Chapter 73
Asaph is bitter at the rich and successful who ignore God. He seeks to understand why God allows them such while he has so little. He seems to conclude that heaven is/will be better than earth. It is not about this life anyway.
This psalm describes the rich and affluent in fairly uncomplimentary terms, yet with a strong sense of injustice that they have plenty, do what they want, die in peace, and yet they are unrighteous. The psalm is about the attitude of the writer towards these people and this situation. His railing against the rich and powerful begins in this verse:
3 For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. [Psa 73:3 ESV]
Another descriptive verse:
8 They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. [Psa 73:3 ESV]
Here is the way the writer contrasts himself with these he is envious of:
12 Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. 13 All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. [Psa 73:12-13 ESV].
Very reminiscent of Job. Asaph thinks he's done everything right, but it is those who've done everything wrong that seem to be rewarded.
He says it is wearisome to try and figure out how God can let things go on this way. He wore himself out trying to make sense of it. And then this:
16 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, 17 until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. [Psa 73:16-17 ESV]
2021 - These verses, from Asaph in Book 2:
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. [Psa 73:25-26 ESV]
If we are jealous of the success of evil people, this verse is the key. If we desire the material things the evil accumulate, then we will always be jealous of them. But if serving, worshiping and praising God is our only desire - as it should be - then we are striving toward that, and not toward the power and wealth the wicked are accumulating. It is all about what we desire. This is also the key to not being upset when the bad guys win. They win only earthly, material things. They win nothing that is eternal. Here is corroboration: 11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? [Psa 56:11 ESV]
6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? [Psa 118:6 ESV]
Possible FB post.
27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. [Psa 73:27 ESV]
It is not about this world. The saved never perish, but have everlasting life.
2022 - ALSO, it is the successful wicked that we always see these things written about. Job did the same thing - he pointed out that he knew some very wicked people who were just fine. And that is true. But how many wicked people sleep out in the rain, freezing, and have nothing at all that we do not see, because we don't run in those circles. This whole idea of how well "the evil" are doing is statistically invalid. It is whiny and petty and jealous. Prisons don't have many Godly men in them. Prisons are full of evil people, and we never count them.
Find a verse in Psa 73 and this is a very good FB post. Include the summary in vs 28 also.
2023 - See the 2023 notes at the bottom of Psalm 75...This Psalm is the first of eleven in a row attributed to Asaph. 74 and 75 are difficult to interpret, because they seem to be prophecies of the far future - as in Revelation far. I speculate, and there is some corroboration from MSB, that there may be two Asaph's...the one that wrote Psalm 50, and the Asaph who wrote all these in Book 3. If we go this way, then we would look at Psalm 73 differently. Perhaps it is the "confession" of a prophet as to his moment of conversion, from a bitter, gripey, whining man jealous of the "evil rich" to a man who recognizes that true riches come from God and are eternal. And then we see the prophecies granted him after that conversion. I am speculating...I haven't read that this is so...but I will keep it in mind now as I read the rest of Asaph's Psalms in Book 3.