why is life so unfair

CONTENTSThe Hard QuestionsPeople Ask. . . . . . . . . . . . 2A Man Of Faith Sings The Blues . . . . . . . . 3What Caused Asaph’s Frustration? . . . . 6What Was Asaph’sTroubled Response? . . . 12Where Did Asaph Find Answers? . . . . . . . . 18What Did Asaph LearnFrom His Struggles? . . . 28Answering The Question Of Eternity . . 31

WHY IS LIFE SO UNFAIR? The Story Of Psalm 73

OOn a bad day, we mightagree with the cynic

who observed that “nogood deed goes unpunished.” In reflective moments, we mayfind ourselves embittered by the inequality and injustice that show up on every page of human experience.

Where is justice? How canwe have confidence in Godwhen life seems to favor thosewho have no regard for Him?

In the following pages,Bill Crowder, RBC Director ofChurch Ministries, leads usthrough the struggles and thehappy ending of a man who,when looking unfairness in theeye, almost walked away fromhis faith.

Martin R. De Haan IIManaging Editor: David Sper Cover Painting: Samuel van Hoogstraten (1653) ©Getty ImagesScripture quotations are from the New King James Version. Copyright ©1982 by ThomasNelson, Inc. Used by permission.All rights reserved.©2003,2004 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA

© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.

THE HARDQUESTIONSPEOPLE ASK

DDaily on the eveningnews and in the

newspaper we seeand read about peoplesuffering and struggling withthe hard questions of life.

• A mother weeps outsidea courtroom where herdaughter’s murderer hasjust been released on alegal technicality. Shepleads, “Is there nojustice?”

• A father struggles to feed his family byworking hard and doingthe right thing. But whenhe thinks of those whoare wealthy by illegalmeans he wonders,“What’s the point oftrying to do right? Maybe nice guys really do finish last after all.”

• A child is rushed to the hospital—the latestvictim of a terrorist

bomb. His family criesout, “Why him? Whatdid he do to deservethis?”

• A widow sits beside afreshly-dug grave andsobs, “It’s not fair. Whycouldn’t the drunk driverhave been killed insteadof my husband? Hedidn’t do anythingwrong.”

These are only some ofthe questions that hauntthose who think about theunfairness, injustice, andinequity of life. What canwe say to people who are suffering—or even toourselves? Where can we find answers that willrestore our confidence notonly in life but in God

2

Where can we find answers in aworld that seems

so unfair?


A MAN OF FAITHSINGS THE BLUES

OOver time I’ve come to realize that one

of the most helpfulthings a hurting person can do is turn to the centerpages of the Bible. There in the middle of an ancientsongbook called Psalms arelyrics that are as honest asthey are uplifting.

The Psalms are helpfulbecause before lifting ourspirits in renewed hope,they help us to express theanger, fear, and frustrationthat is so real to us duringtimes of trouble.

One of these songwriterswas a man named Asaph.He wrote the words ofPsalm 73 as a response tohis own disappointment and crisis of faith. Althoughhe didn’t disclose the detailsof his experience (perhapsmaking it easier for all of usto identify with his pain), hedid tell us the story of his

own thoughts andemotions—and it is not a pretty sight.

WHY IS LIFE SO UNFAIR?In the 73rd Psalm, Asaphgets our attention with hishonesty. He expresses to usa depth of disillusionmentthat for a while he had beenafraid to admit. The timehad come, however, for himto tell his story. He wasready to admit that he feltbetrayed not only by life but by God.

The lens through whichhe viewed his suffering was clouded by personalresentment and confusion.He said, in effect, “Why is this happening to me? Ihave trusted the God of ourfathers. I’ve tried to remainfaithful to my God. I’ve tried to make good choices.Yet, I’m overwhelmed withtrouble while less-principledpeople prosper. It just isn’tfair!”

3© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.

WHY DOESN’T GOD ENFORCE HIS OWN RULES? One reason Asaph felt sucha sense of unfairness is thatin ancient Israel the Jewishpeople viewed life throughthe “grid of retribution.” Itcould also be called “thelaw of fair returns.” Thisprinciple basically said that those who do good arerewarded in proportion totheir goodness, while moral rebels are punishedaccording to their wrongs.

This principle is the OldTestament counterpart tothe New Testament “law ofsowing and reaping” foundin Galatians 6:7-8.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; forwhatever a man sows,that he will also reap. For he who sows to hisflesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but hewho sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reapeverlasting life.

The principle ofretribution or fair returnswas a common assumptionof the Jewish people.Because of their limitedunderstanding of theafterlife, ancient Israelitesexpected justice to beassured in this life.

Sometimes in the OldTestament, we see thisprinciple expressed as atheological fact or as wordsof hope to a suffering person (as in Psalms 34 and 37). But wherever wefind it, this principle waspart of the frameworkthrough which the chosenpeople viewed life.

The Old Testament book of Job is more easilyunderstood when we see it

4

Ancient Israelitesexpected justice to be assured

in this life.


in this same context.Because Job’s friendsbelieved people suffer inproportion to their wrongs,they accused him of hidingthe sin that would explainhis suffering. Their mistake,however, was that theyassumed that the justice of God was the onlyexplanation for life’s present circumstances,whether good or bad.

This begins to unveil the problem that forms the backdrop of Psalm 73:What happens when badpeople seem to be blessedwhile good people seem to be cursed?

WHY DOES LIFE SOUND OUT OF TUNE?When Asaph wrote Psalm73, he was not just talkingtheology or offering coldanalysis to someone else’sproblem. He was sufferingand struggling. His wordsand emotions have a

pained, focused intensity—pushing to the surfacepointed questions that were hidden in the depths of his heart.

It’s not hard tounderstand why Asaph wasstruggling. In so many wayshis experience was like ourown. He was speaking forus. He believed in God andgoodness and justice, buthis life experience didn’tmatch up with hisconvictions. In fact,

it seemed that his faith hadbeen turned upside-down. If Asaph was to keep hisfaith, he had to haveanswers. His theologicaltheories had been replacedwith personal pain anddisillusionment.

5

Asaph’s life experience didn’tmatch up with his convictions.


WHAT CAUSEDASAPH’SFRUSTRATION?

OOne of my favoritequotes says, “Life

must be livedforward—unfortunately itcan only be understoodbackward.” In other words,sometimes our clearestunderstanding of life’sevents comes only when we see those events throughthe rearview mirror.

There is something aboutthe “rearview” perspectivethat gives a more meaningfuland accurate context to whatwe have experienced.Looking back, I can see that the disciplines andchallenges of my collegeyears were an importanttraining ground for the 20years I spent in pastoralministry—often in ways Inever would have imagined.Likewise, as I reflect on the joys and heartaches ofpastoral experience, I can

now see that God was layinga foundation for what I amdoing today. Life often comesinto better focus when wehave a chance to see itthrough the rearview mirror.

THE PAIN OF THE PRESENTAsaph, the writer of Psalm73, also came to appreciatethe backward look. Hecame to the place where he could look back on atime of his life that wasfilled with despair, doubt,and personal pain. Heremembered those times he had wondered about thegoodness and fairness ofGod. Only in retrospect

6

Life often comesinto better focuswhen we have achance to see it

through therearview mirror.


could he make sense of his life. Notice his openingwords:

Truly God is good toIsrael, to such as are pure in heart (v.1). Remember, the heart of

Asaph’s struggle is that therighteous (“the pure inheart”) do not seem to beblessed. There are severaldifferent perspectives on the significance of verse 1.Some see this statement as Asaph’s “profession offaith”—what he trulybelieved about life. Yet he was conflicted becausethe realities of life seemed to be the opposite of hisconviction.

Others see verse 1 as the beginning of several ofAsaph’s reversals of thought.They see him beginning with faith, then moving intoa time of despair and near-desertion. Certainly thoseelements of frustration andloss are evident in Asaph’ssong.

There may be aspects ofboth of those ideas as wellas a third factor. It’s possiblethat Asaph’s experience inPsalm 73 was describedfrom the rearview mirror—a vantage point that allowedhim to see the intensity ofhis responses moreaccurately.

Asaph’s heart had beenthe battleground on whichhis struggles were fought. In his own private world, a battle had raged overwhether or not he wouldtrust God with his life. InPsalm 73, Asaph bared his soul and revealed hisstartling conflict—and where it almost took him.

THE INTENSITY OF DESPAIRAs Asaph recounted hisexperience, he began toexpose his heart as if hewere peeling back the layersof an onion. He recalled hisresponses as he entered his episode of despair and


loss—and those responseswere tragic:

But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearlyslipped (v.2). Notice the accuracy of

the retrospective view. Thisis why people say “hindsightis 20-20.” When Asaph was in the crucible ofsuffering, his complaints had seemed appropriate,even justified. But now hecould see them for whatthey really were—adangerous temptation to defect and fall away.

He could now recountthe thoughts that hadsimmered under thesurface—not only withhonesty but also with more objectivity:

For I was envious of theboastful, when I saw theprosperity of the wicked(v.3).Asaph’s candor strikes

deeply in my own heart. Ihave to ask myself if I would

be so open about my ownfailures. I wonder if I wouldbe so transparent. Asaph’spainful self-exposure strikesme with its challenge to beauthentic and honest withmyself—and with God.

So what was it thatAsaph was confessing?What we often feel butrarely acknowledge: We are sometimes prone to envy the prosperity ofthose who do not knowGod. Asaph’s belief systemtold him that if he trustedGod everything would turnout right—eventually. Buteventually seems far awaywhen you are in the midst of suffering and you mustwatch as others seem tobenefit from theirwrongdoing.

THE INEQUITY OF LIFEThe struggle in Asaph’s heartwas over the unfairness hesaw all around him. Thosewho had no time for God


prospered while people offaith suffered. Little haschanged. That’s still truetoday, isn’t it? A few yearsago when I was in Moscow,

I was told by Russian friendsthat poverty there was sodeep that teachers werebeing paid in vodka (to useas barter goods on thestreets) and that Moscow’sleading surgeon had to growvegetables in her yard tofeed her family. In starkcontrast, I heard on a news radio broadcast thatMoscow’s wealthiest citizenwas the owner of the localMercedes-Benz dealership.This meant that there werestill plenty of people in that

city who had sufficientresources for luxuryautomobiles. If highlytrained professionals liketeachers and physicianswere living in poverty, itmade me wonder where allthe luxury car buyers weregetting their money.

Asaph saw apparentinjustices too. And what he saw tore at his soul.Describing those whoseemed to have the upperhand for all the wrongreasons, he wrote:

4For there are no pangs in their death, but theirstrength is firm. 5They are not in trouble as other men, nor are theyplagued like other men.6Therefore pride serves astheir necklace; violencecovers them like agarment. 7Their eyes bulgewith abundance; theyhave more than heartcould wish. 8They scoffand speak wickedlyconcerning oppression;

9

Those who had no time for Godprospered whilepeople of faith

suffered.


they speak loftily. 9Theyset their mouth againstthe heavens, and theirtongue walks through the earth.What a picture! Look

at the conduct of self-absorbed, unprincipledpeople as Asaph examinedit piece by piece:

There is no pain in their death (v.4). They diefull and satisfied, enjoyinglife to the hilt every step ofthe way. The New AmericanStandard Bible translatesthe last part of verse 4,“their body is fat,” whichindicates great prosperity inan age where most peoplelived in survival mode.

They aren’t troubled or plagued like other men(v.5). They seem immune to the normal difficulties,struggles, and toils of life.Trouble doesn’t even touchthose who prosper in theirwrongdoing.

Their pride and violence are rewarded

by wealth (v.6). Asaph’sfaith taught him to believethat people who reject Godwill suffer for their choices. But as he observed life, itlooked to him as if thosewho dared to be proud andoppressive were honoredand rewarded.

Their abundance isunimaginable (v.7). Asaph saw the outwardmanifestation of their wealth as “their eye bulgesfrom fatness” (NASB).

Their speech is filledwith mockery, pride, andarrogance (vv.8-9). Whoare the targets of theirmocking? Not only thosewho value character morethan material wealth, butthe God in whom they puttheir trust.

THE ULTIMATEWRONGWithout question, whattroubled Asaph the mostabout the prosperous andrebellious was their attitude


toward God. They mockedHim in all they did. Noticethe conclusions theirprosperity led them to:

They say, “How does God know? And is thereknowledge in the MostHigh?” (v.11).Bible commentator

Allen Ross writes, “Theyseem carefree andunconcerned abouttomorrow. For them life is now, and now seems to be forever.” Why? They feltthey were protected from thenormal pains of life (vv.4-6),so they assumed they werealso invulnerable to anydivine response to theirattitude, sin, and mockery.

ASAPH’S DISCOURAGINGCONCLUSIONAs Asaph looked at thewealth and happiness ofirreverent, self-centeredpeople, he came to adiscouraging conclusion: In all their wrongdoing,

those who live only forthemselves still seem to prosper.

Behold, these are theungodly, who are alwaysat ease; they increase inriches (v.12).No wonder Asaph was

frustrated! In his view, badpeople were prospering,apparently immune to thenormal problems of life. Theymocked God and seemed tobe getting away with it.

This apparent inequityand injustice is what hadfueled Asaph’s confession in verse 3, “For I wasenvious of the boastful,when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” It’s not hardto imagine that in similarcircumstances, we too wouldcry out, “It just isn’t fair!”

It was one thing forAsaph to be frustrated with life’s apparentinequities. But that was just the beginning. How heresponded to these injusticeswas a greater problem.


WHAT WASASAPH’STROUBLEDRESPONSE?

FFaith Hill, the well-known country musicartist, recorded a song

called, “When The LightsGo Down.” It’s a song ofpain, loneliness, and, mostof all, honesty.

It describes an alcoholicbartender wrestling with his desire for another drink, a onetime Hollywoodstar who is abandoned by her “friends” after herfame fades, and a personstruggling with the realitiesof a broken relationship and the regrets it hasproduced.

It is a song about therealities of life—and thehard questions generated by those realities. Thechorus speaks of theemptiness of life (“when youfeel that hole inside your

soul”), and even more about life’s seeming lack of purpose and worth:

“When the lights go downand there’s nothing left to be,

When the lights go downand the truth is all you see,

And I wonder if all my life’s about the sum

Of all my fears and all my doubts

When the lights go down.”These words, I think,

describe Asaph’s sense ofdisillusionment.

ASAPH’S DOUBTSAsaph expressed that sameconcern in his song—is lifeworth it? Does it reallymatter that I have tried tolive for God? There are fewverses in the Psalms wheregut-level, honest, humanemotion is more clearly seen than in verse 13:

Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, andwashed my hands ininnocence.Those are strong words!


“In vain” captures theessence of Solomon’sdespair in the book ofEcclesiastes. When he cried, “All is vanity,” he was saying that life has no worth or value. He was concluding that all he had attempted had been worthless.

Asaph reflected thatsentiment in verse 13 byquestioning the value of histrust in God. His life hadbeen lived with a goal ofpersonal integrity andfaithfulness. But now, in hisdespair, he wondered if hispursuit had been worthless.

The result? He was readyto give up and desert. Hisresponse implies a set of

questions that soundhauntingly familiar to us:

• What do I get out of it?• When does my back

get scratched?• What’s in it for me?

In the baseball film Field Of Dreams, RayKinsella builds a baseballdiamond in the middle of his cornfield andmiraculous things happen—but only for other people.Finally, in exasperation, he declares, “I have doneeverything that I’ve beenasked to do! I didn’tunderstand it, but I’ve done it; and I haven’t onceasked, ‘What’s in it forme?’” When his friend Joeasks, “What are you saying,Ray?” Kinsella responds,“I’m saying, what’s in it for me?”

That sounds a lot likewhat Asaph was thinking. A tremendous weight ofresentful anger was behindthe words of verse 13. And

13

Asaph wondered if his pursuit of

living for God hadbeen worthless.


beyond that, something else was true. When it really does seem as if God is not in control, ourdoubts can make us want to give up.

This was certainlySolomon’s testimony in the book of Ecclesiastes. He concluded his search forfulfillment with the words,“Therefore I hated life”(2:17).

Asaph became sodisillusioned that he feltbeing pure in heart justdidn’t seem to be worth it.After all, what did he get forhis spiritual commitment?Nothing but plagues andchastening.

For all day long I have been plagued, and chastened every morning (v.14).His response was

understandable—“It doesn’tmake sense, so why bother?”

ASAPH’S FEARNotice Asaph’s reaction to his newfoundunderstanding:

If I had said, “I will speakthus,” behold, I wouldhave been untrue to thegeneration of Yourchildren (v.15).He wanted to declare

his disapproval of God’shandling of life (“thus” refersto vv.13-14)—but he stoppedshort. It’s as if he was poisedat the very edge of castingaside faith and hope, and even God. Yet, as hecontemplated this dangerousposition, something slowlybegan to reel him back in.What was it?

Asaph was a man who bore the weight of

14

When it seems as if God is not in

control, our doubtscan make us want

to give up.


leadership. He was David’schief musician, as well asbeing a songwriter and aprophet (1 Chr. 16:5; 25:2; 2 Chr. 29:30). He was a man of spiritual influence—ancient Israel’s equivalent of a Music and WorshipLeader—who was beginningto doubt the goodness of the God he led people toworship. Such a positioncarried with it a greatresponsibility because of itsinfluence. Along with theprivilege of such a positionwent the burden of how thatposition was used to impactpeople’s lives.

The film The FourFeathers helps to describethe full weight of the burdenthat goes along withresponsibility. HarryFaversham is depicted as a young man in the Britisharmy in the late 1800s. Inthat day, when the sunnever set on the BritishEmpire, there was no greaterhonor a young man could

bring to his family and to hisname than to serve in theBritish army. Harry servedwith his friends, foundrespect in the regiment, andappeared to be headed inthe “right direction.”

Suddenly, however, theregiment was informed thatthey were being deployed to quell an uprising in theSudan—and Harry wasterrified. The thought ofcombat and the horrors of war paralyzed him withfear. So Harry resigned hiscommission. The impact ofthis very personal decisionwas sweeping in its scope.He was rejected by hiscomrades, who each senthim a white feather—theirsymbol of cowardice anddisgrace. He was turnedaway by his fiancée, wholonged for him to be a hero.And he was estranged fromhis father—a military man—who declared that he didn’teven know Harry. Onesingle choice had a


powerful, destructive impacton all the relationships inHarry’s life.

Asaph also was strugglingwith the option of defection.He wanted to abandon allhe had been committed to.But he looked ahead andsaw the negative impactsuch a choice would haveon those around him. Like

a stone tossed into a smoothlake, the rippling effect of hisfailure would move outwardand have an impact onothers far beyond hisimmediate circle.

All shortsightedness and spiritual failure isdangerous. But the potential harm iscompounded by themagnitude of the person’sscope of influence.

ASAPH’S SENSE OFRESPONSIBILITYAsaph wanted to vent hisanger and frustration at theinjustice and unfairness of life—and at the God who allowed them. But hestopped short. He resistedexpressing all that was inhis heart because it couldcause great hurt anddisillusionment in thepeople of God he wasresponsible for. Look againat verse 15 and notice hisconcern:

If I had said, “I will speak thus,” behold, I would have been untrue to the generationof Your children.Asaph held back from

declaring all his fears and16

Asaph wanted toabandon all he hadbeen committed to.But he looked aheadand saw the negativeimpact such a choicewould have on those

around him.


doubts because of thepotential damage it could do to other children of God. This was a criticalpoint in his thinking, forhere true wisdom moved in alongside his doubts andfears. Even in the middle of his struggle, Asaph didsome damage control bythinking about the effectthat his simmering anger,envy, and doubt could haveon the lives of others.

This serves as a reminder to us as well, forwe too must be discerning.With whom do we share our angry concerns, fears,doubts, and crises? There is great danger of doingthoughtless damage tosomeone who is young inthe faith. We all have aprofound responsibility toone another, and it is thatsense of responsibility forothers that can providerestraint and self-control aswe work through our ownanger and sense of betrayal.

ASAPH’S SILENTSUFFERINGAsaph was unable toreconcile his faith and his beliefs with his doubts,yet he was unwilling topotentially harm others bydeclaring what was in hisheart. So what did he do?He chose another path:

When I thought how tounderstand this, it wastoo painful for me (v.16).Asaph chose to suffer—

in silence. And what intensesuffering it was! Just hisattempt to comprehend it all was filled with agony. He struggled with theunfairness of life and hisown fragile faith, and must have wondered:

• When will there beanswers for my questions?

• When will there be relief from the suffering?

• When will there be justice in the world?

• When will it all makesense?


WHERE DIDASAPH FINDANSWERS?

LLife is filled withquestions—where do

we turn for answers?One of the most enduringTV home-repair programs,This Old House, recentlyadded a new segmentcalled, “Ask This OldHouse.” People areencouraged to write or e-mail their questions to the program’s experts about plumbing, gardening,carpentry, or any otherprojects. The solutions arethen demonstrated on theshow. My wife and I arecurrently involved in theprocess of renovating ourown “old house,” so this isthe kind of help that is ofspecial interest to us rightnow.

But there are otherquestions that can’t beanswered by the media and its army of experts.

Sometimes, we don’t find the answers we needuntil we find ourselves in the presence of GodHimself. This was Asaph’sexperience. He said hecontinued to struggle . . .

Until I went into thesanctuary of God; then I understood . . . (v.17).

OUR NEED FOR SANCTUARYThe agonizing cry of thehunchback of Notre Dame,“Sanctuary, sanctuary!”becomes the cry of all those who are suffering.Quasimodo saw thesanctuary as a place ofrefuge and protection. ButAsaph discovered it to be

18

The quality of theanswers we receivedepends on wherewe turn for those

answers.


the place where he wouldfind answers.

The word sanctuaryappears throughout the OldTestament. Sometimes it’sused to speak of thetabernacle, the tent ofmeeting that was the placeof worship for Israel prior tothe building of the templein Jerusalem (Ex. 25:8;36:1,6). Other times itappears to refer to thetemple itself (1 Ki. 6).

Sometimes the wordsanctuary doesn’t refer to aphysical location but to anidea—the idea of abiding inthe presence of God (Isa.8:14). It is what Davidlonged for in Psalm 23when he anticipated “stillwaters” (v.2) where theLord—his Shepherd—wouldrestore his soul. It’s whatChrist Himself sought when, as a man, Hefrequently moved away from the crowds, the work,and the disciples and wentto a mountain alone to

spend time with His Father. Sanctuary suggests the

idea of a place set apart forspiritual protection, rest,and renewal. Every one ofus needs such a place—aspiritual hiding place whereour hearts are restored and strengthened for thestruggles of today and thechallenges of tomorrow.

ASAPH’S SANCTUARY Asaph found suchrestoration. In verse 17, he “went into thesanctuary of God” andfound new perspective and understanding. In the presence of his God,everything changed excepthis circumstances. It was as if his eyesight had beencorrected. With a renewedvision of God, Asaph foundthat lesser issues came intofocus.

Until he entered thesanctuary, Asaph had been overwhelmed by the


unfairness of presentcircumstances. But in thesanctuary, he saw howdifferent those sameinequities would look on the day that God holdscourt with His enemies.

Explaining why Asaphremained nearsighted andself-absorbed until he wentinto the sanctuary, Biblecommentator Roy Clementswrote:

Worship puts God at thecenter of our vision. It isvitally important becauseit is only when God is atthe center of our visionthat we see things asthey really are.

According to DerekKidner in the Tyndale OldTestament Commentaries, thesolution began when Asaphturned to God Himself—“not as an object ofspeculation, but ofworship.”

What were the eternallessons Asaph learned whenhe encountered God in theplace of worship?

The Ultimate End Of The Rebel

17Until I went into thesanctuary of God; then I understood their end.18Surely You set them inslippery places; You castthem down to destruction.19Oh, how they arebrought to desolation, asin a moment! They areutterly consumed withterrors. 20As a dream when one awakes, so,Lord, when You awake,You shall despise theirimage.In the first of several

20

With a renewedvision of God,Asaph found

that lesser issuescame into focus.


significant lessons, Asaph’sattention was directed tothose he had envied. Inverses 2-3, he had seentheir prosperity and been so envious that he almostslipped and fell. But thatwas when he was looking at them from the horizontalperspective. In thesanctuary, however, Asaph’sperspective turned vertical—and what he saw was verydifferent. He could finallysee as God sees, andunderstand that what was in store for the wickedwas not a pretty sight.

Absence Of Security(v.18). From the world’sperspective, theseindividuals seemedcompletely safe. Theyseemed “bulletproof” andout of the reach of trouble.But from God’s perspective,they were on shaky ground(“slippery places”) andheaded for destruction.When Asaph saw them as they would be on the

day of judgment, he stoppedenvying them.

Absence OfAnticipation (v.19). Not only were these“prosperous wicked” headedfor judgment, they wouldn’tsee it coming. Like thepeople of Noah’s day whorejected years of warning,when judgment did arrive, it would be too late for themto do anything about it.

Absence Of Hope(v.20). When God movesagainst them, His judgmentwill be without remedy.

In God’s time andwisdom, the “principle of retribution” that Asaphbelieved in will prevail (seepp.4-5). But God will set thetime and the place.

Along with the rest ofOld Testament Israel, Asaphunderstood the principle offair returns. His mistakewas that he was trying tosee God’s justice in a periodmarked mostly by God’spatience and mercy. Only


in the sanctuary did he see clearly that thejudgment of self-centeredunbelievers is as inevitableas the fulfillment of God’spromises to those who trust Him. But it wouldn’thappen right away. Godcontrols the clock andcalendar of accountability.

Asaph’s new perspectivechanged his attitude. Butthe judgment that came intofocus for him was certainlyno cause for celebration.

“As I live,” says the Lord God, “I have nopleasure in the death ofthe wicked, but that thewicked turn from his wayand live. Turn, turn fromyour evil ways! For whyshould you die, O houseof Israel?” (Ezek. 33:11).

The Lord is not slackconcerning His promise,as some count slackness,but is longsufferingtoward us, not willingthat any should perishbut that all should

come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9).For Asaph, the coming

judgment of unbelievers was a wake-up call. In away he had not anticipated,his anger softened. Now,instead of pointing his finger at those who seemedto be escaping the justice ofGod, he began looking athimself.

The Beginning Of Wisdom

Thus my heart wasgrieved, and I was vexedin my mind. I was sofoolish and ignorant;I was like a beast beforeYou (vv.21-22).In the place of worship,

Asaph discovered that hisreal complaint was not withmoral rebels, or even withGod. Now he could see thatthe real problem had beenwith himself. He had beenfocusing on the unfairness oflife rather than on the Onewho would settle the score


in a perfect and just way. By allowing such a

conflict of faith to overwhelmhim, Asaph had beenforfeiting the comfort andpeace that faith is intendedand designed to bring.

In verses 21-22 thepsalmist’s spiritual return is obvious. Notice theprogression:

• In verse 2, Asaph sawwhat he almost did tohimself, and he wasconcerned.

• In verse 15, Asaph sawwhat he almost did to hisfellow believers, and hewas silenced.

• In verses 21-22, Asaphclearly saw his attitudeand actions as an offense to the God whois perfectly just.It’s impossible to avoid

the brutal honesty withwhich Asaph describedhimself. He did not seehimself as justifiably angryor merely expressing ameasure of “righteousindignation.” He said:

“My heart wasgrieved.” The NewAmerican Standard Bibletranslates it even morestrongly. Instead of the word grieved it uses theword embittered. Perhapsthe most difficult thing to ever concede aboutourselves is that we havebeen guilty of bitternessagainst people.

With Asaph, however, itappears that his bitternesswas directed against GodHimself. And it was abitterness that he had come to deeply regret.

23

Asaph had beenfocusing on theunfairness of life

rather than on theOne who would

settle the score in aperfect and just way.


“I was vexed in mymind.” Again, the NASB is ahelpful translation. It states itthis way: “I was piercedwithin.” Asaph was broughtto the point of personal pain.And it was the worst kind ofpain—the kind that comesfrom self-inflicted wounds.

So often, what we do toourselves is far worse thananything someone elsecould ever do. This isespecially true when weplace ourselves in whatJohn Bunyan called the“Slough Of Despond” in The Pilgrim’s Progress. Wedo this by questioning thegoodness, character, andfaithfulness of God.

“I was so foolish andignorant.” CommentatorJames M. Boice wrote:

[Asaph] saw that inquestioning God’shandling of life’scircumstances he was not being wise, but wasrather being “senselessand ignorant.”

We must alwaysremember that God said,“My thoughts are not yourthoughts, nor are your waysMy ways” (Isa. 55:8). For usto question or critique God’swisdom, or attempt to judge God’s performance,is to attempt a task forwhich we are completelyunequipped. His wisdom is both perfect and eternal,and He makes no mistakes.

During those times whenwe are tempted to questionGod’s handling of asituation, it’s helpful toremind ourselves that God’swork in the present can be

24

God’s work in the present can

be trusted becauseHe is the only Onewho has perfectknowledge of the future.


trusted because He is theonly One who has perfectknowledge of the future.

“I was like a beastbefore You.” Asaphused the word beast in a metaphorical sense in this verse. His words arereminiscent of what theprophet Daniel wrote aboutNebuchadnezzar, the greatking of Babylon.

When Nebuchadnezzarproudly celebrated his ownwisdom and glory, Godcaused the king to adopt the mind and behavior of a wild animal. He was keptoutside where he grazed on grass for 7 years. When God graciously restored the king to his right mind,Nebuchadnezzar made thisprofound declaration:

At the end of the time I,Nebuchadnezzar, lifted myeyes to heaven, and myunderstanding returned tome; and I blessed the MostHigh and praised andhonored Him who lives

forever: for His dominionis an everlasting dominion,and His kingdom is fromgeneration to generation.All the inhabitants of theearth are reputed asnothing; He doesaccording to His will in the army of heaven andamong the inhabitants of the earth. No one canrestrain His hand or say to Him, “What have Youdone?” (Dan. 4:34-35).None of us has the

capacity to understand the wonders and ways ofthe God of heaven. LikeBabylon’s king, when Asaph came into God’spresence, he saw himself as unqualified to judge God for being unfair.

The All-Sufficiency Of God

Nevertheless I amcontinually with You; You hold me by my righthand. You will guide mewith Your counsel, and


afterward receive me toglory (vv.23-24).When Asaph found in

the sanctuary a high visionof God, he found himselffilled with overflowinggratefulness and confidencein God. With renewedenthusiasm he declared:

God will be with uscontinually. As Asaphmoved through the darkdays of life, he saw that hewas not alone. He came outof the sanctuary confidentthat there is no greatersource of courage than theknowledge that God willnever leave nor forsake us.This is the same assurancethat Christ would later giveHis disciples when He said, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age”(Mt. 28:20).

God will uphold us.Asaph could not only dependon God’s presence, he couldalso rest in the confidencethat the Lord Himself would strengthen him—

a comforting truth when lifefeels overwhelming. This isthe same thought the apostlePaul would later expresswhen he wrote, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselvesto think of anything as beingfrom ourselves, but oursufficiency is from God” (2 Cor. 3:5).

God will guide us with His counsel. Not onlywould the psalmist have theassurance of God’s presenceand strength, but he couldalso count on the Spirit andWord of God to lead him allthe way home.

God will receive us intoglory. Perhaps Asaph’s mostwonderful discovery was thatGod’s presence, strength,and wisdom will never end.Asaph knew that when lifehad run its course, Godwould fulfill His promise of a home with Him forever.

What amazing resourcesfor those living in a fallenworld! Does that sound like the treatment of a


God who has forgotten andabandoned us? Absolutelynot! It describes thetreatment of a God who willnever leave us nor forsakeus (Dt. 31:6,8; Heb. 13:5).

I have a wonderful friendin Moscow named TamaraPlatova. Every day sheexhibits a confident trust inGod as she tackles life in atough place that isn’t gettingany easier. She became aChristian during the days of communism andexperienced the hardshipand persecution that wasthe price tag for followingthe Savior in thattotalitarian regime. Becauseshe committed the “crime”of following Christ, she hadlimited opportunities foreducation, work, training,and especially ministry.

With the collapse of thecommunist state in the early1990s came a hope that thenation and its economywould embrace free tradeand become the next great

democratic super-power. But it has not happened.The economic condition of people like Tamara isactually far worse now infreedom than it was undertyranny. Now in her sixties,Tamara works up to 80hours a week in a constantstruggle for survival.

Yet, when I’m with her, I don’t hear complaintsabout life’s difficulties or doubts about God’sgoodness. Her life—in bothword and deed—is anongoing demonstration ofquiet, confident trust in theGod whose presence, help,and hope are the joy of herlife. As Asaph learned in thesanctuary, Tamara’s lifedeclares the promise of the shepherd’s psalm:

Yea, though I walkthrough the valley of theshadow of death, I willfear no evil; for You arewith me; Your rod andYour staff, they comfortme (Ps. 23:4).


WHAT DIDASAPH LEARNFROM HISSTRUGGLES?

IIn the closing verses of Psalm 73, Asaphrecounted what he

learned from his struggle. As we examine verses 25-28, four profoundprinciples emerge that can be applied to life under any circumstances.

PRINCIPLE #1:God Is More Important Than Anything Else In Life.

Whom have I in heavenbut You? And there isnone upon earth that Idesire besides You (v.25).Asaph realized that God

was ultimately all he hadand all he needed. He could rest in God’s careand have the confidencethat nothing else deservedto be compared to his Lord.

PRINCIPLE #2:God Is All TheStrength We Need.

My flesh and my heartfail; but God is thestrength of my heart andmy portion forever (v.26). For those moments

when Asaph would betempted to rely on his own strength or to producehis own solutions, he haddiscovered that only in Godcould he find the unendingstrength he needed now andforever.

PRINCIPLE #3:God Will Be As Fair As He Is Merciful.

For indeed, those who arefar from You shall perish;You have destroyed allthose who desert You for harlotry (v.27). Asaph had found himself

envying the godless andtheir prosperity (v.3). Hestruggled with the apparentinequities of life (vv.4-12).He even came to the point


of feeling that he had lived for God in vain (v.13).But in the end, Asaphacknowledged that thosematters must be entrusted to God. As Abraham said,“Shall not the Judge of allthe earth do right?” (Gen.18:25). Yes—and Asaph had learned to trust that the Lord, in His own timingand wisdom, would dealmercifully but justly with all the inequities of life.

PRINCIPLE #4:God Draws Near ToThose Who Draw Near To Him.

But it is good for me todraw near to God; I haveput my trust in the LordGod, that I may declareall Your works (v.28). Asaph’s responsibility

was not to pass judgmenton the world or try tomanipulate justice out of injustice. Like James, Asaph learned that hisresponsibility in all of life

was, “Draw near to Godand He will draw near toyou” (Jas. 4:8).

So, what was Asaph’sconclusion? The biblical and theological reality that God, in goodness andomnipotence, is in control—even when we suffer anddon’t know why. It is theconfident assurance that,even when life seems unfair,God will always be fair.

By faith, Asaph finallyunderstood and believed.He ended up with a deep,tested, personal convictionof the confession he alludedto as he began his story:

Truly God is good toIsrael, to such as are pure in heart (v.1).At the end of his season

of struggle with doubt, herealized that God does bless the “pure in heart.”

The heart is the key. Infact, the word heart appearssix times in this psalm(vv.1,7,13,21,26 twice).Repeatedly, Asaph


described the condition of his heart—not thecircumstances of life—as the key element of life withGod. That is why ChristHimself could declare:

Blessed are the pure inheart, for they shall seeGod (Mt. 5:8).

In the sanctuary, Asaph learned through the pain, tears, loss, anddisappointment that thecircumstances of life do notdiminish the goodness ofGod. In fact, the lesson in

Asaph’s experience may bethat it is in the dark times oflife that the glory of God’sgoodness is most clearlyseen. God’s goodnesslearned in the darknessmakes the light even moreprecious when we see it.

This was the hope thatallowed Fanny Crosby(1820–1915), thoughstricken by blindness, towrite songs of joy, peace,and heaven. Maybe this iswhy, among the hundreds of hymns she wrote, someof Fanny’s best words arefound in this hymn:

All the way my Savior leads me—

what have I to ask beside?Can I doubt

His tender mercy, who through life

has been my Guide?Heavenly peace, divinest comfort,

here by faith in Him to dwell!

For I know30

In the sanctuary,Asaph learned

through the pain,tears, loss, and

disappointment thatthe circumstances

of life do not diminish the

goodness of God.


whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.

For I know whate’er befall me,

Jesus doeth all things well.What great words! Not

from a person who had apainless life of ease andcomfort. Words from awoman who had learnedthat regardless of thecircumstances and strugglesof life, our Lord does allthings well.

Knowing God andtrusting His goodness keepsus from seeing only ourexternal circumstances andwrongly assuming that Godis not in control, or is notfair, or does not care.

This difference inperspective comes fromknowing God deeply. Onlythen can we trust Himcompletely. In the sanctuary,Asaph learned that this kindof relationship is foundedand fostered in worship. Itinterjects the eternal into thedaily issues of life. And it

reminds us that God doesn’tsettle all His accounts onour schedule. As the praisechorus by Diane Ball says:

In His time, in His time;He makes all things beautiful in His time.Lord, please show me

every day as You’re teaching me

Your way,That You do just

what You say in Your time.

ANSWERING THE QUESTIONOF ETERNITY

TThe Bible doesn’tpromise believers a lifefree of pain, difficulty,

or loss. Christians are notexempt from struggle,heartache, ordisappointment. Andsometimes we’ll find that in the midst of periods ofjoy and blessing will come episodes when

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© Copyright 1978 Maranatha! Music


we desperately need arenewed perspective.

The Bible promises thosewho believe in Christ thatthey will have a Companionon the journey to help,encourage, and strengthenthem in whatever maycome their way. He is theOne who has promised:

“I will never leave you norforsake you.” So we mayboldly say: “The Lord ismy helper; I will not fear.What can man do tome?” (Heb. 13:5-6).

To be able to have thisconfidence is to live a lifethat is an exclamation pointin a world of questionmarks. He is the One who is our Sanctuary. If you

know Christ, let Him buildthe hope of His presenceinto your life-experience.

If you have not yet trustedChrist, you know that thisworld is a place of difficultyand struggle. But there’s noreason for you to face italone. Jesus Christ came into the world to restore our broken relationship withGod and to give us lives ofpurpose and meaning, bothnow and forever. The apostleJohn wrote:

For God so loved theworld that He gave Hisonly begotten Son, thatwhoever believes in Himshould not perish buthave everlasting life (Jn. 3:16).What Asaph learned

in the sanctuary, you candiscover by accepting God’slove and forgiveness. Andwhen you enter into this newrelationship with Christ, youwill find that He really is thehelp and hope you need forlife—and for eternity.

32

He Himself hassaid, “I will never

leave you nor forsake you.”Hebrews 13:5


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