Sometimes it changes suddenly during our lives here on earth like it did for Harvey Weinstein. 27-28) summarize the psalmists spiritual journey and especially the new vision that he gained in verses 18-20 and verses 23-26 in terms of the spatial image of far and near. This summary functions as the psalmists great reaffirmation of faith. Now get ready for the stinger. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. In view of the cross-references to Psalm 24 in Psalm 73, it is suggested that the entry psalm be used in the liturgy. What do you do when with your theology clashes with reality? Two weeks later, on January 29, authorities decided to truck the dead whale to a laboratory where they could do an autopsy. An Assuredly Good Thing. Asaph, the author, is the choir leader, whose occupation placed him in constant contact with the people of Israel, and with the sanctuary of God, the temple. 37:9-10).35 In other words, the poets initial perception of the carefree lifestyle of the wicked is wrong. He did what Job did. An important step in this process is the recognition of the psalmists strident critique of the economic underpinnings of society in verses 4-11. Psalm 73 is the honest confession of a faithful Israelite, concerning his own struggle with the problem of pain. But from the perspective of eternity, from the point of view in worship, there is a quick ride to the bottom. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. Verse 25-26. That rich man lived in luxury, and wouldnt even give the crumbs from his table to poor Lazarus; and there was that poor man, covered with sores, starving. The Psalms, maybe more than any other part of the Bible, help us to explore the depths of our hearts. Traffic was brought to a halt for hours. If Asaph had lived our century instead of his own, he might have been looking at the life of Hugh Hefner. When you did the right thing, but got the back of the hand anyway. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. a. But before he relates his personal experience (vv. Your Bible study. My feet nearly *slipped and I almost fell over. This wonderful psalm may be best understood by the . Free shipping on books, Bibles, gifts, VBS, and church supplies of $50 or more. They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills. v1 I am sure that God is good to (the people of) Israel, to the people whose hearts are clean. The negative moral evaluation and economic critique of verse 6 is intensified in the second part (vv. Commentaries, Sermons, Illustrations, Devotionals. One of the best known memoirs of the Holocaust is Night by Elie Wiesel. Psalm 25:1-10 Riding Out The Waves. Intro: One day, six blind men decided to go to the zoo.They hired a guide to tell them about all the exotic animals they couldn't see. Is it really worth it to serve God? Psalm 73 is the first psalm of Book III of the Psalter. Well have you ever watched your dog? The Prayers of The Psalms. Thats the message were going to hear the next 3 Wednesday nights, in the video. ", Envy is the tendency to compare yourself with someone else in a way that leaves you feeling deprived. Consider this godly guidance when you get a raw deal. 4-12; vv. What caused Asaph to almost lose his faith, and what brought him out of it and how can this help those of us today, who might have some questions like he did? My God, my God; why have You forsaken me? Like David in Psalm 22 But then he begins to tell his own personal testimony in :2, "But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling.". 2-3; vv. It doesnt seem to pay? Be like the disciples in John 6, when Jesus had told the crowds that had been following Him some difficult things about what it meant to believe, and everyone was leaving Him. How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of . Jobs questioning and doubt is a case in point. . In the NT Jesus says dont cause one of these little ones to stumble that means dont do anything that might cause someone to be lost.) It isn't a Psalm about a dramatic event but rather about an internal struggle and a moment of revelation, an Epiphany. Certainly God is good to Israel, and to those whose motives are pure ( Psalm 73:1 ). Why? 21-22). Everything changed. AOL News (1-29-04); see also BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3437455.stm). Pedestrians and shop owners poured into the streets to watch the spectacle of a whale carcass driven through the streets of downtown Tainan. Cars, people, and local shops were splattered with whale entrails. Truly God is good to Israel, To such as are pure in heart. Thats why its so important to be here at church on a regular basis. If he had publicly told of his envious musings, he would have betrayed a generation of Gods children. Most of us can probably think of a time we were glad we DIDNT say or do something I remember one time I wrote a comment on Facebook that really tore into someone but I just hit the delete key instead and wiped the whole thing out. But the NRSV translation of this clause shows that the clause could also mean that the psalmist is restored to his honor. Such a condition is contrary to the basic belief that God rewards the good with good. Why We Need the Psalms of Lament Dane C. Ortlund. Envy is so common that God made it the subject of one of His 10 commandments: "Do not covet your neighbor's house. Reminder: You are currently impersonating {{userSessionData.email}}. According to Isaiah 48:22, there is no peace for the wicked. Asaph realized that "the world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." This statement represents his settled conviction after the trouble he recounts in the Psalm. "Then I understood their final destiny. In the midst of suffering believers often feel cheated and begin to question and doubt God's goodness. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds. Asaph goes on to tell us here in Psalm 73 that God did show him the whole picture, and what he learned kept him from giving up . BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever," ( Psalm 73:26). That spoke to a need in my life, or a question on my heart. And I am grateful that God speaks to us through His word! . Before he recounts his time of doubt he begins with what he now knows to be true: God is good and He is good to those who are His. He became depressed. God, I'm getting a raw deal! God is the Christian's inheritance as the refuge of his conscience. And yet Hugh Hefner lived in a $200 million mansion, and lived to the ripe old age of 91! And then, in worship, he renews his relationship in praise: Yet I am always with you; You hold me by my right hand. What is worse, according to verse 11, the wicked are very cavalier about God. In light of verse 25 and Psalm 49:15 we are of the opinion that it does.43. There is no record that God ever rebuffs Job for being honest. "You try to honor God and stay humble and do good, you'll have a tough, mediocre life. The author of Psalm 73, Asaph, was almost like Elie Wiesel. Psalm 73 Sermon Illustrations; Free Sermon Illustrations for Preaching : In Sermon Illustrations: "Psalm 73" showing 1-4 of 4 Filter Results Sort By. And earth has nothing I desire besides You. God is big enough to take your anger, your pain, and your questions. You have yours; I have mine; Asaph said he had his and he said he almost gave up because of them. He didn't pretend everything was okay. And he's about to get as real as it gets. Tag Archives: Psalm 73 sermon "The Man Who Almost Gave Up His Faith" (Psalm 73 sermon) Posted on 2018/03/12 by Shawn Thomas. As long as Asaph tried to reason his way out of his troubled perception apart from God, he would hit his head against the wall. Im sitting on the couchwith my eyes closedattempting to nap. He is a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. It should just end better. There may be times when it seems to be going that way and it looks like that a lot in America today but the Bible says it will not end there. In the next stretch of Psalms we only have one attributed to King David and this isn't it. Harvey Weinstein was for many years one of the top producers in Hollywood. Fire devours everything in his way, and a great storm rages around . The psalmists realization of Gods presence in verses 22-24 leads to a reflective spin-off in verses 25-26,44 in which he articulates a supreme confession of trust.45 In verse 25 he confesses that the antidote to his previous envy (vs. 3) is his hold-guide-receive experience of Gods persistent presence (vv. The difficulty uppermost in the mind of the Psalmist is the carefree, even prosperous life of the evil-doers in contrast to his own torment as a godly person. God is waiting to talk with you. 1. Psalm 26 A Life Of Integrity. Those who draw near -who come in the true spirit of sacrifice, and with the only available offering, the Lord Jesus, shall be finally saved; therefore, it is good for them. However, the Hebrew verbs of verse 17 are not in the past tense. Hah." CSB Experiencing God Bible, Hardcover, Jacketed. Those who are far from You will perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You. (LogOut/ Or: I have always tried to do the right thing, and not drink, or smoke, or do drugs, but I have all these health problems; while people I know who dont care, but go and do whatever they want are totally healthy and able-bodied. They do not need God. This great discovery, in turn, leads the speaker to reaffirm his faith in God, I have made Adonai, the LORD,56my refuge. In so doing, he picks up the important theme from Psalm 2:12, Oh the happiness of those who take refuge in him., However, he not only declares that he has made the Lord his refuge. In further illustration of this exalted exercise, I would remark, that prayer is appointed as the act of our approach to Him. Because He had had thousands of children burned in His pits? God will judge the wicked, and He will reward the righteous; those who have turned away from their sins, and followed Jesus as their Savior. The opening statement that God is good to Israel, for example, recalls Psalm 34:8. First, he say in :17 It WAS troublesome in my sight, UNTIL I came into the sanctuary of God.. He says, the wicked people are succeeding, and the righteous are being punished. Do not covet your neighbor's wife, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." Why do I serve in ministry, week after week, but it doesnt seem like it is doing any good, and no one is responding or changing? This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless gems of information that are found nowhere except in the ancient writings of the Jews. Psalm 73:28. Therefore, although the speaker does not deny wisdoms conduct and consequence principle, ultimately he invokes divine agency in the process of just retribution. To begin with, the inverse repetition of the adjective good with God in the opening and closing verses (vv. But Peter answered and said to Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? be blessed man of god. Verse Psalms 73:28. Sep 11, 2018. 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