Psalm 73 "If God Is Good, Why Is Life So Unfair?" Part 1
Introduction: Read Psalm 73.
Illustration: On April 20th of this year Missionary Veronica ``Roni’’ Bowers, 35, and her 7-month-old daughter, Charity, seated in her lap, were killed by a single bullet when the jet fired on the Cessna plane they were riding in. The Peruvian Air-force had shot at the plane because it mistakenly thought that it was carrying drugs and drug dealers. Bowers’ husband, Jim, 38, and their 6-year-old son, Cory, survived the attack without serious injury. The pilot, missionary Kevin Donaldson, 42, was seriously injured by gunfire to his legs, but was able to crash-land the plane on the Amazon. The Bower’s family had been faithful missionaries to the area for over a dozen years.
It is hard to understand why things like this happen especially when you consider that in all likelihood many drug dealers and criminals flew that night without a problem. It makes you wonder: "If God Is Good, Why Is Life So Unfair?"
Illustration: Another situation which is difficult to understand is the one our good friend David Fee experienced recently. David is a faithful Christian and a kind-hearted man despite being born blind and then later losing a significant amount of his hearing. David had apparently become involved in a romantic relationship with a young Christian friend named Denise of who was also blind. Such relationships are certainly more difficult to start or pursue when one is blind so we were all happy to hear of David’s blessing. If anybody deserved such a blessing it was David. David moved north recently to continue to pursue this relationship and only a few weeks later Denise was discovered dead in her home from unknown causes. It seems to make no sense, especially when we consider that so many unbelievers and wicked people live to old age.
These two situations and many others like them in our lives can lead to confusion, anger and doubt about God’s Goodness. We can begin to doubt the value of living faithfully for God. We start to ask "Is Life Fair?" When we ask that question were not really asking a philosophical question about the nature of life, but a theological one concerning the nature of God. We are in essence questioning God’s goodness and fairness. We realize that the Bible teaches that God exist, that He is in control, and that He is good. If God is in control and He is good why then is it our experience that life is not fair. It seems that often good things happen to bad people, while bad things happen to good people. "If God Is Good, Why Is Life So Unfair?"
Tonight in our continuing study of the Psalms we are going to look at Psalm 73 which was written by a Levite named Asaph. Asaph was a spiritual leader in his day, but he was a spiritual leader with doubts and concerns. In this Psalm Asaph tells us that he had the same dilemma and the same questions about the goodness of God, the fairness of life, and the value of serving God that we often face. My hope is that we can gain some valuable insight from his experience so that our faith in God’s goodness and fairness remain strong. In this Psalm we will see some of the typical reasons that people question God’s goodness/fairness in verses 2-16, but we will also see the understanding that Asaph gained in verses 17-28 that led him to declare with confidence that "Surely God is good…"
In verse 1 Asaph states that "Surely God is good to Israel (His people), to those who are pure in heart (righteous, godly)." This hardly sounds like a man who had questions and doubts, but we must keep in mind that verse one is a final conclusion that Asaph reached after a period of intense wavering in his faith in God’s goodness. The Psalmist often used this literary device of putting their final conclusions at the beginning of a Psalm. In fact in verse 2 Asaph makes it very clear that he had not always had such a confidence. He like us had his moments of doubt about God’s fairness. In some ways this is reassuring to us when we consider that even the people that God used to write the Bible, who led the worship and who wrote many worship Psalms had times of questioning and confusion.
In verse 2 Asaph notes that he had "almost slipped", and that he had "nearly lost his foothold." Speaking figuratively he is saying that had come very, very close to losing His faith in God. He had nearly lost his confidence in God’s goodness and therefore he had come close to completely falling away from God and into rebellion. Questions concerning God’s goodness are not merely academic because they affect our entire relationship with God. When we start to doubt we are walking on a slippery slope. We are but one misstep from slipping away from a right relationship with God.
Illustration: Most of you have heard of Ted Turner. He is the founder of CNN, TNT, TBS, etc. He is a very successful businessman, a billionaire and a well known critic of Christianity. In fact he has publicly stated that "Christianity is for losers." What is not so well known is how Mr. Turner became so anti-Christian. According to numerous newspaper articles as a teenager, Mr. Turner aspired to become a missionary but lost his faith when his younger sister, Mary Jane, contracted an immune system disease that eventually killed her. "I was taught that God was love and God was powerful and I couldn’t understand how someone so innocent should be made or allowed to suffer so," he says.
Ted Turner was looking at things from a human perspective, as was Asaph in verse 3-16, and it is viewing things from that human perspective that places a person on spiritually perilous ground. A slippery slope from which it is easy to lose ones foothold of confidence in God. Our Enemy, Satan, uses a strategy of challenging and distorting God’s goodness so that we will not trust God and will possibly rebel against Him like Mr. Turner did. The lesson for us is that when we have our doubts about God’s fairness we need to walk or think very carefully! Watch your step or you might find yourself far away from God.
Two pressing questions are "What had led Asaph to the slippery slope of doubt? " and "What restored his sure confidence in God’s fairness/goodness?" The answer is perspective! Asaph’s understanding changed as his perspective changed. In verses 3-16 he is looking at things from a human perspective and that leads to doubt. In verse 17we see that Asaph enters the sanctuary and his perspective changes to a heavenly one. When Asaph is looking at things from a heavenly perspective his faith in God’s goodness is restored. Tonight we will learn from this Psalm four reasons why people question God’s goodness when we look at life from a human perspective.
I. A Human Perspective On Life Will Lead To Questioning God’s Goodness Because We will See The Prosperity of The Wicked.
Read Verses 3,4
We are often troubled by the seeming unfairness of life because we don’t understand why God would allow the rebellious to do so well in life. This greatly troubled Asaph especially when he considers that the wicked have something good that he does not. He envies them because he, a righteous man, has not experienced the prosperity that the sinful have. They are prosperous while he struggles. This could certainly make one wonder if life is fair and if God is good. Why is it that the single mom who is a Christian has to work two jobs just to pay the rent on a one room efficiency while people like Hugh Heffner live in a mansion with servants? If God Is Good Why Is Life So Unfair? People often question God’s goodness when they se the prosperity of the wicked. This included not only their financial prosperity but their physical prosperity as well. As we see in verse 4 it is often the sinners who experience the best of health, while the saints suffer prolonged infirmities and illnesses. This doesn’t seem fair, yet it is sometimes true. I’ve seen times where the wicked will enjoy a long life and then die peacefully in their sleep while sometimes the faithful Christian dies young and after a great deal of pain and suffering. This is difficult to reconcile with a Good and Sovereign God. In fact it is impossible to reconcile when we view the wicked’s prosperity from a human perspective.
I. A Human Perspective On Life Will Lead To Questioning God’s Goodness Because We Will See The Prosperity of The Wicked.
Keep in mind that the human perspective is only part of the picture. We see the full faith restoring picture only when we look at life from a heavenly perspective which Asaph does later and which we will discuss when we get to verses 17-26 next week.
II. A Human Perspective On Life Will Lead To Questioning God’s Goodness Because We will See The Peace of The Wicked.
Read Verse 5
Asaph is disturbed because from his perspective the wicked due not get their just due. In fact it is often the opposite. The wicked are "free from the burdens that are common to man." Rather that experience the turmoil of family problems, sorrowful times, fears, anxiety and trouble, etc., they experience peace. Of course no one’s life is totally trouble free, but Asaph is using hyperbole to express a point. The point being that from what he can see the wicked often have easier lives than the righteous. As Charles Spurgeon said, "Those who deserve the hottest hell often have the warmest nest." Why, as it says in verse 12, is it that the wicked are always "carefree" and at peace? Sometimes we will hear or read a biography of some notoriously wicked person and they don’t talk about how empty their life is, but rather everything we see and everything they say indicates that they live quite contented and peaceful lives. This could be very disconcerting to me as a pastor because I see the hardships that the righteous often go through. Something seems backwards and unfair here. "If God Is Good, Why Is Life So Unfair?" This is the question that comes to mind when we are viewing things from a human perspective. So far we’ve seen two reasons why people doubt God’s goodness.
I. A Human Perspective On Life Will Lead To Questioning God’s Goodness Because We will See The Prosperity of The Wicked.
II. A Human Perspective On Life Will Lead To Questioning God’s Goodness Because We will See The Peace of The Wicked.
III. A Human Perspective On Life Will Lead To Questioning God’s Goodness Because We will See The Pride of The Wicked.
Read Verses 6-11
The very people who are often the most prosperous and live the most peaceful lives are also those who are the most prideful and arrogant. Their pride is obvious and flaunted like a "necklace" (vs. 6). The "conceit of their minds knows no limits." (vs. 7) They think very highly of themselves and very little of others. They don’t use their position in life to bless others but rather to oppress and as it says in verse 8 they pridefully "scoff" at those who do their best to obey God. These prideful people even speak against God as it says in verse 9 and 11. Their boasting and scoffing has a powerful impact on others as verse 10 indicates. How can these prideful, ungrateful people be the very ones who as it says in verse 12 are "always carefree and increasing in wealth." Instead of being struck by lightning or leprosy for their pride and boasting they seem to get away with it. It just seems that those that deserve the worst in life get the best, while those who deserve the best in life experience the worst. How can God be good and fair when the wicked are rewarded and the sinful are successful? If God Is Good, Why Is Life So Unfair? Are you beginning to understand why Asaph almost slipped from trusting in God’s goodness and fairness? Can you understand why people do struggle with doubts? Looking at life only from a human perspective will lead us to wavering in our faith and commitment to God. Life will seem unfair because we will have an incomplete picture, only seeing the prosperity, peace and pride of the wicked. In such a situation we will begin to wonder weather it is even worth it to follow God with our whole hearts. This is the conclusion Asaph was beginning to reach.
Read Verse 13
When we look at life from a human perspective it appears to be "vain", useless or futile to try and live righteously, with "clean hands" and a "pure heart." From human perspective there seems to be little reward - after all as Asaph has just observed it is the wicked who often experience prosperity and peace in their lives. At this point in time Asaph thinks that it’s done no good to obey God. From a pastor’s perspective I can understand, though not agree, with Asaph’s conclusion here is verse 13. I’ve watched ministers who twist God’s Word, live immoral lives, and act boastfully experience great apparent financial and ministry success. At the same time I’ve watched righteous men of God who are faithful to God’s Word and holy in their living barely subsist and have little apparent success after many years of faithfulness. With a limited human perspective you could easily say "surely in vain have I kept my heart pure…" Keep in mind that after Asaph looks at life from a heavenly perspective he says "Surely God is good…"
Read Verse 14
IV. A Human Perspective On Life Will Lead To Questioning God’s Goodness Because We will See The Punishment Of The Righteous.
Not only is Asaph disturbed by the prosperity, peace and pride of the wicked, but especially disturbing and disconcerting to him is the fact that even though he was righteous he was experiencing punishment or discipline on a continual basis. As it says in vs. 14 he was "punished every morning" and "plagued all day long." Isn’t it the wicked who are supposed to be punished and the righteous that are supposed to be rewarded? Life sure seems to be unfair! This is because we are looking at things from a human perspective like Asaph was. Our vision is clouded and limited therefore the things we appear to see are not necessarily correct. From a human perspective we may see the prosperity of the wicked but their is more to the picture! From a human perspective we may see the peace of the sinful but there is more to the picture. We may wonder at unjudged pride of the wicked and the continual discipline of the righteous but there is more to the picture. If we only look at life from a human perceptive we will find ourselves in the same condition as Asaph described in verses 15 and 16.
Read verses 15,16
Two things resulted from Asaph human perspective: Hazardous Lips and a Heavy Heart. In verse 15 Asaph is saying that his lips could have become dangerous to the spiritual welfare of those he was leading. If he had spoken openly about his doubts he would have "betrayed God’s children" by introducing ideas that were not true because they were incomplete. It is important that those who are spiritual leaders keep their doubts private until they can give answers from a heavenly perspective.
We also see that Asaph’s human perspective also led to his having a heavy heart as you will notice in vs. 16 when Asaph says that all these thoughts were "oppressive" to him. They were a heavy load, a burden that he could not bear. Doubting God’s goodness is a terrible burden to many people and that is one of the many reasons that we must not look at life from a limited human perspective, but rather from the whole picture we get when we look at life from a heavenly perspective. Asaph does this is verse 17 and everything changes for him.
Conclusion: So far we’ve observed how looking a life from a human perspective leads us to question God’s goodness and Life’s fairness. Next week we will look at verses 17-28 and the heavenly perspective that led this man and will lead us to say with absolute certainty in every situation that "Surely God is Good!!!"
