Asaph, from the family of Levi, was a choir
leader in God’s temple. This is revealed in 1 Chronicles 15:19 and 25:1-2. Besides
him there were Heman and Jeduthun. David, we are told in 1 Chronicles
16:4-5, placed Asaph in
charge of the sacred music before the Ark, in the tabernacle that he had
erected in Jerusalem. According to 2 Chronicles 29:30, Asaph had established himself
and was ranked with David as one of the great singers of Israel. Psalms 72-83 and 50 were attributed to him. It was
likely that he had composed them and sang them as well.
Psalm 73 begins the book three of
Psalms. Asaph, the author, seemed to be affected by what he saw was the prosperity
of the wicked. When he thought of how the wicked had prospered, he wondered if
there were any advantage in being righteous or living righteously. As he
contrasted the lives of the righteous with that of the wicked, he became self-absorbed
and started to pity himself. But then, as he factored the Holy and Sovereign
Lord into his life, he had a change in attitude. From that perspective, it dawned
on him that being righteous and living righteously certainly had more advantage
than being wicked and living wickedly.
In verses 1-14, Asaph described his perplexity.
Here, Israel represents the people of God. And though he knew for sure that God
was good to His people, yet when he looked at how prosperous the wicked were,
he was baffled. The wicked were obviously living life without considering God, yet
they seemed to be flourishing much better. Not only were they healthy and strong, but were
also free from the troubles that plagued ordinary people. Besides, they were full
of pride, yet seemed to be blessed with wealth in abundance. Furthermore their
mouth oozed with arrogance and they had no qualms in leading the righteous astray.
Asaph was stumbled by what he saw. He envied them, and came close to joining
them. He saw no advantage in righteous living.
He would have been untrue to God and his people had he allowed his
presumptions to lead him astray. He would have been a stumbling block to others.
The great difference he had was when he came into God’s presence, and saw
everything from the perspective of his relationship with God. It was then that
he had a change in attitude. Like him, if God is not our focal point, we too
will conclude the same way. Verse 17 tells us that he saw new light when he
came into the sanctuary. In other words, in God’s presence, he was enlightened.
True enlightenment always begin when we connect with God. The place to be truly
enlightened concerning life is in the presence of God. Asaph came to the
realization that the ground the wicked was standing on was precarious. They
would be punished in death and would have to face God ultimately.
In verses 23-26, the Psalmist turned to talk about the bountiful reward the
righteous would have in this life and the life after. God would hold them in
His right hand and guide them with His counsel. And they would find strength in
God. Everything clicked for the Psalmist when he encountered God. That
connection led him into a deeper hunger and desire for God. He knew that nothing
could truly and deeply satisfy outside of God. He realized that a departure
from God would spell death, but drawing near to Him would be life indeed.
Like the Psalmist, the temptation we face are real and enticing. Human being,
even saints, face the common temptation to envy the well-off. But this Psalm
tells us that when we place God in focus, we will be fortified against the
temptation of the wicked. When we resolutely take our stand with God, we will
find strength to resist the temptation and enticement of the world and evil.
His Spirit will help us to stay the course of life and find our ultimate reward
in Him. Life will never be lived in vain when God is at the center of our life.
Let us serve Him and keep heed of His instruction!
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