Psalm 73 - A Difference Of Perspective

All of us would have heard the parable of the blind men and the elephant:

A group of blind men heard that a strange animal, called an elephant, had been brought to the town, but none of them were aware of its shape and form. Out of curiosity, they said: "We must inspect and know it by touch, of which we are capable". So, they sought it out, and when they found it they groped about it. The first person, whose hand landed on the trunk, said, "This being is like a thick snake". For another one whose hand reached its ear, it seemed like a kind of fan. As for another person, whose hand was upon its leg, said, the elephant is a pillar like a tree-trunk. The blind man who placed his hand upon its side said the elephant, "is a wall". Another who felt its tail, described it as a rope. The last felt its tusk, stating the elephant is that which is hard, smooth and like a spear.

E. Bruce Goldstein (2010). Encyclopedia of Perception. SAGE Publications. p. 492. ISBN 978-1-4129-4081-8.

This tells us one clear truth that we, as humans, have a tendency to claim absolute truth based on their limited knowledge. This was the problem which confronted the writer of this Psalm. He was looking at his situation with this limited knowledge and perspective of things. I am sure most of us are guilty of the same. Let us not forget there is far more to the picture than what these mortal eyes can behold.

The psalms were the hymnbook of the Jews in the Old Testament. Most of these psalms were written by King David. Other people who wrote Psalms were Moses, Solomon, etc. Psalm 73, as mentioned in the title of the psalms, is the psalm of Asaph.

Who is this Asaph?

The Psalms of Asaph are the twelve psalms 49 and 72–82.

In Chronicles, Asaph was identified as a descendant of Gershon the son of Levi and a member of the Levites

1 Chronicles 16:4-7 – And he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the Lord God of Israel: Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, then dJeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, and Obed-Edom: Jeiel with stringed instruments and harps, but Asaph made music with cymbals; Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests regularly blew the trumpets before the ark of the covenant of God. On that day David first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the Lord:

Here, we find Asaph as the chief of the Levites appointed to minister before the ark of the Lord, and he and his brothers are appointed to sing the psalm of thanksgiving to the Lord.

1 Chronicles 6:39 - And his brother Asaph, who stood at his right hand, was Asaph the son of Berachiah, the son of Shimea

David appoints a man named Heman as the chief musician or singer and Asaph as Heman’s right hand assistant and the Merarites at his left hand.

Asaphites are also credited with performing at the dedication of Solomon’s temple in 2 Chronicles 5:12.

As you can see from above, Asaph was no ordinary man in the Lord. He was a faithful follower of God and a worship leader ministering unto God. He had a good knowledge of the Lord.

The psalm 73 reflects the doubts and frustrations of Asaph. These probably come into every righteous person’s mind.

He begins the Psalm declaring the goodness of God.

Psalm 73:1 - Truly God is good to Israel, To such as are pure in heart.

Asaph knew that the Lord was good. He knew that the Lord was always good to His people. This is very true.

Psalm 31:19 - Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men!

Psalm 73:2

But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped.

Why did Asaph suddenly stumble? Why did his steps nearly slip? What happened to the confidence of Asaph in the Lord’s goodness.

What he had learned about God did not go along with what he had experienced in the world. As a result, he was confused over several things. Notice what Asaph was confused about:

1. Prosperity of the wicked:

Psalm 73:3 - For I was envious of the boastful when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Asaph saw the wicked prospering and the children of God suffering. He wondered how a good God could allow his children to suffer and the wicked to prosper. We all would have had this question at some point in our lives. We would probably have seen our good neighbors suffering a deadly disease or a wicked person indulged in all habits prospering and in all good health.