It Is Good to Be Near God – Psalm 73

This is a wisdom psalm, dealing with the suffering of the righteous, much like the book of Job does.  Asaph was David’s appointee to lead worship in Israel at the temple.  But he was struggling in his faith.

A Psalm of Asaph.

Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.  But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped.  For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.  For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning.  If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed the generation of your children.

But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.

Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin.  How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors!  Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.  When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.

Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.  You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.  Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.  But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.  (Psalm 73 ESV)

A simplistic understanding of the creed, “God is good to those who are pure in heart,” would suggest that the righteous should always be rewarded in this life with prosperity.  But Asaph sees the wicked prospering.  This seems to contradict God’s justice but he doesn’t speak this out loud so as not to hurt other believers.  But after struggling like a brute beast over this he comes to a time of worship and finally realizes the truth.  The destiny of the wicked is destruction, but the righteous can and should draw near God even in suffering.  We don’t do good to get a prize but because we love the prize-giver. He is our portion forever and there is nothing on earth we should desire more than Him.