Psalm , Sarah Barry
WHY DO THE WICKED PROSPER?
Passage: Psalm 73:1~28  
Key verse: 17
BOOK III
Psalms 73–89Psalm 73A 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?”
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.
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?”
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.
Footnotes
- Psalm 73:4 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text struggles at their death; / their bodies are healthy
- Psalm 73:7 Syriac (see also Septuagint); Hebrew Their eyes bulge with fat
- Psalm 73:10 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
Cross references
- Psalm 73:1 : S Ps 24:4; Mt 5:8
- Psalm 73:2 : S Dt 32:35
- Psalm 73:2 : Ps 69:2; Eph 4:27
- Psalm 73:3 : Pr 3:31; 23:17; 24:1-2
- Psalm 73:3 : S Job 9:24; S 21:7; Jer 12:1; Mal 3:15
- Psalm 73:5 : ver 12; Eze 23:42
- Psalm 73:6 : S Lev 26:19
- Psalm 73:6 : S Ge 41:42; SS 4:9; Eze 16:11
- Psalm 73:6 : S Ge 6:11; S Pr 4:17
- Psalm 73:7 : S Ps 17:10
- Psalm 73:8 : Ps 41:5; Eze 25:15; Col 3:8
- Psalm 73:8 : Ps 17:10
- Psalm 73:8 : S Ps 10:7; S 12:5
- Psalm 73:12 : S ver 5
- Psalm 73:12 : S Ps 49:6
- Psalm 73:13 : S Job 9:29-31; S 21:15
- Psalm 73:13 : S Ge 44:16
- Psalm 73:14 : ver 5
- Psalm 73:16 : Ecc 8:17
- Psalm 73:17 : Ex 15:17; Ps 15:1
- Psalm 73:17 : S Job 8:13; Php 3:19
- Psalm 73:18 : S Dt 32:35; Ps 35:6
- Psalm 73:18 : S Ps 17:13
- Psalm 73:19 : Dt 28:20; Pr 24:22; Isa 47:11
- Psalm 73:19 : S Ge 19:15
- Psalm 73:20 : S Job 20:8
- Psalm 73:20 : Ps 78:65; Isa 29:8
- Psalm 73:20 : Pr 12:11; 28:19
- Psalm 73:22 : Ps 49:10; 92:6; 94:8
- Psalm 73:22 : Ps 49:12, 20; Ecc 3:18; 9:12
- Psalm 73:23 : S Ge 48:13
- Psalm 73:24 : S Ps 48:14
- Psalm 73:24 : S 1Ki 22:5
- Psalm 73:25 : Ps 16:2
- Psalm 73:25 : Php 3:8
- Psalm 73:26 : Ps 84:2
- Psalm 73:26 : S Ps 31:10; 40:12
- Psalm 73:26 : Ps 18:1
- Psalm 73:26 : S Dt 32:9
- Psalm 73:27 : S Ps 34:21
- Psalm 73:27 : S Lev 6:2; Jer 5:11; Hos 4:12; 9:1
- Psalm 73:28 : Zep 3:2; Heb 10:22; Jas 4:8
- Psalm 73:28 : Ps 9:9
- Psalm 73:28 : Ps 26:7; 40:5
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
1. My feet had almost slipped (1-16)
The psalmist believed that God is good to the pure in heart, but when he looked at the world, it seemed that evil people prospered, while good men suffered. His godless neighbor was a man of violence who oppressed the weak. He was unbearably arrogant and deliberately defiant toward God. Yet he was healthy, carefree, wealthy, and popular. On the other hand, the psalmist had struggled to keep his heart and hands pure, but he was weighed down with burdens and problems. He envied the godless man, and he began to doubt God's love. What was worse, he didn't want to be a bad influence, so he couldn't talk to anyone.
2. God is my portion forever (17-28)
Then he went into the sanctuary; he prayed and met God. He saw himself and the world from God's point of view. He repented (21,22). He realized that a just God would deal with the wicked. He rejoiced in God and found peace and true hope in him.
Prayer: Lord, you are the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
One Word: Enter God's sanctuary