Psalm 73

I’d like to “read” to you the 73^rd Psalm.

Surely God is good
to Israel,
    to
those who are pure in heart.

But as for me, my
feet had almost slipped;
    I
had nearly lost my foothold.
For I envied the arrogant
    when
I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

They have no
struggles;
    their
bodies are healthy and strong.
They are free from common human burdens;
    they
are not plagued by human ills.
Therefore pride is their necklace;
    they
clothe themselves with violence.
From their callous hearts comes iniquity;
    their
evil imaginations have no limits.
They scoff, and speak with malice;
    with
arrogance they threaten oppression.
Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
    and
their tongues take possession of the earth.
Therefore their people turn to them
    and
drink up waters in abundance.
They say, “How would God know?
    Does
the Most High know anything?”

This is what the
wicked are like—
    always
free of care, they go on amassing wealth.

Surely in vain I
have kept my heart pure
    and
have washed my hands in innocence.
All day long I have been afflicted,
    and
every morning brings new punishments.

If I had spoken out
like that,
    I
would have betrayed your children.
When I tried to understand all this,
    it
troubled me deeply.

In other words, the Psalmist doesn’t know why all this is. Then
he changes. He says:

Till I entered the
sanctuary of God;
    then
I understood their final destiny.

Now he knows why all these things are this way:
these people are going to end in judgment.

Surely you place
them on slippery ground;
    you
cast them down to ruin.
How suddenly are they destroyed,
    completely
swept away by terrors!
They are like a dream when one awakes;
    when
you arise, Lord,
    you
will despise them as fantasies. 

When my heart was
grieved
    and
my spirit embittered,
I was senseless and ignorant;
    I
was a brute beast before you. 

Yet I am always with
you;
    you
hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
    and
afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And
earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but
God is the strength of my heart
    and
my portion forever.

Those who are far
from you will perish;
    you
destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
But as for me, it is good to be near God.
    I
have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
    I
will tell of all your deeds.

This Psalm is in two parts. For the first 16 verses, the
Psalmist doesn’t understand why this happens. In verse 17, he gives the answer.
Then follow verses telling the judgment on the “bad guys.” The rest of it is
the salvation of the good guys.

Reading Scripture is always a blessing to me.

This post coordinates with today’s reading in the To
the Word! Bible Reading Challenge. If you are not in a daily reading plan,
please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love to have you reading with us.