Psalms 73 Study Notes: Envy of the Wicked and Nearness to God
Asaph confesses that he nearly lost his faith envying the easy lives of arrogant, wicked people while he suffered. Entering God's sanctuary showed him their sudden end, and he ends by treasuring God as his guide, strength, and lasting inheritance.
General
What changed Asaph's perspective on the success of the wicked?
Answer: He went into God's sanctuary and saw their final end
Asaph says that trying to work the problem out on his own only wore him down (73:16), until he went into God's sanctuary; there he grasped what their final outcome would be (73:17). This is the turning point of the psalm. In God's presence he stopped measuring the wicked by their present comfort and saw them in light of where their path leads. Another psalm says that only a senseless person fails to see that the wicked, though they spring up like grass, are headed for lasting destruction (Psalm 92:6-7), and Psalm 37 contrasts the peaceful future of the upright with the cut-off future of transgressors (Psalm 37:37-38).
- Psalm 73:16-17 (BSB)“When I tried to understand all this, it was troublesome in my sight until I entered God’s sanctuary; then I discerned their end.”The problem wearied Asaph until he entered God's sanctuary and understood the end of the wicked.
- Psalm 92:6-7 (BSB)“A senseless man does not know, and a fool does not understand, that though the wicked sprout like grass, and all evildoers flourish, they will be forever destroyed.”Another psalm says the senseless do not grasp that the flourishing wicked will be destroyed forever.
- Psalm 37:37-38 (BSB)“Consider the blameless and observe the upright, for posterity awaits the man of peace. But the transgressors will all be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.”The future of the upright is peace, while the future of the wicked is cut off.
Theological
What brings the turning point in Asaph's struggle according to 73:16-17?
Answer: He went into God's sanctuary and saw their final end
Asaph's own reasoning proved wearisome (73:16) until he entered the sanctuary of God, where he discerned the end of the wicked (73:17). The resolution comes not by analysis but in God's presence, where the final outcome of the wicked reorders his evaluation of their present ease. The same logic appears in Psalm 92, where the flourishing of evildoers is only the prelude to their permanent destruction (Psalm 92:6-7), and in the contrast of Psalm 37 between the posterity of the upright and the cutting off of the wicked (Psalm 37:37-38).
- Psalm 73:16-17 (BSB)“When I tried to understand all this, it was troublesome in my sight until I entered God’s sanctuary; then I discerned their end.”The problem wearied Asaph until he entered God's sanctuary and understood the end of the wicked.
- Psalm 92:6-7 (BSB)“A senseless man does not know, and a fool does not understand, that though the wicked sprout like grass, and all evildoers flourish, they will be forever destroyed.”Another psalm says the senseless do not grasp that the flourishing wicked will be destroyed forever.
- Psalm 37:37-38 (BSB)“Consider the blameless and observe the upright, for posterity awaits the man of peace. But the transgressors will all be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.”The future of the upright is peace, while the future of the wicked is cut off.
General
According to 73:2-3, what almost caused Asaph to lose his footing?
Answer: Envy when he saw arrogant, wicked people prospering
The heading names Asaph as the psalmist. Right after stating his conviction that God is good, Asaph confesses that he nearly slipped and fell (73:2). The reason follows with the word for: he grew envious of boastful people as he watched the wicked doing well (73:3). His crisis of faith came from comparing his life with theirs. He was not alone in this struggle; Jeremiah asked God directly why the path of the wicked goes so smoothly (Jeremiah 12:1). Scripture elsewhere warns against envying sinners and urges continued reverence for the LORD instead (Proverbs 23:17), since evildoers soon wither like grass (Psalm 37:1-2).
- Psalm 73:2-3 (BSB)“But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”Asaph admits he nearly fell, because he envied the arrogant when he saw the wicked prosper.
- Jeremiah 12:1 (BSB)“Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead before You. Yet about Your judgments I wish to contend with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?”Jeremiah raises the same question of why the wicked prosper.
- Proverbs 23:17 (BSB)“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always continue in the fear of the LORD.”Wisdom warns against envying sinners and calls for continuing in the fear of the LORD.
- Psalm 37:1-2 (BSB)“Of David. Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong. For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants.”Another psalm warns against envying evildoers, because they soon wither.
Theological
What does Asaph identify in 73:2-3 as the cause of his near fall?
Answer: Envy when he saw arrogant, wicked people prospering
The psalm, headed with Asaph's name, follows its opening confession of God's goodness with an admission that his footing nearly gave way (73:2), and the for clause explains why: he envied the boastful on seeing the wicked thrive (73:3). The threat to his faith was covetous comparison. Jeremiah voices the same question of God's justice about the ease of the faithless (Jeremiah 12:1), and wisdom literature forbids envy of sinners in favor of reverence for the LORD (Proverbs 23:17), grounding the warning in the brevity of the wicked's success (Psalm 37:1-2).
- Psalm 73:2-3 (BSB)“But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”Asaph admits he nearly fell, because he envied the arrogant when he saw the wicked prosper.
- Jeremiah 12:1 (BSB)“Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead before You. Yet about Your judgments I wish to contend with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?”Jeremiah raises the same question of why the wicked prosper.
- Proverbs 23:17 (BSB)“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always continue in the fear of the LORD.”Wisdom warns against envying sinners and calls for continuing in the fear of the LORD.
- Psalm 37:1-2 (BSB)“Of David. Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong. For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants.”Another psalm warns against envying evildoers, because they soon wither.
General
The psalm opens by saying God treats the pure in heart well (73:1). How does it close in 73:27-28?
Answer: Asaph finds nearness to God his good and makes Him his refuge
The psalm is framed by the word good. It began with the claim that God shows goodness to Israel and to those with pure hearts (73:1). After the struggle, Asaph ends by contrasting two outcomes: those who stay far from God will perish, and God destroys the unfaithful (73:27), but for himself, being near God is his good; he has made the Lord his refuge so that he can tell of all God's works (73:28). The goodness he doubted is now found in closeness to God Himself rather than in outward prosperity. James calls believers to come near to God with the promise that He will come near to them (James 4:8), and Hebrews invites believers to approach God with full assurance through Christ (Hebrews 10:22).
- Psalm 73:27-28 (BSB)“Those far from You will surely perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, it is good to draw near to God. I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may proclaim all Your works.”Those far from God perish, but for Asaph nearness to God is good, and he makes the Lord his refuge.
- Psalm 73:1 (BSB)“A Psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.”The psalm opened by affirming that God is good to Israel, to the pure in heart.
- James 4:8 (BSB)“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”Believers are called to draw near to God, who draws near to them.
- Hebrews 10:22 (BSB)“let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”Through Christ believers may draw near to God with full assurance.
Theological
How does the conclusion in 73:27-28 answer the opening claim of 73:1 about God's goodness to the pure in heart?
Answer: Asaph finds nearness to God his good and makes Him his refuge
The psalm is framed by the word good. The opening thesis that God shows goodness to Israel and the pure in heart (73:1) nearly collapsed under envy; the conclusion sets those far from God, who perish, against Asaph himself, for whom nearness to God is the good, the Lord GOD his refuge and the reason he will declare God's works (73:27-28). The good of the opening is redefined as communion with God rather than earthly ease. James's summons to draw near with the promise of God's nearness (James 4:8) and the invitation of Hebrews to approach with full assurance through Christ (Hebrews 10:22) carry this forward.
- Psalm 73:27-28 (BSB)“Those far from You will surely perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, it is good to draw near to God. I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may proclaim all Your works.”Those far from God perish, but for Asaph nearness to God is good, and he makes the Lord his refuge.
- Psalm 73:1 (BSB)“A Psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.”The psalm opened by affirming that God is good to Israel, to the pure in heart.
- James 4:8 (BSB)“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”Believers are called to draw near to God, who draws near to them.
- Hebrews 10:22 (BSB)“let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”Through Christ believers may draw near to God with full assurance.
General
In 73:25-26, what does Asaph say remains even if his own body and heart give way?
Answer: God Himself, his strength and lasting share
Asaph, who had envied the wealth of the wicked, now says there is no one in heaven he has but God and nothing on earth he wants besides Him (73:25). Even if his body and inner strength fail, God is his heart's strength and his share forever (73:26). A portion was an allotted inheritance; Asaph's inheritance is God Himself. The same confession appears in Lamentations, where the LORD as one's portion is the reason for hope (Lamentations 3:24), and in David's words calling the LORD his chosen share (Psalm 16:5). Paul expresses the same values when he counts everything as loss compared with knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8).
- Psalm 73:25-26 (BSB)“Whom have I in heaven but You? And on earth I desire no one besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”Asaph desires nothing besides God, who remains his strength and portion even if his body and heart fail.
- Lamentations 3:24 (BSB)““The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.””The LORD as one's portion is the ground of hope.
- Psalm 16:5 (BSB)“The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure.”David calls the LORD his chosen portion and cup.
- Philippians 3:8 (BSB)“More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ”Paul counts all things loss compared to knowing Christ.
Theological
What does Asaph confess in 73:25-26 endures when his flesh and heart fail?
Answer: God Himself, his strength and lasting share
The one who envied the prosperous now confesses that he has none in heaven but God and desires nothing on earth besides Him (73:25); though flesh and heart fail, God remains the strength of his heart and his lasting portion (73:26). The language of portion recalls an allotted inheritance of land: God Himself is the believer's allotment. Lamentations grounds hope in the LORD as portion (Lamentations 3:24), David calls the LORD his chosen portion (Psalm 16:5), and Paul's reckoning of everything as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8) expresses the same supreme valuing of God.
- Psalm 73:25-26 (BSB)“Whom have I in heaven but You? And on earth I desire no one besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”Asaph desires nothing besides God, who remains his strength and portion even if his body and heart fail.
- Lamentations 3:24 (BSB)““The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.””The LORD as one's portion is the ground of hope.
- Psalm 16:5 (BSB)“The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure.”David calls the LORD his chosen portion and cup.
- Philippians 3:8 (BSB)“More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ”Paul counts all things loss compared to knowing Christ.
General
True or False: In 73:11, the wicked are quoted as questioning whether God really knows what goes on.
Answer: True
This is true. Asaph describes their scornful, threatening talk, aimed even at heaven and swaggering over the whole land (73:8-9). Behind it lies their attitude toward God: they ask how God could know and whether the Most High has any awareness (73:11). They live as if no one above is watching or will call them to account. Another psalm answers this same taunt by asking whether the One who formed the ear and the eye could fail to hear and see (Psalm 94:7-9). The New Testament affirms that no creature can hide from God's sight and that everyone must give an account to Him (Hebrews 4:13).
- Psalm 73:8-9 (BSB)“They mock and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression. They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongues strut across the earth.”The wicked scoff and threaten, and their proud talk is aimed at heaven and spreads over the land.
- Psalm 73:11 (BSB)“The wicked say, “How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?””The wicked question whether God knows or pays attention.
- Psalm 94:7-9 (BSB)“They say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed.” Take notice, O senseless among the people! O fools, when will you be wise? He who affixed the ear, can He not hear? He who formed the eye, can He not see?”Another psalm answers this taunt: the One who made the ear and eye surely hears and sees.
- Hebrews 4:13 (BSB)“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”Nothing in creation is hidden from God's sight.
Theological
True or False: 73:11 quotes the wicked as doubting whether God has knowledge of their conduct.
Answer: True
This is true. Their scoffing, menacing speech is aimed at heaven itself and ranges over the land (73:8-9), and 73:11 exposes the practical atheism behind it: they question whether God knows and whether the Most High has knowledge. Their confidence in impunity rests on a denial of God's omniscience. Psalm 94 rebuts the same claim from creation, since the Maker of ear and eye must Himself hear and see (Psalm 94:7-9), and Hebrews affirms that all things lie open before the One to whom all must give account (Hebrews 4:13).
- Psalm 73:8-9 (BSB)“They mock and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression. They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongues strut across the earth.”The wicked scoff and threaten, and their proud talk is aimed at heaven and spreads over the land.
- Psalm 73:11 (BSB)“The wicked say, “How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?””The wicked question whether God knows or pays attention.
- Psalm 94:7-9 (BSB)“They say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed.” Take notice, O senseless among the people! O fools, when will you be wise? He who affixed the ear, can He not hear? He who formed the eye, can He not see?”Another psalm answers this taunt: the One who made the ear and eye surely hears and sees.
- Hebrews 4:13 (BSB)“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”Nothing in creation is hidden from God's sight.
General
What bitter conclusion did Asaph nearly reach in 73:13-14?
Answer: That keeping himself pure had been pointless
Looking at the carefree wicked (73:12), Asaph says it seemed useless that he had kept his heart clean and lived innocently (73:13), since all he received was trouble every day and correction every morning (73:14). The righteous life appeared to bring no reward while the ungodly flourished. Malachi records people making the same complaint, that serving God was futile because evildoers prospered and escaped (Malachi 3:14-15), and Job asked why the wicked live long and grow strong (Job 21:7). The psalm records this thought honestly as the low point of Asaph's struggle, not as his final word.
- Psalm 73:13-14 (BSB)“Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure; in innocence I have washed my hands. For I am afflicted all day long and punished every morning.”Asaph voices his bitter thought that his purity has gained him nothing but daily trouble.
- Malachi 3:14-15 (BSB)“You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His requirements and walking mournfully before the LORD of Hosts? So now we call the arrogant blessed. Not only do evildoers prosper, they even test God and escape.’””In Malachi's day people also claimed it was futile to serve God while evildoers prospered.
- Job 21:7 (BSB)“Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?”Job likewise asks why the wicked grow old and powerful.
Theological
What does Asaph confess in 73:13-14 he was tempted to conclude?
Answer: That keeping himself pure had been pointless
Contemplating the untroubled wicked (73:12), Asaph judged that his purity of heart and innocence had been in vain (73:13), since his lot was daily affliction and chastening (73:14). The temptation is to reckon godliness unprofitable. The same complaint surfaces in Malachi, where the people call service of God futile because the arrogant prosper (Malachi 3:14-15), and in Job's question about the long and powerful lives of the wicked (Job 21:7). The psalm records it candidly as the nadir of the struggle, not its resolution.
- Psalm 73:13-14 (BSB)“Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure; in innocence I have washed my hands. For I am afflicted all day long and punished every morning.”Asaph voices his bitter thought that his purity has gained him nothing but daily trouble.
- Malachi 3:14-15 (BSB)“You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His requirements and walking mournfully before the LORD of Hosts? So now we call the arrogant blessed. Not only do evildoers prosper, they even test God and escape.’””In Malachi's day people also claimed it was futile to serve God while evildoers prospered.
- Job 21:7 (BSB)“Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?”Job likewise asks why the wicked grow old and powerful.
General
True or False: Asaph admits in 73:21-22 that while his heart was grieved he had been senseless, like an animal before God.
Answer: True
This is true. Looking back, Asaph says that when he was full of grief and wounded inside (73:21), he had been foolish and without understanding, no better than a beast in God's presence (73:22). He does not blame God for his confusion; he owns that his envy had dulled his judgment. Another psalm uses the same kind of language for the person who cannot see that the flourishing wicked are headed for destruction (Psalm 92:6), and a wise man in Proverbs likewise confesses his own lack of understanding (Proverbs 30:2).
- Psalm 73:21-22 (BSB)“When my heart was grieved and I was pierced within, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before You.”Asaph confesses that in his grief he was senseless before God, like an animal.
- Psalm 92:6 (BSB)“A senseless man does not know, and a fool does not understand,”A senseless person fails to understand what God is doing with the wicked.
- Proverbs 30:2 (BSB)“Surely I am the most ignorant of men, and I lack the understanding of a man.”Another wise man confesses his own ignorance and lack of understanding.
Theological
True or False: In 73:21-22 Asaph confesses that while his heart was grieved he was senseless, like a beast before God.
Answer: True
This is true. Asaph acknowledges that his grieving heart and inward wounding (73:21) had made him senseless and ignorant, like a beast before God (73:22). The confession locates the fault in his own darkened judgment rather than in God's governance. Psalm 92 applies similar vocabulary to the one who fails to grasp the end of the flourishing wicked (Psalm 92:6), and Agur's confession of his own ignorance in Proverbs 30:2 reflects the same humility.
- Psalm 73:21-22 (BSB)“When my heart was grieved and I was pierced within, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before You.”Asaph confesses that in his grief he was senseless before God, like an animal.
- Psalm 92:6 (BSB)“A senseless man does not know, and a fool does not understand,”A senseless person fails to understand what God is doing with the wicked.
- Proverbs 30:2 (BSB)“Surely I am the most ignorant of men, and I lack the understanding of a man.”Another wise man confesses his own ignorance and lack of understanding.
General
In 73:6, pride is the wicked people's necklace and violence covers them like a garment. What does this picture convey?
Answer: They wear their arrogance and cruelty openly for all to see
Because the wicked seem free from trouble (73:4-5), their pride hangs on them like jewelry and violence wraps them like clothing (73:6), and out of their plenty comes wrongdoing while their hearts' schemes run unchecked (73:7). A necklace and a garment are worn in public; the picture shows people who display their arrogance and brutality rather than hiding it. Isaiah describes people who parade their sin like Sodom instead of concealing it (Isaiah 3:9). The psalm will go on to show where such pride ends, just as Proverbs warns that arrogance comes before a crash (Proverbs 16:18).
- Psalm 73:6 (BSB)“Therefore pride is their necklace; a garment of violence covers them.”Pride and violence are pictured as jewelry and clothing the wicked wear.
- Isaiah 3:9 (BSB)“The expression on their faces testifies against them, and like Sodom they flaunt their sin; they do not conceal it. Woe to them, for they have brought disaster upon themselves.”The wicked of Judah are said to flaunt their sin openly, like Sodom.
- Proverbs 16:18 (BSB)“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”Pride leads to downfall, as the psalm will later show.
Theological
What does the image of pride as a necklace and violence as a garment in 73:6 communicate about the wicked?
Answer: They wear their arrogance and cruelty openly for all to see
The therefore of 73:6 draws on their apparent immunity from trouble (73:4-5): pride becomes their ornament and violence their clothing, and their abundance breeds iniquity while their hearts' schemes run unrestrained (73:7). The imagery is of public display; their arrogance and brutality are worn openly, not concealed. Isaiah's indictment of those who flaunt their sin like Sodom (Isaiah 3:9) is parallel, and the proverb that pride precedes ruin (Proverbs 16:18) anticipates the reversal the psalm will reach in 73:18-20.
- Psalm 73:6 (BSB)“Therefore pride is their necklace; a garment of violence covers them.”Pride and violence are pictured as jewelry and clothing the wicked wear.
- Isaiah 3:9 (BSB)“The expression on their faces testifies against them, and like Sodom they flaunt their sin; they do not conceal it. Woe to them, for they have brought disaster upon themselves.”The wicked of Judah are said to flaunt their sin openly, like Sodom.
- Proverbs 16:18 (BSB)“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”Pride leads to downfall, as the psalm will later show.
General
In 73:18-20, the success of the wicked is compared to a dream that fades when someone wakes. What does the comparison teach?
Answer: Their success is fleeting and will vanish when God acts
Asaph now sees that God has placed the wicked on slippery footing and throws them down to ruin (73:18). Their collapse is sudden and total, as terrors sweep them away (73:19). Their existence is like a dream: when a sleeper wakes, the dream is gone, and when the Lord rouses Himself, He treats their image as worthless (73:20). Their prosperity only looked solid. God warned long before that the foot of those He judges would slip in due time (Deuteronomy 32:35), and Job's friend described the gains of the godless as short-lived, vanishing like a night vision (Job 20:5-8).
- Psalm 73:18-20 (BSB)“Surely You set them on slick ground; You cast them down into ruin. How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors! Like one waking from a dream, so You, O Lord, awaken and despise their form.”God sets the wicked on slippery ground and they vanish suddenly, like a dream on waking.
- Deuteronomy 32:35 (BSB)“Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.””The LORD says that in due time the foot of those He judges will slip.
- Job 20:5-8 (BSB)“the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary? Though his arrogance reaches the heavens, and his head touches the clouds, he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who had seen him will ask, ‘Where is he?’ He will fly away like a dream, never to be found; he will be chased away like a vision in the night.”Job's friend likewise says the wicked person's triumph is brief and he vanishes like a dream.
Theological
What does the dream simile of 73:20 imply about the success of the wicked?
Answer: Their success is fleeting and will vanish when God acts
Having seen their end, Asaph describes God setting the wicked on slippery ground and hurling them to ruin (73:18), with sudden and complete destruction (73:19). Like a dream dismissed on waking, their form is despised when the Lord arouses Himself (73:20): their prosperity was transient and without substance. The Song of Moses spoke of the foot of those under His judgment slipping in due time (Deuteronomy 32:35), and Zophar compared the brief triumph of the godless to a vanishing dream (Job 20:5-8).
- Psalm 73:18-20 (BSB)“Surely You set them on slick ground; You cast them down into ruin. How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors! Like one waking from a dream, so You, O Lord, awaken and despise their form.”God sets the wicked on slippery ground and they vanish suddenly, like a dream on waking.
- Deuteronomy 32:35 (BSB)“Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.””The LORD says that in due time the foot of those He judges will slip.
- Job 20:5-8 (BSB)“the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary? Though his arrogance reaches the heavens, and his head touches the clouds, he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who had seen him will ask, ‘Where is he?’ He will fly away like a dream, never to be found; he will be chased away like a vision in the night.”Job's friend likewise says the wicked person's triumph is brief and he vanishes like a dream.
General
According to 73:15, why did Asaph not speak his doubts aloud?
Answer: It would have been unfaithful to God's people
Asaph says that if he had resolved to talk that way, he would have been disloyal to God's children (73:15). His concern was for the community: spreading his bitter conclusion could have shaken the faith of other believers. So he held back while he wrestled with the problem. The New Testament shares this concern, urging believers never to put an obstacle in a brother's path (Romans 14:13), and Jesus warns in the strongest terms against causing one of His believing little ones to fall (Matthew 18:6).
- Psalm 73:15 (BSB)“If I had said, “I will speak this way,” then I would have betrayed Your children.”Asaph says that voicing his doubts publicly would have betrayed God's people.
- Romans 14:13 (BSB)“Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.”Believers are told not to put a stumbling block in a brother's way.
- Matthew 18:6 (BSB)“But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”Jesus warns gravely against causing His little ones to stumble.
Theological
What reason does 73:15 give for Asaph's restraint in voicing his complaint?
Answer: It would have been unfaithful to God's people
Asaph recognizes that to adopt and speak his conclusion would have been treachery against God's children (73:15). His restraint arises from covenant loyalty to the community of faith, whose confidence his words could have undermined. The New Testament echoes this responsibility in the charge not to place a stumbling block before a brother (Romans 14:13) and Jesus' solemn warning about causing His little ones to fall away (Matthew 18:6).
- Psalm 73:15 (BSB)“If I had said, “I will speak this way,” then I would have betrayed Your children.”Asaph says that voicing his doubts publicly would have betrayed God's people.
- Romans 14:13 (BSB)“Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.”Believers are told not to put a stumbling block in a brother's way.
- Matthew 18:6 (BSB)“But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”Jesus warns gravely against causing His little ones to stumble.
General
Right after confessing his foolishness, what does Asaph say about his relationship with God in 73:23-24?
Answer: God holds his hand and will bring him into glory
Asaph's confession of folly (73:22) is followed by a great yet: he is still continually with God, who has hold of his right hand (73:23). God leads him by His counsel and afterward will take him into glory (73:24). Even in his lowest moment, God had not let go of him. This is God keeping His own, the perseverance of the saints (the teaching that God holds on to those who truly belong to Him to the end). God promised to grasp His servant's hand and help him (Isaiah 41:13), and Jesus says nobody can snatch His sheep from His or His Father's hand (John 10:28-29). Another psalmist likewise trusts that God will ransom his life from the grave and take him to Himself (Psalm 49:15). Many Christians have found in these words the believer's hope of being received into God's presence.
- Psalm 73:23-24 (BSB)“Yet I am always with You; You hold my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, and later receive me in glory.”Despite his folly, Asaph is continually with God, who holds his hand, guides him, and will afterward receive him in glory.
- Isaiah 41:13 (BSB)“For I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand and tells you: Do not fear, I will help you.”God promises to take hold of His servant's right hand and help him.
- John 10:28-29 (BSB)“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”Jesus says no one can snatch His sheep out of His or His Father's hand.
- Psalm 49:15 (BSB)“But God will redeem my life from Sheol, for He will surely take me to Himself. Selah”Another psalmist trusts that God will redeem his life from the grave and take him to Himself.
Theological
What does Asaph affirm in 73:23-24 immediately after confessing his brutishness?
Answer: God holds his hand and will bring him into glory
The adversative yet of 73:23 is decisive: in spite of his folly, Asaph is continually with God, who holds his right hand, guides him by His counsel, and afterward will receive him in glory (73:23-24). God's grip on His servant does not depend on the servant's steadiness. This is perseverance grounded in God's preservation, as in the promise to take hold of His servant's hand (Isaiah 41:13) and Jesus' assurance that none can snatch His sheep from His or the Father's hand (John 10:28-29). Psalm 49 expresses a parallel confidence that God will redeem the psalmist from Sheol and take him to Himself (Psalm 49:15). Many Christians have heard in these words the believer's hope of being received into God's presence.
- Psalm 73:23-24 (BSB)“Yet I am always with You; You hold my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, and later receive me in glory.”Despite his folly, Asaph is continually with God, who holds his hand, guides him, and will afterward receive him in glory.
- Isaiah 41:13 (BSB)“For I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand and tells you: Do not fear, I will help you.”God promises to take hold of His servant's right hand and help him.
- John 10:28-29 (BSB)“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”Jesus says no one can snatch His sheep out of His or His Father's hand.
- Psalm 49:15 (BSB)“But God will redeem my life from Sheol, for He will surely take me to Himself. Selah”Another psalmist trusts that God will redeem his life from the grave and take him to Himself.