Psalms of Wisdom (Psalm 73)

Psalms of Wisdom (Psalm 73)

• Summary: Many psalms offer practical wisdom for living a good life, while others teach by recounting Israel’s history. Psalm 73 addresses the universal question of God’s goodness and power in light of human suffering, asking, “if God is good and all-powerful, why do bad things happen to good people”? The psalm addresses the flip side of that question, asking, “why do good things happen to bad people”?

• Notes:

  • HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:

    • The psalms of Book 3 were likely collected for use during the exile of the Jewish people in Babylon beginning in 586 BC. This event set up a major crisis of faith for the Jewish people. How could God abandon his temple, his city, and his people to the pagan Babylonians? What about God’s promises to David and to Abraham? These psalms express the pain, frustration, and eventually the hope of the Jewish people during this crisis of faith.

  • THE PROPOSITION (1)

    • God is good, just, and all-powerful, and the psalmist strives to be “pure of heart,” living God’s way.

  • THE DILEMMA (2-16)

    • When he saw wicked people living “the good life”, he wondered if he’d been duped.
    • The wicked are pain-free, healthy, trouble-free, never ill, powerful, insatiable, arrogant, influential,

free to do as they please, living the easy life and always getting richer - To abandon the faith would be to betray the faithful, but Asaph’s heart is just not in it anymore.

- *THE RESOLUTION (17-28)*
    - The psalmist sees things as they really are when he enters the sanctuary and worships (17)
    - Elisha and his servant - “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” (2 Kings 6)
    - Fact check: the wicked are actually the ones on slippery ground (18-20)
    - Asaph admits his ignorant, animal-like thinking (21-22)
    - He expresses gratitude for what he has that the unbeliever does not (23-26), namely an eternal relationship with God, “my portion forever”
    - It is good to be near God (27-28)
    - God is just (evil will ultimately be judged and condemned)
    - God is good (the wicked may get good things, but the faithful get God. He is our good. Psalm 16:2; John 17:3)
    - God doesn’t remove suffering from us, instead he gives us the resources to endure it. He gives us His presence (Psalm 23:4) and His promise (Psalm 73:24)

Discussion:

1. Have you ever experienced a crisis of faith like that of Asaph? How was it resolved?
2. Do you think Asaph was seeing the life of the unbeliever clearly? Is it possible that we struggle with the same visual impairment?
3. What practical things can we do to maintain “sanctuary vision”, to see the world as it really is, the lost as they really are, and God by our side in all things?
4. There are philosophical answers to the question of theodicy (how can God be both good and powerful and still allow evil to exist), but often what we really need are pastoral answers. How does Psalm 73 give confidence to our hearts when we experience doubt?
5. What resources do you find in Psalm 73 to help others sustain their faith in a crisis?
6. Have you ever had a sanctuary experience like that of Asaph? Describe it, before and after.