Sermon Snippet – Both Sides of Life – Part II
INTRODUCTION – The Christian’s walk of life is not usually easy, as we studied last week from the life of Paul. Sometimes we shuffle, and sometimes we struggle to take even a tentative step forward. The Bible, God’s Word, does not ignore these challenging realities; rather, it deals directly with all of life. Let us join Asaph as he wrestled with both sides of life, the bad and the good.
1. ASAPH WAS PERPLEXED
Psalm 73 was written by Asaph, a gifted musician and poet. We do not know much about his personal history, but we do know that he was appointed by King David to be the minister of music in Israel’s place of worship (I Chronicles 15:19; 16:5), that many of his descendants were musicians (Ezra 2:41), and that he wrote songs (Psalms 50, 73-83). It is instructive to note that David, also a talented musician, did not see Asaph as a competitor but as a fellow servant of God. As Red Green used to say, “I’m pulling for you. We’re all in this together.” Asaph was obviously a man of genuine faith, but verses 1-16 reveal a person struggling to apply theology to life. The fact that God included such poems of perplexity in His Word reveals that He is aware of our confusion and is committed to providing us care and counsel.
2. ASAPH ASKED QUESTIONS
Verse 1 is really an implied question: “Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.” For Asaph to be so certain on this point, he had to have previously asked, “Is God good?” He weighed the evidence, thought deeply, and reached a reasonable conclusion: the very existence of Israel, not only unexpected but actually miraculous, was due solely to God’s goodness. The word “but” (verse 2), though, tells us that Asaph was trying to reconcile the foundational truth of God’s goodness with the evil that he observed every day. Essentially, he asks, “Why do the wicked prosper?” We should not think that Asaph is vengeful. No, he is wondering about the seeming unfairness of life (like Paul’s unjust imprisonment and execution that we considered last Sunday), including why the righteous so frequently suffer rather than flourish (verse 13). I know of two songs both titled, “Why Me, Lord?” – two quite different songs. Both ask legitimate questions. One, a Gospel song, asks what we have done to deserve anything good – that is where we should begin (as Asaph did). The other, a bit bluesy, focuses on how hard our lives often are. If we sing only this kind of song, we will miss the fullness of God’s goodness, for we will not be prepared to receive a fuller answer from Him. We should note that asking questions of God is not the same thing as questioning His character; the latter is not helpful.
3. ASAPH RECEIVED ANSWERS
We have already seen that Asaph’s implied question was met with affirmation: God is good. From this general framework of God’s core character springs a specific answer to his concerns about the prosperity of the wicked; they will have to answer to God in eternity (verses 17-19). Asaph stresses that it was only when he came “into the sanctuary of God” that he began to understand God’s answer to him. Not every question will be answered in church (certainly not by me!), but the message is clear: if we do not listen to God, we will continue in our confusion. Asaph’s contrite response (verse 20-22) reveals a sincerely spiritual man.
CONCLUSION – The end of this Psalm (verses 23-28) provides an immediate personal application: we need God’s powerful presence in our lives. In New Testament terms, we need Jesus Christ, God the Son, as Savior. Then we are to follow Asaph’s wise advice and “draw near to God.” The promise of James 4:8a is for each Christian: “Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to thee.”