion, God [is] forever. (27) For, LOOK! The ones far from you shall perish, you have destroyed every unfaithful/prostituting one from you, (28) while I, the nearness to God is for me, good. I have set in my Lord/Master-- Yahweh-- my shelter, to recount all your works. The psalmist admits, he had let his bitter heart-- his envy-- make him an idiot. He'd become an unthinking animal. Envy will do that to you. But now, he's come back to the truth. God is with the pure of heart-- with you. God holds your right hand. God leads you with his counsel. And God will receive you, eventually, in glory. It's good to be near God. So who will you trust? What will you use, as a shelter from life's hardship? The psalmist ends by saying, he's chosen Yahweh. And he says, in faith, that he will recount everything God does. God is absolutely going to help him, and rescue Him. And when that happens, the psalmist is going to let everyone know how God has helped him. Now, the psalmist says all of this, while life is still hard. This psalm wasn't written after the psalmist was rescued. There's been no proof that any of this is true. Nothing, on the outside, has changed. But on the inside, everything has changed for the psalmist. He's no longer an idiot. He's no longer struggling with envy. He knows one thing, above all else: Surely, God is good to the pure of heart. There may be times in your life when you find your confidence in God's goodness slipping away. You find yourself wavering, wondering if you're making a terrible mistake in committing yourself to God. You find yourself wanting to join the wicked. If this becomes you, understand that what you think you're seeing, is an illusion. It's like a bad dream. It's not real. Surely, the truth is that the wicked are on a slippery slide leading toward their destruction. The wages of sin is death, and people who choose to sow to please the flesh, from the flesh, reap destruction. And this is a truth for you, and me (Rom. 8:13). Not just for non-Christians. So, we can choose to join the wicked. But we need to understand that we are choosing death. And, if we do this, we are choosing to betray each other, and possibly cause others to stumble with us (Ps. 73:15). Surely, the truth is that it's good to stay near to God. Surely, God is good to the pure of heart. Surely, we know that there is a future glory waiting for us, if we persevere. And may we, this week, as a result, keep our confidence in God. God is good. Period. Translation: "Surely, good to Israel, God is, to the pure of heart, (2) while I, very nearly my feet spread out, my steps almost slid, (3) because I was envious of the arrogant ones. The peace/prosperity of the wicked I was seeing. (4) For there aren't restraints/bonds/pangs for their death, while fat/healthy, their bodies [are]. (5) In the hardship/toil of men, they aren't, while with mankind they aren't plagued. (6) Therefore, they wear as a necklace, loftiness. A garment of violence covers them. (7) Their eyes have bulged out from fatness. The imaginations of their heart has passed over/overstepped. (8) They scoff, and they wickedly speak oppression. From a high place they speak. (9) They set in/on/against the heavens their mouth, while their tongues walk in/on/against the earth. (10) Therefore, he brings back his people to here, and abundant waters are drained for/by them, (11) and they say, "How does El/God know?, and is there knowledge with the Most High?" (12) LOOK! These are the wicked ones!, while at ease forever they have grown in strength. (13) Surely, in vain I have kept my heart pure, and I have washed in innocence my hands, (14) and I have been plagued every day, and my rebuke/criticism every morning. (15) If I had said, "I shall speak like in this manner, LOOK! The type/class/group of your sons/children I would have betrayed, and I decided to understand this. Toil/trouble it was in my eyes, (17) until I went to the sanctuaries of El/God. I perceived their end. (18) Surely, in slippery places you are setting them, You have brought them down to ruins. (19) Surely, they have become as a desolation in a moment. They have been completely swept away from/by calamities. (20) As a dream from the time of rising, Lord, while/when awakening Their image/likeness you despise, (21) When my heart was embittered, while [in] my kidneys I was pierced, (22) I was stupid, and I didn't understand/know, Like animals I was to you, (23) but I [am] always with you, you have held (on) my right hand. (24) In/with your counsel you lead me, and afterward in glory you shall receive me. (25) Who [is] for me in the heavens?, and besides you, I haven't desired on the earth. (26) It has failed, my flesh, and my heart. The rock of my heart, and my portion, God [is] forever. (27) For, LOOK! The ones far from you shall perish, you have destroyed every unfaithful/prostituting one from you, (28) while I, the nearness to God is for me, good. I have set in my Lord/Master-- Yahweh-- my shelter, to recount all your works. 10