« People of Mercy-1 Timothy 1:12-17 | Home | Bold Love - Ruth 3 »

Why Believe? (When Unbelievers Seem To Be Doing OK!)-Psalm 73

By Mike Osborne | May 21, 2007

Introduction: It’s my daughter Jennifer’s 24th birthday today.
● I remember the time I took her to see a Clemson football game. She was probably 11 or 12 years old.
● We sat way down near the west end of the field, on like the 10-yard line.
● The game was OK, but we lacked perspective.
● I would often look up and to my right at all the people sitting on the 50-yard line…

How’s your perspective today? Where are you sitting as you look at the problems facing you right now?
● A physical problem
● Your marriage
● Your kids
● Money shortage
● Decisions about your future

Are you sitting on the 10-yard line, way down low? Or are you up high, looking at the big picture and seeing how everything’s fitting together?

We’re looking at a psalm this morning that was penned by a fellow named Asaph.
● He starts out looking at life from the 10-yard line, and by the end of the psalm he’s sitting on the 50, up in the executive suite, way up high with a good view of the big picture.

Now who was Asaph?
● He lived during the days of King David. We find out in 1 Chronicles 16 that he was one of David’s chief musicians. He led people in worship. He was in charge of choirs of singers.
● He was of the priestly tribe of Levi.
● A dozen psalms are attributed to him.
● What you’re going to see about Asaph is that he was an honest man, a deeply spiritual man, and a man who listened to his pain long enough to learn something very important about himself, about God, and about life.

I hope that if you’ve lost your perspective, Psalm 73 will be your ticket to a better seat in the stadium.

I. Asaph’s creed (vs. 1) (read)

Asaph knows what he ought to believe. He can recite the Apostles Creed from memory. He knows the Westminster Shorter Catechism. He knows man’s chief end is to glorify and enjoy God forever.

He’s a leader in the church. He’s a singer in the choir. He’s on the worship team. He’s a student of the Word. He’s probably in the PCA.

The first word out of his mouth is “Surely.” Asaph affirms the truth: “Surely God is good to Israel.”

But…

Asaph is also . . . confused.

II. Asaph’s confusion (vss. 2-14)

Notice verse 2 – “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.”
Why?

Verse 3 – “For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”

Can you identify with Asaph? Well, let me ask - whom do you envy this morning?
● How about your neighbor with the new car
● Or the parents whose daughter is valedictorian of her class
● Or that slim blonde on the treadmill next to you whose body is a lot younger than yours
● Or the classmate with a new girlfriend
● Or the couple taking their 3rd vacation this year
● Or the woman who appears to have a wonderful, loving husband

Let’s define envy. “A painful and resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another, accompanied by a strong desire to possess the same.”
● Envy means you want that neighbor’s car, you wish you had that daughter, you want that sexy body. YOU want that girlfriend, that vacation, that husband.
● Euripides called envy “the greatest of all diseases among men.”
● Proverbs 14:30 – “envy rots the bones.”
● Mark 15:30 says it was out of envy that the Jewish religious leaders handed Jesus over to be killed by the Romans.
● And envy is still killing people today.
● It may be killing you.

Envy just about killed Asaph’s faith. He almost slipped off the cliff into the abyss of doubt and unbelief.

See, Asaph’s confusion arose from his observation that unbelievers were prospering: “I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (vs. 3).

What does he mean by “prosperity”?
● “shalom” – peace, fulfillment, completeness, well-being.

Asaph goes on to describe these people he calls arrogant and wicked:

1) They are happy (vs. 4, “They have no struggles”; vs. 5, “They are free from the burdens common to man”)
2) They are healthy (vs. 4, “Their bodies are healthy and strong; vs. 5, “They are not plagued by human ills.”)
3) They are popular (vs. 10, “Their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance.”)
4) They are successful (vs. 12, “Always carefree, they increase in wealth.”)
5) In other words, these are the jet-setters of Israel. Happy, healthy, popular, successful – we might say they have it “all together” – BUT, at the same time, says Asaph, they’re haughty and arrogant, they’re at the center of their own universe. They don’t love God; why, they don’t even give God the time of day – vs. 11 says they carry on with their lives and say, “How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?”

Do you understand what’s bothering Asaph?
● “It’s not fair, God! I’ve done all the right things, believed all the right things, valued all the right things, and what have I gained for it? Nothing!”
● Vs. 13 - “Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.”
● I like how “The Message” puts it: “I’ve been stupid to play by the rules; what has it gotten me? A long run of bad luck, that’s what — a slap in the face every time I walk out the door.”
● Vs. 14 – “All day long I’ve been plagued; I have been punished every morning, yet look at these people – they don’t love God, they don’t serve God, they only serve themselves, yet they are better off than I!”

Now at this point I can hear someone in the Christian community rebuking Asaph for his lack of faith. In fact, Asaph knows he’s treading on difficult territory here. He knows he’s asking some hard questions.
● Vs. 15 – “If I had said, ‘I will speak thus,’ I would have betrayed your children.”
● I hear Asaph saying, “If I go on and on talking this way, I will probably offend someone.”

Well, I’m not offended. I’m glad Asaph was honest enough to write this psalm, aren’t you? This is an age-old dilemma the godliest saints throughout history have wrestled with: Why do unbelievers seem to get along just fine, while God’s people suffer?
● Job asked that question.
● So did Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes.
● So did the prophet Habakkuk.
● And so, I suspect, have a lot of the people in this room.

Haven’t you felt jealous of ungodly people who seem to be enjoying all that life has to offer — not caring about God, not caring about church, not caring one whit about prayer and Bible reading and being in a small group and serving and all the other things you do — while you are struggling even though you do all those things?

I’d be surprised if you said you’ve never felt that way just a little bit.

See, somewhere along the way we learned a formula for blessing: A+B=C
● “If I do A and B as well as I can, God will give me C (blessing).”
● “And if somebody doesn’t do A or B, they don’t deserve to get C.”

Illus.: Not long ago I visited with two friends of mine in another city.
● She’s got Stage 4 colorectal cancer. It’s metastasized to her liver and lungs.
● She and her husband are in their mid 30’s. They have 3 kids.
● She’s a devoted Christian, faithful to her church, family, and friends.
● A + B did not equal C for this couple.
● Her husband asked me, Why would God allow this to happen to them, when they’ve done everything right, and yet so many millions of people who don’t love God are doing just fine?
● Now my friend knows better. Like Asaph, he knows his theology. He knows God doesn’t promise health, wealth, and prosperity. But when you’re struggling you ask questions like that.

So what do we do with this? What would you say to my friend who asked me that question?

Let’s follow Asaph as he moves up from the 10-yard line to the 50.

III. Asaph’s corrective (vss. 16-17) (read)

Asaph takes his questions, his confusion, and his disillusionment to God. And God gives him perspective. God reminds Asaph of something very simple: “This life is not all there is.”

“See, Asaph, there are two worlds: the one you see, and the one you don’t. There are two ages: this present age, and the age to come. And there are two destinies: heaven for those who have a relationship with God, and hell for those who do not.”

And all of a sudden, in the rest of Psalm 73, Asaph sees things in their proper perspective. He is looking at life from the executive suite.

Let me show you four convictions that Asaph shares with us in the closing verses of Psalm 73…

IV. Asaph’s convictions (vss. 18-28)

1) First, though unbelievers appear to prosper in this life, they will be punished in the life to come. (vss. 18-20)
● Notice what Asaph says is going to happen one day. God will “arise.” Like someone waking up from a dream, God will rise up and make all things right.
● He will cast down to hell those who have ignored and rejected him all their lives.
● In that day it will not matter that they were rich, or famous, or beautiful, or that they lived in designer homes and wore designer clothes.
● Sadly, all that will matter is that they neglected the most important thing in life, a relationship with God.

2) Second, though believers appear to suffer in this life, they will be celebrated in the life to come. (vss. 21-24)
● Think of that, believer: “Afterward, you will take me into glory.”
● My friend with cancer, in glory!
● You who have denied yourselves and carried your cross for the sake of Christ, in glory!
● You who have wept over your sin and fought your temptations and sought after God in spite of your failings, in glory!
● You who have felt so unworthy and so unwanted, who have been lonely and rejected and depressed and yet love Jesus Christ, in glory!
● God says to you in vs. 23, you are ALWAYS with Him. You may not feel you’ve held on to Him very well, but it says He holds you by your right hand.
● You may sometimes act like a brute beast…like Asaph, you may sometimes stumble and fall…but it says God is always with you, always guiding you, always protecting you, always accepting you, always loving you.

3) Third, this life is inherently unsatisfying for the person who longs after God (vs. 25).
● Yes, I know there are many beautiful places in this world. There are many wonderful things to do, to have, and to enjoy. But isn’t it true, that soon after you’ve tasted these things, you’re hungry again?
● It’s like that feeling we all have 2 days after Christmas — life’s joys and pleasures are short-lived, and we need another and another and another to be happy.
● This world is fallen. Not until we are with Christ will we be fully satisfied.

4) So, says Asaph, in the meantime, don’t envy the unbeliever. Instead, rejoice and be glad that you have the most wonderful thing in the world: a relationship with God (vs. 26).
● This word “portion” is interesting. It means lot, or share, or inheritance, or allotment.
● Being a Levite, Asaph would have had a great appreciation for this word “portion.” You see, the Levites had no permanent inheritance in the land of Israel. They received tithes from the people, but they didn’t own their own territory like the other tribes did.
● God was their allotment. God was their share. God was their portion.
● And so is He yours.
● He’s all you need. He’s enough.

+++++++++++++++++++++

In the end, Asaph had to learn something that is very counterintuitive.
● The blessed life, the happy life, the good life is not measured by what you have, what you do, what you know, how far up the ladder you go, or how much you own.
● It’s measured by who you know.
● That’s why Asaph ends his psalm with these words (vss. 27-28).
● There’s your answer to the question, “Why believe, when unbelievers seem to be doing OK?”
● Do you want to have a good life? By that I mean a life with meaning and purpose and true joy – a life that won’t end with the grave – a life that is real “shalom”? Of course you do.
● Make the Sovereign Lord your refuge. Get “near God.”
● How do you do that?
● It’s very simple. Do what Asaph did. Go to God and talk to Him.
● Jesus died on the cross to bring you near to God…

Conclusion:

In a certain hospital two patients on the same floor were very near the moment of death.
● One of them had been a very prominent citizen of the town. He was surrounded by the best doctors money could buy. He owned a large estate in the country and had led a life of privilege. Yet before he breathed his last, he was heard to whisper, with a note of despair, “I’m leaving home, I’m leaving home.”
● Down the hall was the other person, an old woman. She had lived a threadbare existence, and had hardly a penny to her name. But she loved Jesus. Before she died a friend heard her say, “I’m going home, I’m going home.”

Which of those is your perspective today? Ten-yard line or fifty? Are you discouraged? Doubting the goodness of God?

Take your questions to Him. Open His Word and read His promises. Believe that God is the strength of your heart and your portion forever.

Topics: Psalms |

Comments