Psalm 73
73
Book Three
God Is My Strength and Portion Forever
A Psalm of #See Ps. 50, titleAsaph.
1Truly God is good to #John 1:47 Israel,
to those who are #See Ps. 24:4pure in heart.
2But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
my steps had nearly slipped.
3 # See Job 21:7 For I was #Ps. 37:1; Prov. 23:17 envious of the arrogant
when I saw the #[Ps. 37:7; 92:7; Jer. 12:1]prosperity of the wicked.
4For they have no pangs until death;
their bodies are fat and sleek.
5They are not in trouble as others are;
they are not #[Isa. 53:4]stricken like the rest of mankind.
6Therefore pride is #[Judg. 8:26] their necklace;
violence covers them as #[Ps. 109:18]a garment.
7Their #See Job 15:27eyes swell out through fatness;
their hearts overflow with follies.
8They scoff and #[2 Pet. 2:18; Jude 16]speak with malice;
loftily they threaten oppression.
9They set their mouths against the heavens,
and their tongue struts through the earth.
10Therefore his people turn back to them,
and find #[Job 15:16]no fault in them.#73:10 Probable reading; Hebrew the waters of a full cup are drained by them
11And they say, #See Job 22:13“How can God know?
Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12Behold, these are the wicked;
always at ease, they #[ver. 3]increase in riches.
13All in vain have I #[ver. 1]; See Job 34:9 kept my heart clean
and #See Ps. 26:6washed my hands in innocence.
14For all the day long I have been #[See ver. 5 above] stricken
and #Rev. 3:19 rebuked #[Ps. 101:8]every morning.
15If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
I would have betrayed #[Ps. 14:5]the generation of your children.
16But when I thought how to understand this,
it seemed to me #Eccles. 8:17a wearisome task,
17until I went into #Ps. 20:2 the sanctuary of God;
then I discerned their #Ps. 37:38end.
18Truly you set them in #Ps. 35:6slippery places;
you make them fall to ruin.
19How they are destroyed #[Num. 16:21] in a moment,
swept away utterly by #See Job 18:11terrors!
20Like #See Job 20:8 a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when #Ps. 78:65you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.
21When my soul was embittered,
when I was pricked in heart,
22I was #See Ps. 49:10 brutish and ignorant;
I was like #Job 18:3; [Job 11:12]a beast toward you.
23Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you #Ps. 63:8; [Ps. 41:12]hold my right hand.
24You #Ps. 32:8 guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will #See Ps. 49:15receive me to glory.
25 #
Ps. 16:2; [Phil. 3:8] Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
26 #
Ps. 40:12; See Ps. 84:2 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is #Ps. 18:2 the strength#73:26 Hebrew rock of my heart and my #See Ps. 16:5 portion #[Dan. 12:3]forever.
27For behold, those who are #Ps. 119:155 far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is #Ps. 106:39; Ex. 34:15; Num. 15:39; James 4:4unfaithful to you.
28But for me it is good to #James 4:8; [Heb. 10:22] be near God;
I have made the Lord God my #See Ps. 14:6 refuge,
that I may #See Ps. 118:17tell of all your works.
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Psalms 73
73
God’s Justice
Asaph’s psalm # 73 Asaph was one of three Levites that David set over the worship of Yahweh. However, it is possible that Asaph was an office not an individual—Asaphites who were part of a prophetic company of composers. The name Asaph means “a harvest” or “fulfilled prophecy.” Asaph possibly comes from a Semitic root word for “portal.” Perhaps the Asaphites were named such because their music opened a portal into the heavenly realm.
1No one can deny it—God is really good to Israel
and to all those with pure hearts.
But I nearly missed seeing it for myself.
2Here’s my story: I narrowly missed losing it all.
3I was stumbling over what I saw the wicked doing.
For when I saw the boasters with such wealth and prosperity,
I became jealous over their smug security.
4-5Indulging in whatever they wanted, going where they wanted,
doing what they wanted, and with no care in the world,
no pain, no problems—they seemed to have it made.
They lived as though life would never end.
6They didn’t even try to hide their pride and opulence.
Cruelty and violence are parts of their lifestyle.
7Pampered and pompous, vice oozes from their souls;
they overflow with vanity.
8They’re such snobs—looking down their noses.
They even scoff at God!
They are nothing but bullies threatening God’s people.
9They are loudmouths with no fear of God, pretending to know it all—
windbags full of hot air, impressing only themselves.
10Yet the people keep coming back to listen
to more of their nonsense.
11They tell their cohorts, “God will never know.
See, he has no clue of what we’re doing.”
12These are the wicked ones I’m talking about!
They never have to lift a finger,
living a life of ease while their riches multiply.
13Have I been foolish to play by the rules and keep my life pure?
14Here I am suffering under your discipline day after day.
I feel like I’m being punished all day long.
15If I had given in to my pain and spoken of what I was really feeling,
it would have sounded like unfaithfulness to the next generation.
16When I tried to understand it all, I just couldn’t.
It was too puzzling—too much of a riddle to me.
17But then one day I was brought into the sanctuaries of God,
and in the light of glory, my distorted perspective vanished.
Then I understood that the destiny of the wicked was near!
18They’re the ones who are on the slippery path,
and God will suddenly let them slide off into destruction
to be consumed with terrors forever!
19It will be an instant end to all their life of ease;
a blink of the eye and they’re swept away by sudden calamity!
They’re all nothing more than momentary monarchs—
20soon to disappear like a dream when one awakes.
When the rooster crows,
Lord God, you’ll despise their life of fantasies. # 73:20 Or “shadows.”
21When I saw all of this, what turmoil filled my heart,
piercing my opinions with your truth.
22I was so stupid. I was senseless and ignorant,
acting like a brute beast before you, Lord.
23Yet, in spite of all this, I still belong to you;
you hold me by my right hand.
24You lead me with your secret wisdom.
And following you brings me into your brightness and glory!
25Whom have I in heaven but you? You’re all I want!
No one on earth means as much to me as you.
26Lord, so many times I fail; I fall into disgrace.
But when I trust in you, I have a strong and glorious presence
protecting and anointing me. Forever you’re all I need!
27Those who abandon the worship of God will perish.
The false and unfaithful will be silenced, never heard from again.
28But I’ll keep coming closer and closer to you, Lord Yahweh,
for your name is good to me. I’ll keep telling the world of
your awesome works, my faithful and glorious God!
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