When we read the Psalms we need to first understand what they are. They are a collection of poetry that has been set to music. They are songs of poetry, most of them written by David but also by other writers. They were written at different times in Israel’s history. Some of them were written while David was on the run from King Saul. Others were written by the returning Jews after their captivity in Babylon. There were some written after great victories and some after devastating defeats. But they are more than poems with music they are a part of the Bible which makes them the Word of God. You see each poem was written by someone who was anointed by the Spirit of God. Even when they were writing out of hurt and disappointment, it was directed by God so that the readers or the listeners could see how God responds to the hurting and how the hurting trusted in the Lord. One of my favorite Psalms is Psalms 73. The writers name is Asaph. Asaph is one of the leaders of David’s choir (1Ch 6:39). He is the author of Psalms 50 and 73-83. He is mentioned along with David as skilled in music, and a "seer" or a prophet of God (2Ch 29:30).
In Psalms 73 Asaph starts out by saying how good God had been to Israel. He recognizes God’s hand in the affairs of his nation. He has no problem seeing the blessings of God upon those around him. He could look and witness to the fact that he lived in a blessed country. He knew what God had done for David. He knew how far Israel had come. He knew their history.
He knew that God had brought them out of the wilderness as wondering vagabonds and gave them a land that flows with milk and honey. It was a prosperous land, a land that Asaph and his family now lived in. But he had a small problem. While he was thankful about what God had done for Israel, and he could see God’s blessings upon those around him, he went through a season where he couldn’t see God’s blessings upon himself. You see, he began to look around him and analyze the lifestyles of the wicked. He starts out by saying…
Psalms 73:1-14 (NKJV)
1 A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, To such as are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped.
3 For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
He began by noticing the blessings of God, but like so many of us he took his eyes off of God and tried to figure out life. This is what he said… I became envious when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. Envy is what blinded him from the truth. Envy is that monster of resentment that rises up within us when we see someone else with something that we think they don’t deserve. We deserve it but they surly don’t deserve it. I’ve worked harder than them and I’ve worked longer than them. Who do they think they are enjoying life the way that they do? I wish they would quit holding hands like that and act like a married couple.
Envy is dangerous in every form but it is especially lethal to a child of God who begins to try and understand this life by looking at the externals of those around them. Envy almost caused Asaph to walk away from God. Listen to his train of thought concerning the unsaved…
4 For there are no pangs in their death, But their strength is firm.
In other words… they die natural deaths without disease. Now we know that’s not true, because the saved and the unsaved suffer from disease. But this is what happens when we allow envy to invade our hearts; we only see what envy allows us to see.
5 They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like other men.
The word “trouble” means worried and the word plagued means to strike violently. In other words Asaph came to the conclusion that people who didn’t serve the Lord had no worries and were never attacked. Again we know that’s not the truth, just turn on your evening news any night of the week and you’ll see that all types of people suffer from worry and violent attacks. But envy causes him to see only what envy wants him to see. And the more he allows envy to control his thoughts the less he thinks about the goodness of God.
** Greek proverb: As rust corrupts iron, so envy corrupts man.
Now Asaph has gotten to the point that all he can think about is what he has become envious about. Look at this…
6 Therefore pride serves as their necklace; Violence covers them like a garment.
7 Their eyes bulge with abundance; They have more than heart could wish.
8 They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression; They speak loftily.
9 They set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue walks through the earth.
12 Behold, these are the ungodly, Who are always at ease; They increase in riches.
Now look at verses 13-14…
13 Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, And washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all day long I have been plagued, And chastened every morning.
Look at what envy did to Asaph.
Now it has completely blinded him to the goodness of God in his life. He said… I’ve been living this life in vain. Here I am trying to live for God and do the right thing and all I get is trouble in return. These guys are out there living high on the hog with never a problem in their life and here I am saved and full of the Spirit of God and I can’t get ahead to save my life.
Where are the benefits to serving God? It is this level where envy becomes pure poison to the human mind and happiness becomes nothing more than a memory.
** Bertrand Russell said envy was one of the most potent causes of unhappiness. It is a universal and most unfortunate aspect of human nature because not only is the envious person rendered unhappy by his envy, but also wishes to inflict misfortune on others.
If I’m not happy, nobody else should be happy. That’s why many people have a hard time rejoicing with others in their blessings because they can’t see past their envy. They don’t like to see a happy marriage because they’re not happy with their own marriage. They don’t like to see a happy family because they’re not happy with their own family. They don’t like to see you walking around whistling on the job because they’re not happy enough to whistle. But Asaph being the man of God that he was knew that this wasn’t right. And in verse 16 he said…
16 When I thought how to understand this, It was too painful for me—
Because he knew that it wasn’t right he began trying to understand why he was feeling the way that he was feeling. He didn’t like the way he was acting, he didn’t like the way he was speaking, he didn’t like the way that he was responding and he did not like what he had become.
But the more that he thought about it the more life didn’t make sense. And life never will make sense when you try to analyze it through human eyes and human rationale. That’s why Phil. 2:5 says…
Philippians 2:5 (NKJV)
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
1 Peter 4:1 (NKJV)
1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind…
Every battle that you face in this life is won or lost in your mind. Before an action can occur it must first be birthed in your mind. Asaph was in a mental battle. He was fighting for his very soul. That’s why he said…
Psalms 73:21,22 (NKJV)
21 Thus my heart was grieved, And I was vexed in my mind.
22 I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You.
I wasn’t thinking right. My thoughts had become clouded. I was losing the battle in my mind and therefore my soul was about to be engulfed in defeat. Listen to me… if you lose the battle in your mind then you’ll lose the battle of your heart. And when that happens, you begin to live a life of defeat and victory becomes a distant memory. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You don’t have to be miserable and disgruntled. You don’t have to be defeated in your mind. As a matter of fact, you’ve already won half the battle today and you didn’t even know it. Asaph said I tried my best to figure this thing out and the more I tried the worse off I got. But then verse 17 comes and he says… that is…
Psalms 73:17 (NKJV)
17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end.
When you come to the house of God it will help you refocus. When you step into a church that teaches the Word of God, that sings the Word of God and that preaches the Word of God it will cut through the fog of your mind and clear your thinking. That’s why David said…
Ps 26:8 LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house…
Ps 27:4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
Ps 92:13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
Ps 122:1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.
Psalms 84:4 (NKJV)
4 Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; They will still be praising You.
Psalms 84:10 (NKJV)
10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
You will find victory in the House of God. You will find joy in the House of God. You will find peace in the House of God. You will find strength in the House of God. You will find comfort in the House of God. You will find healing in the House of God. You will find deliverance in the House of God. You will find direction in the House of God. You will find clarity in the House of God. You will find wisdom in the House of God. You will find love in the House of God. You will find mercy in the House of God. You will find life in the House of God. You will find hope in the House of God. How can I say this with certainty? Because Jesus declared…
Matthew 18:20 (NKJV)
20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." And where Jesus is you’ll find the solution to your difficulties.
When Asaph went to the house of God he regained his focus and began to understand what God had really done for him. And he began to understand how much those without God, really lacked. And once he regained his focus the envy faded away and thankfulness replaced it.
Psalms 73:25,26 (NKJV)
25 Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
26 My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
28 But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, That I may declare all Your works.
I found out that it’s not good for me to try and figure this thing called life out by myself, I have to put my trust in God.
