"God is good to the pure in heart'? 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. v2 But (this is what happened) to me. We know where history is going. John Piper Dec 4, 1988. The Psalms, maybe more than any other part of the Bible, help us to explore the depths of our hearts. :17 If I had said, I will speak thus, behold I would have betrayed the generation of Your children. This little song is worth several sermons so don't feel bad if we emphasize some parts tonight and not others. Psalm 25:6-9 All The Wrong Notes. If we are to defeat envy, we need to change our focus. Asaph paused to realize that his decisions will have ripple effects on others. Or maybe he does business with an ungodly person in town who seems to have the Midas touch. The Prayers of The Psalms. It has all turned around, so suddenly. In fact, their existence is as insubstantial as a dreamhere today, gone tomorrow (cf. III. Things are going to change very quickly; sometimes even here on earth, but if not; they will change very dramatically the first moment of eternity. May 29, 2017 The Psalms help us express our pain to God, knowing that he hears our cries. Listen to his confession in v. Sermon: When You Get a Raw Deal - Psalm 73. This makes it possible to use this sermon outline as a stand-alone. 9. It's not difficult for that to happen, by the way. Presented here is a verse by verse exposition of the New . On the contrary, in verse 16 he reports that when he tried to understand the problem concerning the prosperity of the wicked and the suffering of the righteous, when he tried to develop a theodicy, it became a burden (vs. 5) in his eyes. It was a truly encouraging sermon about how our perspectives on the world can become skeweduntil we enter the sanctuary of the Lord and see from his perspective, all the way to the very end. It's remarkable how inefficient these actions are. A key step in this process, of course, is to make the audience aware of the presence of Gods hand in their lives. You are currently impersonating {{userSessionData.email}}. They enjoy their sin for a time, perhaps from a human perspective for a lifetime. It wasnt right. Four promises from God in this passage: 1. Don't keep those emotions cooped up inside you, building layers of resentment and hardship between you and God. 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. Psalm 25:1-12 God Of New Beginnings. Each of these sections is dominated by they and concludes with a very important therefore (vv. If he had publicly told of his envious musings, he would have betrayed a generation of Gods children. I don't understand what is happening or why! Consequently, the way of the wicked looks like a viable alternative way to live.24. He's Where the Joy Is by Tara-Leigh Cobble, Black Church Leadership & Family Conference. The Thesis: God is Good (vs. 1) Psalm 73 is written as Asaph looks back at his time of struggle and doubt. Temptation General, Temptation Resisting, Denomination: Let's look at Psalm 1 together for a few minutes. To not be senseless and ignorant; like a beast before (God) as Asaph says in :22; To believe that it WILL end better for those who trust in the Lord and do good., You often hear people today say: Dont be on the wrong side of history. We hear that a lot from people today who believe that God and the Bible and fading away into history, and the future holds only the triumph of godless values. This psalm is a brutally honest confessional, from the heart of Asaph to the God he felt had given him a rip off. "I was envious of these openly wicked, loud-living sinners when I saw their God-blessed lives. He also announces the reason for his reaffirmation of faith: to tell of all of your works (Ps 26:7). I try to be faithful and do right, and I have to fight for every inch. He said in Job 10:18, Why then have You brought me out of the womb? In other words, his suffering was so great, why would God allow him to be born if he was going to have to go through all of that? Moreover, Psalm 73:28 also repeats the important theme of Gods nearness (Ps 34:18) and the key refuge metaphor (Ps 34:8, 22). 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. In either case, questioning and doubts are not virtues, as some have suggested.60 Ultimately, the truth is that continuous questioning and doubt destroys human relationships. But he didnt get away with it, did he? Armed with a new perspective about God and this world, Asaph also sees himself clearly. Introduction to Psalm 73: "Seeing Clearly in the Sanctuary". More recently, Craig C. Broyles has called attention to the fact that Psalm 73 contains important echoes of the psalms of entry (Ps 15 and 24) and related psalms.14 The reference to a protestation of innocence in verse 15 and the expression of confidence in verse 28 that concludes in a vow to praise suggests that in Psalm 73 the poet reflects on his experience of the lament process in the temple. Behind every support specialist, Bible study editor, graphic designer, and accountant is a Sunday School teacher, kids volunteer, or small group leader. According to Psalm 1:6b, the way of the wicked self-destructs. It literally means peace with God such that your life is fulfilled, tranquil, and complete. At least that seems to be the meaning of the emphatic summary conclusion of the lengthy description of the wicked in verse 12, which echoes verse 3 and, together with it, frames verses 4-11: Look (hinneh) at the wicked always at ease, they increase their wealth. You certainly don't welcome it. For example, my father recited the beautiful words of verses 24-25 of this psalm to my mother on August 27, 1945, just before she died. It reminds us . HINT: Since there are such a large number of resources on this page (>10,000 links) you might consider beginning with the more recent commentaries that briefly discuss all 150 Psalms . 2 From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines in glorious radiance. Unless otherwise specified, content on this website is licensed as Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. He goes on to describe their situation: [1] Psalm 73 is written by Asaph a Temple musician. sermon outline overlap with other sermon outlines taken from the Book of Psalms. What stopped him was the feeling, "If I utter my doubts, i.e., if I speak out of my discouraged, envious heart, I will put a stumbling block in somebody else's path. This is a valuable lesson for us: When you are troubled by something in life, dont turn away from God; turn TO Him. In addition to the important connections between Psalm 73 and Psalms 1 and 2, Psalm 73 also shares important themes with Psalm 34. Assembly Of God. The section as a whole concludes with a summary statement in verse 12, a verse in which the term wicked is repeated from verse 3 and the phrase at ease (NRSV; cf. Because of the complexity of the compositional structure of Psalm 73, scholars have not reached a consensus regarding the classification of the literary genre of this psalm.13 Some classify Psalm 73 as a lament. A good illustration can paint a picture in the imagination to help clarify the truth of a passage. Weve been to sanctuary of God; weve read the word of God, and we know how it ends. Keep up the good work. They are healthy (vs. 4) and experience no trouble (amal), nor are they plagued (vs. 5). They make sure the cameras are clicking and the interviewers are there to fawn over them. It seemed to many people like he was just continuing to sin and get away with it. And what we'll see is that just when we think God is nowhere to be found, GOD IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK. If youre going to turn your back on God in your distress, where are you going to go? They simply assert that God Most High, the creator of heaven and earth (Gen 14:19), is totally oblivious to what happens on earth. He did what Job did. (1 John 2:17) God completely controls their destiny, not them. Asaph had let envy in the door, and now it colored everything he saw. You have words of eternal life. CONCLUSION: Sometimes it changes suddenly during our lives here on earth like it did for Harvey Weinstein. He brought his confusion under the truth of God. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The inner conditions of the dead mammal, combined with the bumps in the road caused an eruption that the townspeople will not soon forget. State your [case], so that you may be vindicated." God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him Learn more about Desiring God . Psalm 73 is the first psalm of Book III of the Psalter. Rover is only concerned with the immediate. He discovers that faith depends not on his fragile, often vulnerable grasp of God, but on Gods grasp of him.39 That hand has not and will not let him go.40 In addition, in sharp contrast to the wicked, who claim that the Most High knows nothing, the psalmist admits that, not the counsel of the wicked (Ps 1:1), but Gods counsel personally guides41 him in the way that he should go (vs. 24a).42 Indeed, in the end God will receive him into glory (vs. 24b; NIV). He says, the wicked people are succeeding, and the righteous are being punished. How the Psalms Speak to All of Our Emotions Dane C. Ortlund. He took his doubts and confusion to God in prayer. "You are guiding me with your counsel," he said . Job had questions like this, didnt he? Have you ever been betrayed? 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). One of the sweetest, finest men I have ever known is in Norwalk hospital. As the truck crawled through that downtown region, with crowds looking on, the whale exploded. When you did the right thing, but got the back of the hand anyway. Navigating the challenges and joys of ministry life. Psalm 73:28, Tags: If you'll allow me to paraphrase it, it goes like this: "So this is how life really works! 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. In the midst of suffering believers often feel cheated and begin to question and doubt God's goodness. Our challenge today is to believe that. In the sanctuary God was his focus, not his problems. The revelation of Gods word shows us this important truth: that what you see now, of the wicked succeeding and the godly suffering, is not how it is always going to be. He says, God showed me that what I am seeing around me NOW, is NOT how this story is going to end: He says in :18-20 Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Truly God is good to Israel, To such as are pure in heart. They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors!. Last October it all came crashing down, with a New York Times investigation, and complaints by dozens of his victims. In Psalm 73 a man named Asaph expresses a frustration that many have shared. Why did the close friend, in whom I trusted, who ate bread with me, lift up his heel against me? Why do I cry by day and You do not answer, and by night, but I have no rest? Relationship To God, Great Expectations, Denomination: Asaph said as I looked around in the world, there were some things that bothered me. Life has a way of suddenly altering its course down hard paths, leaving us hurt, confused, and weak, with lots of unanswered questions. To help listeners who are struggling with unsettling doubts in their faith, therefore, a sermon should lead the audience step by step through the poets train of thought. But we have to put ourselves in the position where God can speak to us, by opening His word each day and reading it. This is especially true of Psalm 73. However, the Hebrew verbs of verse 17 are not in the past tense. They do not need God. This psalm is a brutally honest confessional, from the heart of Asaph to the God he felt had given him a rip off. As he frankly admits in verse 3, his doubt was caused by his envy of the prosperity (shalom) of the boasting wicked. Are there to fawn over them your counsel, and the interviewers are there to fawn over them me your... You may be vindicated. that to happen, by the way have ever known is in Norwalk.! 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