Truly God Is Good – Psalm 73

“A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel to such as are pure in heart.” Psalm 73:1

In what ways was God good to Israel? In Matthew 5:8, Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” The Lord brought Israel out of captivity, purified their hearts through prescribed animal sacrifices, and allowed them to see Him and declare Him to others.

God has also been good to Gentiles. He sacrificed His Son Jesus Christ for our sins. Now, thanks to Christ, when Jew or Gentile believes in Him, He forgives our sins, and purifies our hearts by His Holy Spirit. His Spirit helps us to see God through the eye of the Scriptures.

“But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled. My steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pangs in their death, but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride serves as their necklace. Violence covers them like a garment. Their eyes bulge with abundance. They have more than heart could wish. They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression. They speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walks through the earth. Therefore his people return here, and waters of a full cup are drained by them. And they say, ‘How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?’ Behold, these are the ungodly, who are always at ease. They increase in riches. Surely, I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocence. For all day long I have been plagued and chastened every morning.” Psalm 73:2-14

There is a great difference between the Asaph who is thinking about the goodness of God and the Asaph who is thinking about the ungodly.

In Matthew 5:44-45, Jesus said to us, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

When people are hateful, full of curses, abusive and prejudice against God, it poses a challenge to us to love, bless, do them good and pray for them, but the Lord says that we must do so to be children of our Father in heaven, that is, to be His image bearers.

In Psalm 73:2-14, Asaph sets for us an example of how to grieve when we are mistreated. He doesn’t say to suppress or deny your grief. No, he describes to God what he sees. In 2 Chronicles 29:30, Asaph is referred to as a seer by God.

Do the wicked prosper? In Matthew 4:8-9, Satan offered to Jesus the kingdoms of this world if He would bow down and worship him. Jesus rebuked Satan for such a thought, but many are happy to sell their soul to Satan in exchange for his “get rich quick” schemes.

Asaph describes the wicked to God as strong and free from trouble. Likely due to the fact that they have paid off crooked authorities to turn a blind eye to their crimes.

The ungodly are proud to be without God. Their eyes bulge as they gaze at their riches. They have more than heart could wish. They scoff at the thought of changing their ways because they perceive themselves as wiser than God. They say, “Is there knowledge in the Most High?”

In terms of wages, Asaph expresses grief that it feels like he cleansed his heart in vain and washed his hands in innocence. While the wicked prosper, he feels that he is chastened every morning and plagued all the day long. To clear out those feelings, he expresses them to God.

It has been said, “You will not feel comfortable sitting with the grief of others, if you are not comfortable sitting with your own grief.” It is not healthy to deny or suppress grief. It can cause unwanted health and mental issues.

In Hebrews 12:15, the Lord warns us, “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.”

“If I had said, ‘I will speak thus,’ behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children. When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me—until I went into the sanctuary of God. Then, I understood their end. Surely You set them in slippery places. You cast them down to destruction. O, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one awakes, so, Lord, when You awake, You shall despise their image.” Psalm 73:15-20

In John 17:19, Jesus said to His Father, “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.” When Asaph came before God in the holy sanctuary, the Holy Spirit helped him to consider his position of influence among God’s people. He was known as a Seer by God’s people. He was a worship leader as well. He did not want to be untrue to God’s children... on the one hand, leading people to worship God, and on the other hand, harboring bitterness due to the prosperity of ungodly and wicked people.

What’s more, in God’s holy presence, the Lord revealed to Asaph that the ultimate outcome of wicked and ungodly behavior is not favorable. In due season, God humbles proud people. God created people in His image, but the people that Asaph struggled with hated God.

Matthew Henry spoke of Asaph as restraining himself from speaking amiss for the sake of God’s people. If he revolted against God, He would give the greatest offence imaginable to the generation of God’s children. In Proverbs 30:32, the Lord says, “If you have devised evil, put your hand on your mouth.” Don’t speak an evil thought. “Though he thought amiss, he took care not to utter that evil thought which he had conceived. It is bad to think ill, but it is worse to speak it, for that is giving the evil thought consent to infect others.” [1]

When Asaph felt hatred toward the wicked, he took the matter to God in prayer not to others. In Matthew 18:6, Jesus said, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” In Matthew 18:15, Jesus said, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.” Though the ungodly are not “brothers,” we should still consider if we can speak with them directly about their offenses rather than to speak maliciously about them to others. God still loves them.

Asaph could not conquer his thoughts about the prosperity of the wicked by his own strength or reason. So, he went into God’s sanctuary. He consulted with the Scriptures. He prayed. He considered the attributes of God. Then, the Lord opened his eyes to see that even at the height of their prosperity, the wicked were to be pitied not envied. They were ripening for ruin. [2]

“There are many great things, and things needful to be known, which will not be known otherwise than by going into the sanctuary of God by the Word and prayer. The sanctuary is the place for tempted souls.” [3]

The Lord helped Asaph to foresee the ruin of wicked people. By this revelation, he resisted the temptation to speak hatefully against them.

In Ephesians 4:29, Paul wrote, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”

In Titus 3:2, Paul wrote, “Speak evil of no man. Don’t be a brawler. Be gentle! Show meekness to all people.”

In Matthew 5:44-48, Jesus said that if we want to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect we must love our enemies, bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who spitefully use and persecute us. Thus, we shall be children of our heavenly Father.

“The destruction of the wicked and ungodly is sure, sudden, and very great.” [4] In Luke 12:20, God said to the man who was rich toward himself but poor to God, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you. Then, whose will those things be which you have provided?”

In 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9. Paul wrote that when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, He will execute flaming fire vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. “These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” Thus, “the prosperity of the wicked and ungodly is not to be envied at all, but despised.” [5]

“Thus my heart was grieved, and I was vexed in my mind. I was so foolish and ignorant. I was like a beast before You. Nevertheless I am continually with You. You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.” Psalm 73:21-24

In Judges 14:14, Samson composed a riddle for his foes, saying, “Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” The eater was a lion who attacked Samson. The honey was made by bees in the dead carcass of the lion. The Lord is good to bring about honey out of the attacks of our enemies. [6]

When Asaph was attacked by a thought to speak maliciously against the ungodly, he struggled with it, and overcame it by the power of God’s sufficient grace. Rather than curse the thorn in his flesh, he abased and accused himself before God. He confessed to God, “My heart was grieved. I was vexed in my mind. I was so foolish and ignorant. I was like a beast before You.” Thus, the Lord’s presence remained with him. The Lord’s right hand (a reference to Christ) upheld him. The Holy Spirit guided and counseled him, and kept him on the path to glory. [7]

In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, God said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” And Paul responded, saying, “Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

“Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:25-26

God’s presence was better to Asaph than the portion of the wicked. Closeness with God yielded a better return on investment than participation with sin. God strengthened Asaph with love. Money can buy a house, but only God’s love makes it a great place to live.

“For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish. You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.” Psalm 73:25-26

In Matthew 18:9, Jesus warned us, “If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.”

In James 4:7-9, James wrote, “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.”

See how serious of a matter it is to be close with God! If you are far from Him, don’t spare the tears and tissues, cry out to God to forgive your sins and to return you to nearness with Him.

“But it is good for me to draw near to God. I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Your works.” Psalm 73:27-28

In John 15:4, Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” The most vital concern for us is to remain in Christ, and not to be drawn away to other places where Jesus does not go. We might be tempted to think that the wicked and ungodly are our worst nightmare, but in fact, the temptation to distance ourselves from God is our greatest foe.

It is good to draw near to God. It is good to trust in Him. It is good to talk about God’s works.



[1] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[2] Comments sparked by reading Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[3] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[4] Ibid
[5] Ibid
[6] Comments sparked by reading Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[7] Ibid