WHY DO THE WICKED PROSPER?

Passage: Psalms 73:1-28

Key verse: 17

NIV

BOOK III

Psalms 73–89

Psalm 73
A psalm of Asaph.

1 Surely God is good to Israel,
    to those who are pure in heart.(A)

2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;(B)
    I had nearly lost my foothold.(C)
3 For I envied(D) the arrogant
    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.(E)

4 They have no struggles;
    their bodies are healthy and strong.[a]
5 They are free(F) from common human burdens;
    they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride(G) is their necklace;(H)
    they clothe themselves with violence.(I)
7 From their callous hearts(J) comes iniquity[b];
    their evil imaginations have no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice;(K)
    with arrogance(L) they threaten oppression.(M)
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
    and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them
    and drink up waters in abundance.[c]
11 They say, “How would God know?
    Does the Most High know anything?”

12 This is what the wicked are like—
    always free of care,(N) they go on amassing wealth.(O)

13 Surely in vain(P) I have kept my heart pure
    and have washed my hands in innocence.(Q)
14 All day long I have been afflicted,(R)
    and every morning brings new punishments.

15 If I had spoken out like that,
    I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand(S) all this,
    it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary(T) of God;
    then I understood their final destiny.(U)

18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;(V)
    you cast them down to ruin.(W)
19 How suddenly(X) are they destroyed,
    completely swept away(Y) by terrors!
20 They are like a dream(Z) when one awakes;(AA)
    when you arise, Lord,
    you will despise them as fantasies.(AB)

21 When my heart was grieved
    and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless(AC) and ignorant;
    I was a brute beast(AD) before you.

23 Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.(AE)
24 You guide(AF) me with your counsel,(AG)
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?(AH)
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.(AI)
26 My flesh and my heart(AJ) may fail,(AK)
    but God is the strength(AL) of my heart
    and my portion(AM) forever.

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

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Footnotes
  1. Psalm 73:4 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text struggles at their death; / their bodies are healthy
  2. Psalm 73:7 Syriac (see also Septuagint); Hebrew Their eyes bulge with fat
  3. Psalm 73:10 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Book Three

God Is My Strength and Portion Forever

A Psalm of (A)Asaph.

73 Truly God is good to (B)Israel,
    to those who are (C)pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
    my steps had nearly slipped.
3 (D)For I was (E)envious of the arrogant
    when I saw the (F)prosperity of the wicked.

4 For they have no pangs until death;
    their bodies are fat and sleek.
5 They are not in trouble as others are;
    they are not (G)stricken like the rest of mankind.
6 Therefore pride is (H)their necklace;
    violence covers them as (I)a garment.
7 Their (J)eyes swell out through fatness;
    their hearts overflow with follies.
8 They scoff and (K)speak with malice;
    loftily they threaten oppression.
9 They set their mouths against the heavens,
    and their tongue struts through the earth.
10 Therefore his people turn back to them,
    and find (L)no fault in them.[a]
11 And they say, (M)“How can God know?
    Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12 Behold, these are the wicked;
    always at ease, they (N)increase in riches.
13 All in vain have I (O)kept my heart clean
    and (P)washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all the day long I have been (Q)stricken
    and (R)rebuked (S)every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
    I would have betrayed (T)the generation of your children.

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

18 Truly you set them in (X)slippery places;
    you make them fall to ruin.
19 How they are destroyed (Y)in a moment,
    swept away utterly by (Z)terrors!
20 Like (AA)a dream when one awakes,
    O Lord, when (AB)you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.
21 When my soul was embittered,
    when I was pricked in heart,
22 I was (AC)brutish and ignorant;
    I was like (AD)a beast toward you.

23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
    you (AE)hold my right hand.
24 You (AF)guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will (AG)receive me to glory.
25 (AH)Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
26 (AI)My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is (AJ)the strength[b] of my heart and my (AK)portion (AL)forever.

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

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Footnotes
  1. Psalm 73:10 Probable reading; Hebrew the waters of a full cup are drained by them
  2. Psalm 73:26 Hebrew rock
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

Asaph was a choir director under King David. He believed that God is good to the pure in heart. But he was deeply troubled when he saw that those who were wicked, proud, violent, and blasphemous were prosperous, healthy, and easy-going. He began to doubt God’s goodness and righteousness and was overcome with envy. He felt that keeping his heart pure was in vain. Asaph’s faith was greatly tested, and he almost fell away. But God helped him see things from the perspective of eternity. Asaph realized that the wicked were destined for destruction in the end and regained his confidence and contentment in God.

We need to consider how the way we think impacts the way we live. When our thoughts are consumed by worldly influences, we end up seeing the fortunes of the godless with envious eyes and become full of distraction, dissatisfaction, and despair. But when our thoughts are firmly set on God, we can harvest a life that is full of thanks, wisdom, and clarity. God’s people may not have many things in this temporary world, but they have everything because they have the eternal God. We can see that nothing in this life is as good as that taste of belonging to the Lord. We should offer our praise and thanks to God.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being my God. Help me to get my eyes off my wants and lacks, and to see how blessed I really am just for having you.

One Word: Whom have I in heaven but you?