When Life Doesn’t Make Sense
What’s Psalm 73 about?
This is Asaph’s raw, honest wrestling match with one of life’s biggest questions: why do the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer? It’s a psalm that starts with doubt, walks through despair, and ends with profound clarity about what really matters.
The Full Context
Psalm 73 opens the third book of Psalms and represents a dramatic shift in tone from the royal psalms that preceded it. Written by Asaph, a Levitical musician and seer who served in David’s court, this psalm emerges from a crisis of faith that nearly destroyed his trust in God. The historical context suggests this was written during a period when Israel was witnessing the prosperity of surrounding nations while experiencing their own struggles – perhaps during the divided kingdom period when faithful Israelites watched corrupt leaders and pagan nations flourish.
The psalm serves as both personal confession and theological treatise, addressing the age-old problem of theodicy – how a good God can allow evil to prosper. Asaph’s honesty about his spiritual crisis makes this psalm a cornerstone for anyone who’s ever questioned God’s justice. Literarily, it follows a classic three-act structure: crisis (verses 1-12), turning point (verses 13-17), and resolution (verses 18-28). This isn’t just ancient poetry – it’s a roadmap for working through faith crises that feel startlingly modern.
What the Ancient Words Tell Us
The opening line in Hebrew is ak tov – “surely good” or “only good.” But here’s what’s fascinating: Asaph uses this same word ak three more times throughout the psalm, creating a literary framework that holds his entire argument together. In verse 13, he says ak – “surely in vain” I’ve kept my heart pure. Then in verse 18, ak – “surely you place them on slippery ground.” Finally, verse 23 brings us full circle: ak – “surely I am always with you.”
Grammar Geeks
The Hebrew word raq in verse 2 literally means “only” or “nothing but,” emphasizing how close Asaph came to complete spiritual collapse. When he says his feet had “almost” slipped, the Hebrew suggests he was hanging by a thread – one toe still on solid ground.
The phrase “prosperity of the wicked” in verse 3 uses the Hebrew word shalom – the same word we translate as “peace.” Asaph isn’t just upset that bad people have money; he’s tormented that they seem to have the very shalom – wholeness, peace, completeness – that should belong to God’s people.
When Asaph describes the wicked in verses 4-9, he paints them as literally wearing violence like jewelry and pride like a necklace. The Hebrew imagery is visceral – these aren’t just morally questionable people, they’re draped in their evil like expensive accessories.
What Would the Original Audience Have Heard?
To ancient Israelites, this psalm would have hit like a lightning bolt. Their entire worldview was built on Deuteronomic theology – the idea that obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings curse. But here’s Asaph, a respected worship leader, publicly admitting that this formula wasn’t working.
Did You Know?
Asaph was one of the three chief musicians appointed by David for temple worship. His public confession of doubt would have been like a modern worship pastor announcing from the pulpit that he’s questioning everything he’s ever believed about God’s goodness.
The original audience would have immediately recognized the sanctuary language in verse 17. When Asaph says he “entered the sanctuary of God,” he’s not just talking about going to church. In Hebrew culture, the sanctuary was where heaven and earth intersected, where human perspective gave way to divine perspective. This was the place where confused worship leaders went to get their theology straightened out.
The image of the wicked being “like a dream when one awakes” (verse 20) would have resonated powerfully with people who understood that earthly prosperity was as temporary as morning mist. Ancient Near Eastern literature is full of similar metaphors about the fleeting nature of wealth and power.
Wrestling with the Text
Here’s where things get uncomfortably honest. Asaph doesn’t just politely question God’s ways – he admits to being “brutish” and “ignorant” like a “beast” before God (verse 22). The Hebrew word ba’ar suggests someone who’s acting like an irrational animal, driven purely by emotion rather than understanding.
But this is precisely what makes the psalm so powerful. Asaph’s spiritual crisis wasn’t academic – it was visceral, emotional, and nearly faith-destroying. He watched corrupt people living their best lives while he followed God’s commands and got nothing but trouble for it.
Wait, That’s Strange…
Notice that Asaph never actually gets an answer to his original question. God doesn’t explain why the wicked prosper. Instead, Asaph’s perspective shifts from focusing on horizontal comparisons (him vs. them) to vertical relationship (him with God). Sometimes the solution isn’t getting answers but getting a bigger picture.
The turning point comes not through rational argument but through worship. When Asaph enters God’s sanctuary, he doesn’t receive a theological treatise – he gains perspective. He sees the “end” of the wicked, understanding that their current prosperity is heading toward eternal judgment.
How This Changes Everything
The transformation in Asaph’s perspective is stunning. He moves from “surely God is good to Israel” (a statement he clearly doubted) to “surely I am always with you” (a declaration of unshakeable confidence). The difference? He stopped comparing his life to others and started considering his relationship with God.
“When we stop asking ‘Why do they have it so good?’ and start asking ‘What do I have in God?’ everything changes.”
Verse 25 contains one of Scripture’s most beautiful declarations: “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.” This isn’t resignation – it’s revolutionary contentment. Asaph discovers that having God is infinitely better than having what the wicked possess.
The psalm’s conclusion is masterful. Asaph declares that his “portion” is God himself (verse 26). In ancient Israel, your portion was your inheritance, your security, your future. While others chase temporary prosperity, Asaph has discovered eternal treasure.
The final verses (27-28) create a beautiful contrast: those far from God will perish, but for Asaph, nearness to God is his good. He’s come full circle – from questioning God’s goodness to finding his ultimate good in God’s presence.
Key Takeaway
Life’s greatest crisis isn’t when bad things happen to good people – it’s when we lose sight of what good actually means. Real prosperity isn’t having what the wicked have; it’s knowing that God himself is our portion.
Further Reading
Internal Links:
External Scholarly Resources:
- Tremper Longman III – Psalms: An Introduction and Commentary
- Derek Kidner – Psalms 73-150: A Commentary
- John Goldingay – Psalms Volume 2: Psalms 42-89
Tags
Psalm 73:1, Psalm 73:3, Psalm 73:17, Psalm 73:25, Psalm 73:26, prosperity theology, theodicy, suffering, spiritual crisis, faith and doubt, sanctuary worship, divine justice, contentment, jealousy, Asaph psalms
