Message
Psalm 73:1-28
The Storm of Doubt
“Why Be Faithful as a Christian”
Have you ever asked yourself that question?
Maybe not specifically – but there is this thought that can happen in your mind in response to a situation that has unfolded in your world.
For me it has come when I have reflected on the health of my daughters; particularly Amelia and Kierstin.
A serious operation to rectify scoliosis.
12 years of watching gastric issues cause severe pain.
5 years of battling with a cancer that came back three times.
I did ask the question.
What is the purpose of being faithful … and faithfully serve … when these things happen?
Which doesn’t really sound like a question
… a Christian should ask.
… a Pastor should ask.
Except it is …
It is a question that gets asked. And it is a testimony that is shared.
Indeed it is a testimony which is can be found in the Scripture.
Let’s turn to Psalm 73
We are going to read a testimony written by a man called Asaph.
You can see the questions.
“my feet had almost slipped”
“the arrogant have no struggles”
“the wicked are free of care and wealthy”
“in vain I have kept my heart pure”
Why live the life of a believer when the world around us gets ahead and has it easier?
What is the point?
This is Asaph’s storm of doubt.
Now, could it be that Asaph is going through that storm because he is a new convert, or an immature believer, or one of those people who say they are trust in God but are not really involved.
That could perhaps give us a bit of an explanation. Except it doesn’t … give us an explanation. Because Asaph is far from being a new convert, and immature, and not really engaged.
I’m going to read some verses. They come from the historical context when the tabernacle was set up in Jerusalem, before the temple had been built. Whether it was a tabernacle or a temple both places were called “the house of the Lord”. This is a description of the functioning of this Holy Place.
31 These are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the Lord after the ark came to rest there. 32 They ministered with music before the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, until Solomon built the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. They performed their duties according to the regulations laid down for them. 33 Here are the men who served, together with their sons:
from the Kohathites:
Heman, the musician,
…
39 and Heman’s associate Asaph, who served at his right hand:
Asaph son of Berekiah
1 Chronicles 6
4 David appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to extol, thank, and praise the Lord, the God of Israel: 5 Asaph was the chief, and next to him in rank were Zechariah … (and others) … Asaph was to sound the cymbals
1 Chronicles 16
1 David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals. Here is the list of the men who performed this service:
2 from the sons of Asaph:
Zakkur, Joseph, Nethaniah and Asarelah. The sons of Asaph were under the supervision of Asaph, who prophesied under the king’s supervision.
1 Chronicles 25
Asaph is not a spiritual minnow. He is the chief worship leader. He supervised those who prophesied. Not only that, as one who has a significant position in the worship at the tabernacle he also has makes a significant contribution to the writing of the Psalms which the Israelites … and now Christians … sing.
Asaph contributes 12 Psalms to the Psalter. Psalms 50; 73-83.
So this is Asaph
He goes to the tabernacle nearly every day and sings.
Other worship leaders at the tabernacle look up to him … and they want to be like him.
He gets to be in the holy place at the tabernacle, close to God in the Holy of Holies
When people are at home singing Psalms, they sometimes sing Psalms Asaph wrote.
Asaph is doing all of this. He has a mature, solid, growing spiritual life. He is surround by people who are a great example and influence. He has been personally appointed by King David – David who also is no spiritual minnow when it comes to worship.
Then one day it all gets to him. He thinks about all that is happening in the world and he finds himself in the middle of a storm of doubt.
What causes the doubt?
“I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” (Psalm 73:3)
When the verse is translated this way, as in the NIV, it sounds like Asaph is envious of their money. But he isn’t.
The Hebrew word behind prosperity is the word Shalom.
Shalom is a powerful word for the Old Testament believer.
It is the word you use when you experience “completion” or “fulfilment”.
Peace, wholeness, harmony and physical well-being. All of that is Shalom.
A more telling translation would be something like, “I envied the arrogant when I saw the well-being of the wicked.” (Psalm 73:3)
This is the question Asaph has which causes doubt.
What is the point of being faithful when even the arrogant have Shalom?
Clive Palmer shuts down a company in Townsville and 550 people have no job, and they didn’t get their entitlements. Yet he still he has so much well-being he can spend $50 million on an election and not even be worried about the fact that he didn’t get one seat.
The storm of doubt sits in that place.
But that is not the only cause. Asaph keeps listing reasons why the storm exists.
Their bodies are health and strong (Psalm 73:4)
A ministry colleague of mine, 38 years old, is working in a university ministry evangelising to campus students. She has been told she will be dead in less than 3 years. He body is not healthy or strong.
They are free from burdens common to man (Psalm 73:5)
How many people do you know who just sail through life. They are academics and sporty and socially adjusted. Everything just falls in their lap. Not a care in the world.
They don’t acknowledge God but it doesn’t seem to matter.
They scoff and speak with malice (Psalm 73:8)
They say what they want. They act in ways that are not godly. And society accepts this. Yet when a Christian says something in the public sphere. The vitriol against them is intense and, at times, completely unjustified.
People turn to them and drink up waters in abundance (Psalm 73:10)
It never ceases to amazing me how those who should be ignored have the biggest followings. I won’t put a name here … but you all have one in your head don’t you.
The storm of doubt. It builds like a mountain doesn’t it.
So how do we get over it? How do we get over the mountain?
Well, we look at the mountain … not from our perspective, but from God’s perspective.
Because that is how the Psalm is shaped, like a mountain.
(ok so this part won't copy into sermon central the way I set it up. So think about it this way. Hopefully you can see the "mountain")
(a1) vss 1-3
I slipped
I took my eyes off God
(b1) vss 4-12
I envied the arrogant
I thought I was better off without God
(c1) vss 13-15
I had pity on myself
I doubted God
(d - mountain) vss 16-17
I refocussed on the truth
I listened to God
(c2) vss 18-20
I had pity on the arrogant
I saw God’s justice
(b2) vss 21-26
I came to my senses
I know life is better with God
(a2) vss 27-28
I stopped slipping
I held on to God
So, the turning point for Asaph, as he wrestles with his doubt is verses 16-17.
16 When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.
What does the sanctuary do for the worshippers.
Some verses from Psalm 68 help here.
17 The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.
24 Your procession, God, has come into view, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary. 25 In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the young women playing the tambourines. 26 Praise God in the great congregation; praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.
35 You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.
The sanctuary is the place of God on earth – established after the salvation of the Exodus which was celebrated and sealed at Mt Sinai.
God’s place in the sanctuary is a place of commitment of God to us.
The sanctuary is the place where we give God his worth … that is what worship is. It recognises that we are the procession of God.
The ones who have been called to praise and honour. Being part of the procession because we have been called. The sanctuary is the source of power and strength. God is living … God is tabernacle-ing – that is what tabernacle means; to live or to dwell or to reside – God is tabernacle-ing among his people.
So Asaph, in the sanctuary, finds answers in the middle of the storm
The mountain perspective when, in the storm of doubt, we change our outlook and see that God is dwelling with us.
God-with-us.
23 ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).
Matthew 1:23
And Jesus, the God with us, also entered a sanctuary.
24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.
Hebrews 9:24
Jesus … not just with us … but also for us.
Because Jesus it means that, when the storm of doubt comes, we have been given the spiritual support to change perspective from the top of the mountain.
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.
Psalm 73:18
Asaph sees the eternal reality. There are two final destinies. And despite all that the evil and arrogant seem to have I will always rather have the destiny of eternity with God.
Jesus said it this way.
What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?
Matthew 16:26
It is a change in perspective.
There is another change as well.
21 When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.
23 Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.
Psalm 73:21-23
There are days when I let go of you God. But you never let go of me. Even when I have gotten into the space of being bitter, and ignorant, and acting like an animal. Your love and commitment to me is eternal. The storm of doubt is not a storm which leads to a broken relationship between us and God.
We keep being the priority of God. If you need some proof of that.
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.
1 John 3:16
In the storm of doubt this is where we can come back to. God will make sure what we are held fast because we are His priority.
That doesn’t mean the cause of the storm will disappear.
Arrogant people will still exist. Lack of justice will still be the norm.
That which causes question and confusion and doubt … it will still be there.
But, just like Asaph, the testimony doesn’t stay in the place of doubt. The testimony moves forward. This is Asaph’s testimony
1 Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
Psalm 73
And this is our testimony
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
In the storm of doubt know that God has put in place a storm proofing outcome.
Jesus is with us … and for us … to give us this mountain top sanctuary perspective.
No matter what the storm tries to do … Jesus will not let you go.
Prayer
