PERCEPTION AND REALITY (Psalm 73)
Dr. Paul Manuel—2015
Good communication, the kind that makes for a smooth-running marriage, is not necessarily obvious to the average observer.
Theodicy is an aspect of theology that deals with the presence of evil in the world. The biblical book that addresses this subjest most directly is Job, which depicts a man’s suffering in a vain attempt by Satan to undermine that man’s faith. The biblical psalm that deals with theodicy most directly is our text this morning: Psalm 73.1
There is a facade, a veneer, that covers reality as we perceive it. We see other people in situations much like our own who seem to conduct their affairs without recourse to God with equal or greater success than we do who depend on God. It makes us wonder: Why is our life not noticeably better (v. 3)? Does our commitment to Him really matter all that much (v. 13)? Those are questions Asaph, the author of Psalm 73, asks:
Asaph’s first observation is that, despite the assertion of our US constitution…
You have probably noticed that all people are not created equal, that a few people are more talented or attractive than you are. What can you do about it? Should you lament the unfairness of it all? Should you feel cheated by your creator? …Not at all. You can admire what others are without jealousy.4 You should, however, recognize that any apparent advantages an unbeliever may enjoy are temporary, that they will not extend beyond the here and now. Any advantages an unbeliever may enjoy in this life will be replaced by great disadvantages in the next life. Similarly, any advantages a believer may enjoy in this life will be replaced by even greater advantages in the next life.
Asaph’s second observation, despite the assumption of many people that life should be fair…
When God “rescued [you] from the dominion of darkness and brought [you] into the kingdom of the Son he loves” (Col 1:13), you became a potential threat to your former liege, and he may resist your spiritual progress in an attempt to neutralize your spiritual potential. There is no need for him to oppose unbelievers, as long as they do not make overtures to “the other side,” because they willingly or unwittingly serve his ends.8
You have probably noticed that all people are not treated equal, that a few people are more prosperous or successful than you are. What can you do about it? Should you lament the unfairness of it all? Should you feel cheated by your creator? …Not at all. You can admire what others have without cupidity. You should, however, recognize that any apparent advantages are temporary, that they will not extend beyond the here and now. Any advantages an unbeliever may enjoy in this life will be replaced by great disadvantages in the next life. Similarly, any advantages a believer may enjoy in this life will be replaced by even greater advantages in the next life.
Asaph’s third and most important observation, the one many individuals ignore, is that…
In Jesus’ teaching, he often reduces a person’s future choices to this binary (either/or) equation.14
All people, including some you know, are not headed for the same place as you are in the end. Regardless of that end, however, their destination is of their own choosing, either actively or passively. God does not force anyone into the kingdom who will not go. Likewise, God does not condemn anyone to perdition who has not already rejected Him.15 You, however, are not destined for perdition but for salvation. Like Asaph, you can say about the Lord:
Asaph was troubled by what he saw as the apparent inequity of life, how the unrighteous seemed to flourish while the righteous seemed to flounder. How could such inequity exist in a world ruled by a good God? Upon further reflection, the psalmist realized that such a truncated view of life, taking into account only the here and now, was short-sighted and not at all representative of the much larger scope of eternity, the realm in which God exists. It was for Asaph an epiphany of the difference between Perception and Reality.18 This larger perspective enabled the psalmist to see that the presence of evil in the world does not negate or even threaten to diminish the goodness of a sovereign God, who is able to work “all things,” even seemingly unfair things, to further His benevolent purpose and to achieve the ultimate advantage for His people (Rom 8:28).
On his parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, Steve remarked that his father and mother never seemed to fight. “Oh, we argued,” his father said, “but it never amounted to much. After a while one of us always realized…that I was wrong.”Good communication is not necessarily obvious to the average observer. In other words, there may be a difference between Perception and Reality, between the way things appear and the way they actually are. That difference is what Asaph discusses in Psalm 73.
Theodicy is an aspect of theology that deals with the presence of evil in the world. The biblical book that addresses this subjest most directly is Job, which depicts a man’s suffering in a vain attempt by Satan to undermine that man’s faith. The biblical psalm that deals with theodicy most directly is our text this morning: Psalm 73.1
There is a facade, a veneer, that covers reality as we perceive it. We see other people in situations much like our own who seem to conduct their affairs without recourse to God with equal or greater success than we do who depend on God. It makes us wonder: Why is our life not noticeably better (v. 3)? Does our commitment to Him really matter all that much (v. 13)? Those are questions Asaph, the author of Psalm 73, asks:
I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked…. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. (Psalm 73:3,13)As we also wrestle with these questions, we must recognize at least three things, observations that the author of this psalm makes.
Asaph’s first observation is that, despite the assertion of our US constitution…
I. All people are not created equal (Psalm 73:4-5).Some people have more ability, talent, or natural fortitude than others.
They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. (vv. 4-5)Hence, it is quite possible that you might not perform as well as others.
- Some people are more physically endowed.2
1 Sam 17:4b He was over nine feet tall. 5 He …wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels [125 lbs.]…. 7a His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels [15 lbs.]…. 24 When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him in great fear.Despite his impressive appearance, however, he was no match for the Lord’s champion, a young boy (who found the king’s armor too cumbersome).
1 Sam 17:50a David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone…. 51c When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.All people are not created equal. Some people are more physically imposing and assume they can do without God.
You have probably noticed that all people are not created equal, that a few people are more talented or attractive than you are. What can you do about it? Should you lament the unfairness of it all? Should you feel cheated by your creator? …Not at all. You can admire what others are without jealousy.4 You should, however, recognize that any apparent advantages an unbeliever may enjoy are temporary, that they will not extend beyond the here and now. Any advantages an unbeliever may enjoy in this life will be replaced by great disadvantages in the next life. Similarly, any advantages a believer may enjoy in this life will be replaced by even greater advantages in the next life.
Asaph’s second observation, despite the assumption of many people that life should be fair…
II. All people are not treated equally (Psalm 73:6-9).Some people have more financial resources, social standing, or political influence than others.5
This is what the wicked are like—always carefree, they increase in wealth. (Psalm 73:12)Hence, it is quite possible that you might not be as fortunate as others.
- Some people are more personally advantaged.6
1 Kgs 10:23 King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. 24 The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart…. 26 Solomon accumulated chariots and horses…. 27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills.Despite his great wisdom and wealth, however, he succumbed to the temptation of worshiping foreign gods.
1 Kgs 11:1a King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women…. 2 They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love…. 4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD…. 6a So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD….Solomon lost whatever advantage his great wisdom and wealth might have given him.
When God “rescued [you] from the dominion of darkness and brought [you] into the kingdom of the Son he loves” (Col 1:13), you became a potential threat to your former liege, and he may resist your spiritual progress in an attempt to neutralize your spiritual potential. There is no need for him to oppose unbelievers, as long as they do not make overtures to “the other side,” because they willingly or unwittingly serve his ends.8
Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts comes iniquity;9 the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. (Psalm 73:6-9)You, however, are the enemy, and the devil will devour you if he can (1 Pet 5:8). All people are not treated equal. Some people enjoy better life circumstances and assume they can do without God.10
You have probably noticed that all people are not treated equal, that a few people are more prosperous or successful than you are. What can you do about it? Should you lament the unfairness of it all? Should you feel cheated by your creator? …Not at all. You can admire what others have without cupidity. You should, however, recognize that any apparent advantages are temporary, that they will not extend beyond the here and now. Any advantages an unbeliever may enjoy in this life will be replaced by great disadvantages in the next life. Similarly, any advantages a believer may enjoy in this life will be replaced by even greater advantages in the next life.
Asaph’s third and most important observation, the one many individuals ignore, is that…
III. All people are not destined equally (Psalm 73:16-20,23-26).Some people—not all people or even most people—have taken a different path than others have taken (than the path you have taken). More people have no deliberate or intentional movement toward any goal that has eternal value. This different direction takes them to a different destination. Those who are content to drift aimlessly through life, as if all that matters is the journey itself, will find themselves sorely disappointed when they come to the end. In contrast…
- Some people are more intentionally motivated.
When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God;11 then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. (Psalm 73:16-20)Your life does not serve the same master and cause. It has a purpose that transcends the present circumstances, and it has sufficient divine support to ensure success.
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. (Psalm 73:23-26)God is ministering through you in a way He is not through your unbelieving neighbor, working to accomplish matters of infinite importance, despite what you may perceive.
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. (Psalm 73:27-28)1All people are not destined equally. Many people end up in a different place than others.13 The two different destination options are either with God or apart from God.
In Jesus’ teaching, he often reduces a person’s future choices to this binary (either/or) equation.14
- In the Sermon on the Mount, he counsels his audience to choose wisely between two gates:
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matt 7:13-14)
- In the parable of “The Sheep and Goats,” he depicts all mankind at the final judgment in two groups:
The King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world…. Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matt 25:34, 41)
- In a closing snippet from the Olivet Discourse, he mentions again that there are only two eternal destinations:
[The unrighteous] will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. (Matt 25:46)Although some people might prefer having more choices for how they will spend their lives after death, even having the option of moving from one realm to another, there are only two options (with no movement between realms), and a person determines that destination in this life by committing to one or defaulting to the other. There is no middle ground, no changing one’s mind later, because “man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Heb 9:27). All people are not destined equal.
All people, including some you know, are not headed for the same place as you are in the end. Regardless of that end, however, their destination is of their own choosing, either actively or passively. God does not force anyone into the kingdom who will not go. Likewise, God does not condemn anyone to perdition who has not already rejected Him.15 You, however, are not destined for perdition but for salvation. Like Asaph, you can say about the Lord:
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. (Psalm 73:23b-26)16It is because of your commitment to God that you will spend eternity with God regardless of how you fare in comparison with anyone else in this life.17
Asaph was troubled by what he saw as the apparent inequity of life, how the unrighteous seemed to flourish while the righteous seemed to flounder. How could such inequity exist in a world ruled by a good God? Upon further reflection, the psalmist realized that such a truncated view of life, taking into account only the here and now, was short-sighted and not at all representative of the much larger scope of eternity, the realm in which God exists. It was for Asaph an epiphany of the difference between Perception and Reality.18 This larger perspective enabled the psalmist to see that the presence of evil in the world does not negate or even threaten to diminish the goodness of a sovereign God, who is able to work “all things,” even seemingly unfair things, to further His benevolent purpose and to achieve the ultimate advantage for His people (Rom 8:28).
For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.
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