“But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.” Psalm 73:16-17 ESV
Reflection: why does it seem to go so well for many people who ignore God, even those who are wicked, while many followers of Christ often struggle in life?
The question whether to do good, to follow God’s law, to seek His will and forsake evil, is not new. It is the battle between good and evil. We can all see people who blatantly ignore God, and yet nothing seems to happen to them. We struggle when we see the injustice of people who have openly committed serious crimes, even crimes against humanity as we have seen over the past few years, just go on living their lives as if nothing happened. And we can see more directly those who deceive, lie, cheat, steal in to get ahead in business and even in the workplace, those who hurt others without remorse and are deeply wicked, even align themselves with evil, are morally bankrupt. And yet nothing seems to happen to them. In fact, their immorality and wickedness seem to just embolden them. And we wonder, does God not see the injustice? The awful immorality? All the evil the wicked are doing?
In Psalm 73, written thousands of years ago, Asaph had exactly these questions. In fact, he tells us that he nearly followed the path of the wicked since they seem to do so well. He even became envious of the wicked. He writes “But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pangs in their death, But their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride serves as their necklace; Violence covers them like a garment. Their eyes bulge with abundance;
They have more than heart could wish.” Psalms 73:2-7 NKJV.
Even back then, Asaph saw many wicked having prosperity and riches, more than they even can wish for. And in their wickedness, they even mocking God. “They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression; They speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue walks through the earth. Therefore his people return here, And waters of a full cup are drained by them. And they say, “How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?””Psalms 73:8-11 NKJV. Doesn’t this sound familiar to many we see today? That even live an openly wicked life, mocking God in their speech and actions. Think Hollywood and music stars, many politicians and even some business leaders,
wearing their wickedness with “pride serving as their necklace”.
In our focus verse today, we see the turning point for Asaph. To watch and try to understand what he was seeing, was painful for him; “until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.” Psalm 73:17 ESV. When Asaph saw the bigger picture, what is really going on with an eternal perspective, he started to understand that this too was orchestrated. That God let them choose a path of wickedness and destruction, if they so desired. “Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one awakes, So, Lord, when You awake, You shall despise their image.”Psalms 73:18-20 NKJV.
The final destiny is as they choose, for the wicked apart from God.
And, as God revealed to Asaph what happens to the wicked in the end, he is so deeply grateful to the Lord God for leading him through this life. “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.” Psalms 73:23-28 NIV.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us not be discouraged by the temporal success of the wicked. It is short lived. But, as sons and daughters of God, we are co-heirs with Christ to an eternal kingdom, riches beyond any human understanding. “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” Romans 8:17 NIV.
Our final destiny is in the glory of God our Father.