A Psalm of Asaph.
1 Truly God is good to Israel,
to those who 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 arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For they have no pangs until death;
their bodies are fat and sleek.
5 They are not in trouble as others are;
they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
violence covers them as a garment.
7 Their eyes swell out through fatness;
their hearts overflow with follies.
8 They scoff and speak with malice;
loftily they threaten oppression.
9 They set their mouths against the heavens,
and their tongue struts through the earth.
10 Therefore his people turn back to them,
and find no fault in them.
11 And they say, “How can God know?
Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12 Behold, these are the wicked;
always at ease, they increase in riches.
13 All in vain have I kept my heart clean
and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all the day long I have been stricken
and rebuked every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
I would have betrayed the generation of your children.
16 But when I thought how to understand this,
it seemed to me a wearisome task,
17 until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I discerned their end.
18 Truly you set them in slippery places;
you make them fall to ruin.
19 How they are destroyed in a moment,
swept away utterly by terrors!
20 Like a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.
21 When my soul was embittered,
when I was pricked in heart,
22 I was brutish and ignorant;
I was like a beast toward you.
23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
28 But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works. – Psalm 73:1-28 ESV
In this, the first of the Psalms of Asaph, he laments the unjust and seemingly unfair prosperity of those who practice wickedness. While he opens his psalm with an acknowledgement of God’s goodness to His chosen people, he confesses that he came close to “losing his faith” because of the inexplicable success of the ungodly.
I almost lost my footing.
My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.
For I envied the proud
when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.
They seem to live such painless lives;
their bodies are so healthy and strong.
They don’t have troubles like other people;
they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.
They wear pride like a jeweled necklace
and clothe themselves with cruelty. – Psalm 73:2-6 NLT
Asaph pulls no punches when assessing the unfair advantage that the proud and prosperous enjoy, and he seems to blame God for the uneven playing field on which he has to compete. These pride-filled, scoffing, and evil-speaking individuals “boast against the very heavens” (Psalm 73:9 NLT), and God does nothing about it. This inequity on God’s part creates confusion and consternation among His people, causing them to cry out in dismay, “What does God know?” (Psalm 73:11 NLT). This query really calls into question God’s sovereignty and omniscience. He’s either ignorant of the situation, which would suggest that He is not all-knowing, or He is aware and doesn’t care. Frustrated, Asaph asks, “Does the Most High even know what’s happening?”
This topic is a recurring theme in religious texts, philosophical discussions, and real-world observations, raising questions about justice, divine order, and the nature of good and evil. The concept of the "prosperity of the wicked" explores the seeming contradiction of why evil individuals and groups often achieve success and wealth, while those who are righteous or moral may experience hardship or suffering.
In the book that bears his name, Job expresses his frustration with this seeming conundrum of life.
“Why do the wicked prosper,
growing old and powerful?
They live to see their children grow up and settle down,
and they enjoy their grandchildren.
Their homes are safe from every fear,
and God does not punish them.” – Job 21:7-9 NLT
Even the prophet Jeremiah had to question the justice of God when he witnessed the seeming success of those who practiced unrighteousness.
Lord, you always give me justice
when I bring a case before you.
So let me bring you this complaint:
Why are the wicked so prosperous?
Why are evil people so happy?
You have planted them,
and they have taken root and prospered.
Your name is on their lips,
but you are far from their hearts. – Jeremiah 12:1-2 NLT
In the Book of Malachi, God confronts His chosen people because they have accused Him of being unjust and unfair in His dealings with men. They had concluded that a life of godliness was not worth the effort because God seemed to have stacked the deck against them.
“You have said, ‘What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the Lord of Heaven’s Armies that we are sorry for our sins? From now on we will call the arrogant blessed. For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them suffer no harm.’” – Malachi 3:14-15 NLT
Asaph is unapologetic when communicating his dissatisfaction to God. He questions the return on investment a life of godliness brings and declares that playing by God’s rules has left him in a deficit.
Did I keep my heart pure for nothing?
Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?
I get nothing but trouble all day long;
every morning brings me pain. – Psalm 73:13-14 NLT
As long as Asaph focused his attention on the problem, he became more confused and angry at the seeming disparity of it all. From his earthly perspective, the tables were stacked against him. He was doing all the right things, but others were reaping all the benefits. He sowed righteousness but harvested nothing but pain and suffering.
His fixation on the inequities of life left him disgruntled and disappointed. But then, Asaph reoriented his attitude by refocusing his attention. He took his eyes off the problem and turned to the Lord.
Then I went into your sanctuary, O God,
and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked. – Psalm 73:17 NLT
By relocating to the sanctuary, Asaph gained a new perspective on life. Entering the house of God forced him to leave the inequities and inequalities of the world behind. The sanctuary was a place of sacrifice, atonement, and forgiveness. It is where God’s presence dwelt, and His people could find acceptance and peace. The wicked might enjoy health, wealth, and prosperity, but they could not enter God’s presence. Their sin separated them from God and kept them from experiencing His peace and receiving His forgiveness.
Asaph operated under the misconception that the righteous somehow deserved better from God. They were His people, and He owed them for their faithfulness and obedience. But no one enters God’s presence on their own merit. It was David who wrote, “There is no one who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if any understand, if any seek God. All have turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Psalm 14:1-3 BSB). The apostle Paul quoted this passage when he wrote, “Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT).He went on to add that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23 NLT).
Then, the author of Hebrews pointed out that, under the Mosaic Law, “nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22 NLT). That is what the sanctuary was all about. It was in the sanctuary that blood was shed, sins were atoned for, and sinful men were reconciled to a holy God through the shedding of innocent blood.
Entering the sanctuary gave Aspah an eternal outlook that exposed mankind’s sin and emphasized God’s grace and mercy. As long as Asaph focused on the so-called prosperous wicked, he missed the point. The sanctuary was a vivid reminder that he was no less wicked or deserving of God’s judgment. Wealth, health, and prosperity were the wrong metrics by which to judge a man’s righteousness.
The sanctuary was where heaven intersected with earth, and where God met with man, and mercy replaced merit as the sole criterion for acceptance. The sanctuary was where the glory of God overshadowed the glory of man. By entering God’s presence and focusing on His glory, Asaph had his priorities realigned.
Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
and I was all torn up inside.
I was so foolish and ignorant—
I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
Yet I still belong to you;
you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny. – Psalm 73:21-24 NLT
Despite his whining and moaning about his less-than-satisfactory lot in life, Asaph discovered that God had not left or forsaken him. His bitterness toward God was undeserved and bordering on blasphemy. Yet God had not turned His back on Asaph. The prosperity of the wicked became a moot point when Asaph considered the goodness of God. Despite his own sin, Asaph enjoyed God’s forgiveness, guidance, and blessings. His accessibility to God was not something he took lightly or for granted. Entering the sanctuary provided a much-needed reminder of God’s grace and goodness, and reignited his gratitude for and dependence upon God.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
I desire you more than anything on earth.
My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart;
he is mine forever. – Psalm 73:5-6 NLT
By the time Asaph wraps up his psalm, his attitude has taken a turn for the better. He has done a 180 and gone from grousing about the prosperity of the wicked to singing the praises of Yahweh.
Those who desert him will perish,
for you destroy those who abandon you.
But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do. – Psalm 73:27-28 NLT
It is amazing how quickly our outlook can change when we focus on God instead of our problems. It is reminiscent of Peter’s experience when he stepped out of the boat at the sight of Jesus walking on the water. As long as he kept His eyes on Jesus, he was fine. The storm didn't dissipate, and the waves didn’t diminish. He was able to walk on the water despite the presence of pressing problems. But as soon as he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on his circumstances, he sank like a rock. The presence of the waves and wind was not the problem; it was his failure to focus his attention on Jesus.
In Asaph’s case, the wicked continued to prosper even after he entered the sanctuary, but it no longer bothered him. Their presence no longer controlled his countenance or diminished his view of God. A change of venue provided a refreshing change of perspective that gave Asaph a new lease on life.
Father, when I take my eyes off of You, I get distracted and discouraged by the apparent inequities and injustices in the world. I start to worry about things over which I have no control. But when I step into Your presence and focus on Your goodness, grace, love, and mercy, I get a new outlook that paints the world in a whole new light. Your glory shines into the darkened corners of life and illuminates the truth of Your presence and power in the darkest of moments. Thank you! Amen
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.