Psalm 73 – Reflections of a Struggling Believer
Psalm 73 is a wisdom psalm that is expressed in the language of lament. Wisdom literature seeks to answer the questions of life, and tries to explains God’s role in human affairs. The writer of this psalm has come to a crisis of faith and in this crisis, he cries out. The ancient Hebrew theologians tried to answer the most perplexing of questions: If God is good, why does evil abound? Why do good people suffer and evil people prosper?
Psalm 73 encourages us to trust in God’s goodness. But our experience in the world seems to defy such confidence. There are many possibilities. Maybe God is powerless in the face of such evil. Maybe God is complicit in evil. Maybe God just doesn’t care. We must acknowledge that inspired scripture allows us freedom to seek answers that are congruent with God’s revealed nature. This psalm gives voice to our doubts and allows us to cry out in bewilderment as we seek to understand the ways of God.
We sometimes prefer to view the world through rose-colored glasses, that is, through a lens that filters out the world’s many problems. However, Holy Scripture encourages us to see the world as it really is – corrupted by sin, violent, oppressive, and dominated by death. Those of us who believe in the inherent goodness of God must come to terms with the dilemma of evil.
The psalmist begins with a confession of faith and descends into a spiral of despair. The psalmist declares that “God is good to… those who are pure in heart” (vs. 1 NIV). The goodness of God is defined as God’s loving care towards his people in providing all that is needed and desired, and protection from all harm. God’s goodness extends love, joy, and peace to faithful humans (cf. Psalm 23:6; 34:8-10; 37:4; 84:11; Ecclesiastes 3:13). A pure heart is to “Love the LORD (Yahweh) your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:5 NIV; cf. 11:1, 22). A pure heart is not polluted by idolatry (Deuteronomy 6:13-15), sexual immorality (Deuteronomy 5:18; Leviticus 18:1ff), or injustice (Deuteronomy 5:16-21; Leviticus 19:18; Psalm 82:3; Micah 6:8).
Even as the psalmist confesses the goodness of God, he admits that his life experiences have provoked a crisis of faith. The life of faith has often been spoken of as walking with God, or walking according to God’s ways (Genesis 5:24; 6:9; Deuteronomy 2:7; 8:6; Psalm 23:4). Other psalms have expressed confidence in God in terms of one’s steps being ordered by the Lord (37:23; 119:133), one’s feet being established upon a firm foundation (18:33; 40:2; 66:9), and God delivering those whose feet have stumbled (25:15; 56:13; 116:8). The psalmist’s crisis is expressed in terms of slipping feet. He feels as if he is falling, his faith is failing.
The psalmist has stumbled because he “envied the arrogant” (vs. 3 NIV). The arrogance of the wicked is demonstrated in words which reveal contempt for God. The words of the arrogant reveal narcissistic tendencies. The King of Babylon exemplifies the narcissism of humanity in rebellion against God: “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly… I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’” (Isaiah 14:13-14 NIV; cf. Daniel 4:28-30). Job observed that the wicked are powerful and secure, and it seems that God refuses to correct them (Job 21:7-9).
The psalmist reflects on the ways of the world and falls into despair. The “surely” of verses 1 and 13 are the same Hebrew word and expresses “certainty.” In verse 1, the psalmist is certain of God’s goodness; in verse 13 he is certain that the ways of God are futile in this corrupt world. Whereas, in verse 5 he observes that the wicked are not plagued with troubles; in verse 14 he declares that he is plagued with suffering continuously. He is disillusioned. Is God really good?
In the midst of his crisis of faith, the psalmist has a crisis of encounter in the “sanctuary of God.” It is in worship that we “behold the beauty of the LORD” and as we “mediate in His temple,” our perspective is changed (Psalm 27:4 NASB). As he worshipped and meditated upon God, the psalmist gained understanding about the relationship between God and evil in this corrupt world. It’s about the end. This present corrupt world will come to an end. On that last day, the Day of the Lord, God will judge the wicked and the righteous and God’s justice will prevail. Isaiah proclaimed, “See, the day of the Lord is coming—a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger— to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it” (Isaiah 13:9 NIV).
In the sanctuary, the psalmist realized a new certainty. It was not his feet, but the feet of the wicked that were set in slippery places; it was not he who was falling, but the wicked who would be cast down (compare verses 2 and 18). The judgement of the wicked will come suddenly (cf. Numbers 16:41; Psalm 76:7-9; Isaiah 41:11). The prosperity of the wicked in this present age is but a dream; the greatest of human empires is only a fantasy (vs. 20, NIV). The powerful men and women of this present age are not without troubles; rather they are to be “completely swept away by terrors” (NIV, compare verses 4 and 19).
With a new perspective, the psalmist repents of doubting the goodness of God. His encounter with God in the sanctuary renewed his confidence in the righteousness and justice of God. He has discovered that God is good in spite of the presence of evil in the world. God holds his right hand. The right hand is a symbol of blessing, strength, and authority. David declared, “I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure” (Psalm 16:8-9 NIV).
Whether on earth, or in Heaven, the psalmist primary desire is to be with God. The wise person knows of the certainty of death – “my flesh and my heart may fail.” Even so, “God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever” (vs. 26 NIV). God’s presence is sufficient to guide the believer in this earthly life, and into the heavenly life to come. The person who is guided by the counsel of God will be received “into glory” (vs. 24 NIV) Glory speaks to the splendor and majesty of God’s presence. It is also a synonym for Heaven. The hope of the believer is that “God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me” (Psalm 49:15 KJV).
Those who are near to God choose to trust God in spite of the evil, suffering, and injustice in the world. Yahweh is the believer’s refuge and fortress (Psalm 91:2); “a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat” (Isaiah 25:4 NIV). The history of human civilization is filled with oppression, slavery, violence, and war. Yahweh judges the oppressor, feeds the hungry, liberates the captives, restores sight to the blind, exalts the humble, protects strangers, supports the orphans and widows, heals the brokenhearted, supports the afflicted, defends the righteous, and thwarts the plans of the wicked (Psalms 146, 147). The destiny of the wise and righteous person is eternal glory.
This psalm begins with the declaration that God is good to those with a pure heart. It ends with the declaration that God can be trusted. In between, are the reflections of a struggling believer. Human injustice and evil seem to contradict God’s justice and goodness. It is striking that the psalmist does not offer a philosophical or theological answer to the problem of evil. It is likely that there is no satisfactory answer. However, the psalmist’s encounter in the sanctuary of God convinced him that God is the only hope for humanity.
