Perplexes, Yet Confident in God Christians receive hope and guidance from God during trouble and perplexing times
Non Davidic Psalms • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 2 viewsChristians receive hope and guidance from God during trouble and perplexing times
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INTRO:
INTRO:
Over thousands of years of human history, one of the most perplexing questions of those who have lived by faith in God is why God allows the wicked to prosper.
This question is similar to its opposite: "Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?" Both questions refer to what seems to be the perplexing injustice we witness every day.
The 73rd Psalm is our answer to the very same questions that also tormented the psalmist. Finding himself in terrible distress and agony of soul he writes, “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”
The writer of Psalm 73 was perplexed. He wanted to trust in God’s goodness, but his life experience in the world seemed to defy such confidence. There are many possibilities:
maybe God was powerless in the face of evil
perhaps He was complicit in evil
maybe God does not care
In acknowledging these very real questions, perplex cites of life, we must also acknowledge inspired scripture that allows of to seek answers that are congruent, in line with God’s revealed nature.
A RIGHTEOUS PERSONS DILEMMA
Truly God is good to Israel, To such as are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
An Honest Confession
a. Truly God is good to Israel: Asaph began this psalm with a simple declaration of the goodness of God to His people. By this he indicated that he understood not only that God was good, but that He actively showed that goodness to Israel and to the pure in heart.
“The writer does not doubt this, but lays it down as his firm conviction. It is well to make sure of what we do know, for this will be good anchor-hold for us when we are molested by those mysterious storms which arise from things which we do not understand.” (Spurgeon)
b. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled: Asaph knew what he said about God in the first verse was true; yet there was another truth that disturbed him greatly. It made him almost stumble; it made his steps nearly slip.
“It shows that having doubts like Asaph’s is not incompatible with responsible Christian living. It may have been true, as he says, that his feet ‘had almost slipped.’ But they had not actually slipped, or at least they had not slipped so far as to make him forget his responsibilities as a leader of God’s people.”
c. For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked: This was another truth that seemed to contradict what Asaph knew of God as declared in the first verse.
He knew that God was good to Israel and to the pure in heart, but it also seemed that God was good to the boastful and to the wicked. It all seemed so unfair to Asaph, and this made him almost stumble and slip.
Asaph saw the same troubling evidence that many see every day in their own lives. Many people cannot deny that God is good to them; but it also seems that God is good – perhaps too good – to the boastful and the wicked. It is then easy to envy the wicked and their prosperity.
Such deep questions cause one to question the moral order of the universe. After all, one asks, what good is there in being good? If the wicked enjoy the same prosperity as the pure in heart, then what is the reward of godliness?
Envy is “to want what belongs to someone else.” A more thorough description of envy is “a resentful, dissatisfied longing for another’s possessions, position, fortune, achievements, or success.” The Bible says envy is an act of the flesh, the result of human sin: “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19–21
Prosperity of the Wicked Describe
Psalm 73:4–12 (NKJV)
For there are no pangs in their death, But their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride serves as their necklace; Violence covers them like a garment. Their eyes bulge with abundance; They have more than heart could wish. They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression; They speak loftily.
They set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue walks through the earth. Therefore his people return here, And waters of a full cup are drained by them. And they say, “How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?” Behold, these are the ungodly, Who are always at ease; They increase in riches.
a. For there are no pangs in their death: Perhaps Asaph had seen some of the wicked die agonizing and painful deaths; but he had seen enough wicked people die peaceful deaths to make him say, “there are no pangs in their death.”
b. They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued as other men: Here Asaph developed his argument even further. Not only are the wicked rewarded equally to the righteous, they seem to be more blessed than the pure in heart. Their lives seem to have less trouble and are not as plagued as the average man.
c. Therefore pride serves as their necklace: In Asaph’s analysis, because God did not punish the wicked as He should, they simply became more wicked, and even wore their pride as a prominent necklace. They therefore became more violent, greedy, and more likely to scoff and blaspheme.
TRANSITION TO HOPE
Wrong Thinking Corrected
Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, And washed my hands in innocence. For all day long I have been plagued, And chastened every morning. If I had said, “I will speak thus,” Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children. When I thought how to understand this, It was too painful for me— Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end.
Seeing that God allows the wicked ‘to prosper in the world” To Asaph his righteous living was in vain. He had devoted his life to God and sought diligently to cleanse his heart and life of sin.
But having done this, it seemed to have no benefit for him, because “all the day long” he was plagued with trouble.
The Truth About the Wicked
Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one awakes, So, Lord, when You awake, You shall despise their image. Thus my heart was grieved, And I was vexed in my mind. I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You.
In the presence of God truth is revealed. The wicked far from being truly successful and secure, remember the wicked stand before God’s judgement, which can fall upon them at any moment.
The truth about the state of the wicked caused Asaph to repent of the wrong thoughts he had about their prosperity. His wrong thoughts about this had been foolish, ignorant and the more becoming of the mind of an animal than the mind of a human.
Asaph was deeply sorry he had been envious of the wicked.
THE PROMISE OF LIFELONG GUIDANCE
Psalm 73:23–28 (NKJV)
Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry. 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.
Relationship With God Confirmed
Asaph goes from being on the verge of quitting on God to be reunited with God. He finds himself to continually with God, held by His right hand.
Asaph was confident that God would continue guiding him through out his life and would receive him into glory.
Trust in God Affirmed
My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry. 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.
Conclusion:
Envy is an issue of the heart. Jesus taught that purity and godliness come from inside a person and not from external actions (Mark 7:14–15). Envy is one of many inward vices or heart attitudes that defile a person: “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, . . . deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you”
We may not have everything we want here on earth, but we will one day prosper for all eternity through Jesus Christ our Lord. Whenever we are tempted to try the other road, we should remember that the other road is a dead end (Matthew 7:13). But the narrow road before us through Jesus is the only road that leads to eternal life. That should be our joy and our comfort. “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge . . .” (Psalm 73:25, 27-28)
We need not concern ourselves when good things seem to happen to bad people. We only need to keep our focus on our Creator and enter into His presence every day through the portal of His holy Word. There we will find truth, contentment, spiritual riches, and eternal joy.
