Psalms

Chapter 73

Surely God Is Good to Israel

Asaph begins by affirming that God is good to Israel, yet immediately admits how close he came to stumbling when he envied the prosperity of the wicked. Their ease, pride, violence, and apparent immunity made his own pursuit of purity seem pointless until he entered God's sanctuary and saw their true end. From that turning point, the psalm moves from bitter confusion to repentance and restored communion, ending with the confession that nearness to God is the true good and the sure refuge of the faithful.

Psalm 73 opens Book 3 of the Psalter with a wisdom-shaped struggle over the perennial problem of the prosperity of the wicked. It teaches that appearances alone can distort judgment, but worship in God's presence reorients the heart to final realities and reveals that fellowship with God outweighs every temporary advantage of the arrogant.

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Psalms 73

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vv. 1-28

Surely God Is Good to Israel

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A¹ Psalm of Asaph. ²But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; ³For I envied the arrogant ⁴They have no struggle in their death; ⁵They are free of the burdens others carry; ⁶Therefore pride is their necklace; ⁷From their prosperity proceeds iniquity; ⁸They mock and speak with malice; ⁹They set their mouths against the heavens, ¹⁰So their people return to this place ¹¹The wicked say, “How can God know? ¹²Behold, these are the wicked —

¹³Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure; ¹⁴For I am afflicted all day long ¹⁵If I had said, “I will speak this way,” ¹⁶When I tried to understand all this, ¹⁷until I entered God’s sanctuary;

¹⁸Surely You set them on slick ground; ¹⁹How suddenly they are laid waste, ²⁰Like one waking from a dream, ²¹When my heart was grieved ²²I was senseless and ignorant;

²³Yet I am always with You; ²⁴You guide me with Your counsel, ²⁵Whom have I in heaven but You? ²⁶My flesh and my heart may fail, ²⁷Those far from You will surely perish; ²⁸But as for me, it is good to draw near to God.

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01vv. 1-28Surely God Is Good to IsraelAsaph confesses that although God is truly good to the pure in heart, he nearly lost his footing when he envied the wicked who seemed healthy, proud, violent, and untouched by ordinary troubles. His crisis deepened until he entered God's sanctuary and understood that their prosperity was unstable and headed for ruin. The psalm then shifts into humble repentance and renewed confidence as Asaph realizes that God's presence, counsel, and ultimate reception are better than anything the wicked possess.