Men and women begin to stumble when they focus on the selfish motives of their sinful flesh. According to verse three of this Psalm, when Asaph looked through eyes of envy and covetousness at the seeming prosperity of the wicked, he began to lose his joy. The evil seems to be better off than those who profess the Lord’s righteousness. The foolish who prosper in the riches of this world wear their pride like a golden chain. They look for opportunities to exert their power over the righteous. They revel in their pride and in their power over their innocent victims. The ungodly even dare to speak to God as if they are powerful and God is not.
The anarchist “political correctness” in our culture is evident. With on-line learning during the Corona virus social distancing mandate, one patriotic student in class was not allowed to show his face in the video call since he had an American flag on his wall. God’s holiness starts with separation from ungodly, evil practices. Holy means to separate from the darkness of this fallen sinful world according to the purpose for which God has called us.
In Psalm 73, the Psalmist laments about the oppressiveness of the wicked and the darkness of this fallen world. However, there is an inflection point, a point of repentance ... of turning around. In verse 17, the Psalmist said, when I went into the sanctuary, into the house of the Lord, then I understood their end. He shifted his focus from the darkness of the world into the light of the sanctuary, where God dwells. The sanctuary is the place where God is welcome to help Himself to the lives of His people. According to 1 Corinthians 6, Paul wrote by God’s inspiration, “Do you not know that you (collectively) are the body of Christ, the temple, which is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit? In the sanctuary, God revealed the end of the destruction of the evil that permeates this sinful world of darkness. According to verse 18, surely he has set their feet on slippery places. When the blind lead the blind, they both fall in the ditch.
God allows the prosperity of the worldly people, to allow them to fall in their own pride and conceit. The outcome of the ungodly will come to naught. Therefore, the Psalmist concludes that nevertheless God has taken hold of our right hand. The right hand is the hand of blessing. When confronted by the darkness of this world, our responsibility is our response to His ability. Our responsibility is to walk in the light as He is in the light.
Psalm 73:26-28 “My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry. 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.”
Our calling isn’t to condemn the unjust, but that God through His mercy and grace would turn their hearts from the darkness of this sinful world and unto the glorious light of the gospel of truth through Jesus Christ. Our calling is not to be overcome by evil but to overcome evil with good. Our Lord Jesus Christ came not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Jesus Christ is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Despite the darkness of this fallen world, our joy is in the Lord and our hope is in the redemption of our vile sinful bodies, His purchased possession, at His return. Therefore, let your light so shine among men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. Whom have I in heaven but you Lord? ... our flesh and our heart will fail, but our portion is in you alone ... for in Thee and in Thee alone, it is well with our soul ... that we may ever live to the praise of the glory of Thy grace!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
No comments:
Post a Comment