Introduction:

(1) Dr. James M. Boice says of Psalm 73: It is “the greatest thing in literature on the problem

of the prosperity of the wicked and the adversity of the good.”

(2) We do not live very long without realizing some things in life seem not to make sense.

(3) Psalm 73 grapples with this issue.

I. The PRINCIPLE That Guides—73:1 ( Psalmist starts with a conclusion)

We can make a choice as to how we will respond:

A. Emotional Responses

B. Intellectual Responses

C Psalmist’s Response—73:1  (Searched for “more truth”)

We must interpret what we do not understand about God against the backdrop of

what we do understand.

II. The PROBLEM That Perplexes—73:2-14

A. The Praise of the Wicked—73:2-12

1. Prosperity—73:2-5

2. Pride—73:6-8

3. Popularity—73:10-12

B. The Pain of the Psalmist—73:13-14

1. Seems being good goes unrewarded—73:13

2. Seems he is punished daily—73:14

III. The PERSPECTIVE That Changes—73:15-28

• Contrast what he “saw” in v.3 and what he “understood” in v. 15.

• Things are not always what they seem.  Outlook often determines Outcome!

A. Saw God Differently—73:15-17

“Went into the sanctuary of God”

•  God did not give an answer; He gave something better—His presence.

                 •  We don’t serve God because of what we can get out of it, but because

    He is worthy of our worship and service.

B. Saw Wicked Differently—73:18-20

1. Their Present Is Uncertain—73:18

“slippery ground”

2. Their Future Is Certain—73:19-20

“Suddenly are they destroyed”

(No one is prosperous whom the grave makes a pauper.)

C. Saw Himself Differently—73:21-26

1. His Foolishness—73:21-22

2. His Fellowship—73:23-26