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Thats like Asaph here. Materialism I heard a sermon last Sunday on Psalm 73. I thought you reap what you sow! In the next stretch of Psalms we only have one attributed to King David and this isn't it. God will judge the wicked, and He will reward the righteous; those who have turned away from their sins, and followed Jesus as their Savior. But the thing is, the Christian has the ultimate perspective on history. ", Asaph had fallen into the trap of loving the world and the things that are in the world. [1] Psalm 73 is written by Asaph a Temple musician. You're going about your business, and a whale explodes. As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image. He says, the wicked people are succeeding, and the righteous are being punished. (LogOut/ Relationship To God, Great Expectations, Denomination: Thats the message of Psalm 73. There is no record that God ever rebuffs Job for being honest. They have no trouble; they succeed at everything they do; they are so well off they are bulging with fatness; and are at ease and have increased in wealth. Clarke's Commentary. But heres the thing: what if they hadnt been here to hear that word? This Psalm is his very personal testimony. "I nearly lost my grip on what I believe. These are a lot like Asaphs questions, arent they? He lost his son on the mission field, and he was asking, Is God insane for asking His people to make sacrifices like that? Gods NOT insane; but these kinds of questions are real, and difficult.). He didn't pretend everything was okay. He was fired from his company, kicked off of the Hollywood Academy, his wife left him, and criminal charges are being investigated. Whether it's standardized tests, beauty contests, and your neighbor's new dress, we are all encouraged to envy. Let's look at Psalm 1 together for a few minutes. be blessed man of god. The fact that this vigorous protest is introduced by the same adverb surely as verse 1 and the fact that the phrase pure in heart is a repetition from the asseveration of divine justice in verse 1 suggest that verses 13-14 function as a counter claim to verse 1. The speakers extensive description of the wicked in verses 4-12 suggests that he was a careful observer and that he has been intensely occupied with the problem.19 His detailed description consists of two parts, verses 4-6 and 7-11. And their end will be terrible. Psalm 73 is a favorite for many Jewish and Christian believers because the words of this precious psalm ring true to their experience. Moreover, it helps them transition from radical doubt to a robust reaffirmation of faith. Psalm 73:28, Tags: Armed with a new perspective about God and this world, Asaph also sees himself clearly. Close Filters Scripture . A sermon on Psalm 73 should also underscore the role that doubts and questioning plays in this psalm.59Questions and doubts are part and parcel of human experience, especially during painful suffering. As Brueggemann rightly notes, this summary is not a condemnation of the wicked. Scripture: Psalm 73:21-26. Panic, Conclusions, Denomination: As men despise their dreams when they awake from them, so, when God "stirs up himself and awakes to judgment" ( Psalms 35:23 ), he will despise such mere semblances of humanity ( Psalms 39:6) as the wicked are. Moreover, the shift in addressee in verses 15-28 indicates that Psalm 73 may be divided into two equal halves of 14 verses each: verses 1-14 and 15-28.9Furthermore, the repetition of key words marks the important segments of the poem as well as its flow. Moreover, Psalm 73:28 also repeats the important theme of Gods nearness (Ps 34:18) and the key refuge metaphor (Ps 34:8, 22). Look at v. 3: "For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." And he doesn't keep the cause of his troubles a secret. One of the best known memoirs of the Holocaust is Night by Elie Wiesel. But Peter answered and said to Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? We're sorry, an error occurred. "Then I understood their final destiny. God has SO much to say to us and so many of us are getting so much out of His word every day. See, what we have to remember is that this life is not all there is. You examples are superb. We can also affirm the future because God's Presence companions us. Why is God blessing them instead of judging them?". As a result, "Psalm 32 serves as an important check against any tendency . Then he asked in 13:24 Why do You hide Your face and consider me Your enemy? You guide me with Your counsel,and afterward You will take me into glory. Then I perceived their end. There are a couple of things here that Asaph says changed his perspective on what he saw happening around him: A. It suggests that the affirmation of faith in verse 1 posed a serious problem for the speaker. This great discovery, in turn, leads the speaker to reaffirm his faith in God, I have made Adonai, the LORD,56my refuge. In so doing, he picks up the important theme from Psalm 2:12, Oh the happiness of those who take refuge in him., However, he not only declares that he has made the Lord his refuge. History is not going to end with secular humanism on the throne. He was, I believe, a godly man during the time of his personal struggle. I have typed this psalm as a psalm of wisdom because it deals with a common problem found in wisdom literature, the prosperity of the wicked. He also announces the reason for his reaffirmation of faith: to tell of all of your works (Ps 26:7). Commentaries, Sermons, Illustrations, Devotionals. You are currently impersonating {{userSessionData.email}}. The opening statement God is good echoes Psalm 25:8 and 34:8 and the phrase pure in heart recalls Psalm 24:4. While the primary source of sermon . This switch marks a major turning point in the poem. Sometimes it changes suddenly during our lives here on earth like it did for Harvey Weinstein. This little song is worth several sermons so don't feel bad if we emphasize some parts tonight and not others. 3 Our God approaches, and he is not silent. Please see below for details. Psalm 73:23-24 23 Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. Asaph had let envy in the door, and now it colored everything he saw. Several times in recent months I have had individuals say to me: Pastor, that message today was for me! As a result, their speech is arrogant and they threaten oppression (vs. 8). They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like mankind. There isn't a product on the other side of these prayerful actions. This turning point consists of two important observations.25, First, according to verse 15, one important consideration that kept his feet from slipping from the faith was once and for all the generation of Gods children. What happened to him, and what he saw happening around him, raised questions that caused him to give up his faith. Scripture: Psalms 73:24. Isn't that just like life sometimes? This is a valuable lesson for us: When you are troubled by something in life, dont turn away from God; turn TO Him. 13-14) to praise of Gods handiwork (Gen 2:2).57 Now he speaks no longer as an ignorant beast; instead, through Gods guiding counsel he has now become a spiritually enlightened witness.58. You didn't plan for it. Video for Psalm 73: The title of this psalm ( A Psalm of Asaph) tells us that it was written by the great singer and musician of David and Solomon's era ( 1 Chronicles 15:17-19, 16:5-7, 25:6 ). God is the Christian's inheritance as the light of his intellect. Dont turn FROM God in your questions, turn TO Him. The envy he had of the wicked was like blinders to his eyes. In the midst of suffering believers often feel cheated and begin to question and doubt Gods goodness. We'll be back to it some day. well researched. 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. It should be noted that the psalmists sobering moment begins, not in isolation, but as a member of a larger community to which he is accountable.26. And were all in it for the same reasonto fuel the churchs mission of making disciples. God is on trial in this lament psalm, but ironically, the psalmist functions more as the defense attorney than the prosecuting attorney. This statement represents his settled conviction after the trouble he recounts in the Psalm. Under these circumstances, Psalm 73 helps believers to be honest with God. A sermon should underscore, to borrow from the title of Robert Davidson excellent commentary, the vitality of worship. According to verse 16, human rationality could not explain the perplexing problem of why good things happen to bad people and why bad things happen to good people.62 Only the communal experience (vs. 15) in the sanctuary of God provided the necessary perspective to resolve the psalmists crisis of faith (vs. 17). Ps 103:5; 104:28). 37:9-10).35 In other words, the poets initial perception of the carefree lifestyle of the wicked is wrong. Lloyd Stilley is pastor of First Baptist Church, Gulf Shores, Alabama. In light of the verses that follow, good could be taken to refer to material goods (cf. The basis for the speakers short admission is the realization of Gods presence, the third reorientation, which is introduced by weani. Pedestrians and shop owners poured into the streets to watch the spectacle of a whale carcass driven through the streets of downtown Tainan. God wants to do that for you. So go ahead, tell Him about it. Envy means "I want what you have." That is where we meet Asaph in Psalm 73. Why pray, when I pray these same prayer requests day after day, but it doesnt seem like they are being answered? Psalm 145:18 adds that "the Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth." On the contrary, the oppressive economic practices of the wicked were at the heart of his problem. Dt 32:4). I want to talk with you for the next several weeks about the hardest, the most painful, the worst days of your life. (616) 526-6088 worship@calvin.edu, On the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary, See our related website, Zeteo Preaching and Worship. What is worse, according to verse 11, the wicked are very cavalier about God. But her sophomore year, she suffered a knee injury that took her out for some time. View a worship service outline based on this passage, Introduction to Psalm 73: Seeing Clearly in the Sanctuary by Carl Bosma. 13-14) into exuberant trust also underscores the need for careful liturgical planning. The third word we need to see became a private obsession for this worship leader: it was the prosperity these God-rejecters enjoyed. Such a condition is contrary to the basic belief that God rewards the good with good. 89:52, ending Book 3). Asaph was getting more and more into despair and perhaps wondering walking by faith was worth it, but all this changed when he changed his focus. This Psalm is his very personal testimony. Psalm 24 Back On The Farm. 1855 Knollcrest Circle SE Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA And he's about to get as real as it gets. Put yourself in the position so that God can speak to you. 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