Lesson #02 part 3

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PSALMS 73
LESSON #02/P3
THE PROBLEM WITH PROSPERITY

• MEMORY VERSE: PSA 73:28

• READ PSA 73:1-28
• ASAPH PRESENTS US WITH A BEAUTIFUL BEGINNING TO THIS PSALM.
• “Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.” (1)
• THE BASIC STATEMENT THAT GOD IS GOOD SETS THE STANDARD TO BE REMEMBERED AS ASAPH DISCUSSES A PERPETUAL PROBLEM IN LIFE.
• NOTICE THE CONDITION TO GOD’S GOODNESS, A CLEAN HEART.
• WHO CAN HAVE A CLEAN HEART? HOW DOES ONE ACHIEVE A CLEAN HEART?
• FOR ISRAEL THE BELIEVER WITH A CLEAN HEART HAD FAITH IN THE COMING MESSIAH, OFFERED ANIMAL SACRIFICES FOR HIS SINS, AND SERVED GOD.
• FOR THE NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVER, A PERSON THAT HAS FAITH IN THE MESSIAH, JESUS CHRIST, HAS A CLEAN HEART. HE INVITES JESUS CHRIST INTO HIS HEART AND HE IS BORN AGAIN HE BECOMES A NEW CREATURE FORGIVEN OF HIS SINS. (2COR 5:17) HIS HEART IS CLEANSED BY THE SHED BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST ON THE CROSS.
• ASAPH BELIEVED IN THE TRUTH OF VERSE 1 BUT HE HAD A PROBLEM THAT ALMOST CAUSED HIM TO FALL AWAY FROM GOD.
• WE SEE ASAPH’S FRUSTRATION IN VERSE 2 AND HIS ENVY IN VERSE 3.
• WHAT IS ASAPH’S PROBLEM THAT IS EXPRESSED IN VERSE 3?
• ASAPH’S PROBLEM IS THE PROSPERITY OF THE WICKED.
• SINCE GOD IS GOOD TO THOSE WITH A CLEAN HEART, HOW DO WE EXPLAIN THE PROSPERITY OF THE WICKED? WHY DO BELIEVERS SEEM TO SUFFER MORE THAN THE NON-BELIEVERS.
• ASAPH MAKES SOME ERRONEOUS STATEMENTS IN VERSES 4 AND 5:
• IT IS NOT TRUE THAT THERE IS NO PAIN IN THE DEATH OF NON-BELIEVERS. IF YOU HAVE EVER WATCHED A NON-BELIEVER DIE, IT IS WITH FEAR AND ANGUISH, WHILE THE DEATH OF A BELIEVER WHO TRULY KNOWS THE LORD IS AT PEACE.
• IT IS NOT TRUE THAT NON-BELIEVERS DO NOT HAVE PROBLEMS IN THEIR LIVES. THEY ARE AS PLAGUED WITH TROUBLE AS ARE ALL HUMANS.
• THE BIBLE SAYS THAT THE RAIN FALLS ON THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE UNRIGHTEOUS EQUALLY. (MAT 5:45)
• IT IS TRUE THAT WEALTH WILL HELP TO AVOID MANY PROBLEMS SUCH AS HUNGER, BUT IT BRINGS WITH IT OTHER PROBLEMS, SUCH AS PRIDE.
• WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WICKED THAT PROSPER?
• THROUGHOUT THIS PSALM WE FIND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WICKED:
• PRIDE (6)
• VIOLENCE (6)
• DISSIPATION FROM A LIFE OF EXCESS (7) (“eyes stand out with fatness”).
• CORRUPT (8)
• THEY SPEAK WICKEDNESS (8)
• THEY OPRESS OTHERS (8)
• THEY CURSE GOD BOLDLY AND WITHOUT SHAME (9)
• THEY CONTINUE TO PROSPER WITHOUT EFFORT. (12)
• WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POOR BELIEVER?
• A FULL CUP OF TROUBLE IS CONSTANTLY POURED OUT ON HIS LIFE. (10)
• HE CONTINUALLY THINKS GOD DOES NOT KNOW OF HIS SUFFERING AND NEED, BECAUSE IF GOD REALLY KNEW, SURELY HE WOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE INEQUITY OF LIFE.
• HAVING EXPRESSED THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BELIEVERS AND NON-BELIEVERS, HE HAS DETERMINED THAT LIFE IS NOT JUST.
• HE HAS LIVED A RIGHTEOUS LIFE IN VAIN.
• IN INNOCENCE HE CHOSE GOD WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE CHOSEN THE PURSUIT OF WEALTH FOR LIVING FOR GOD DOES NOT PAY. (13)
• THIS PROBLEM OF THE PROSPERITY OF THE WICKED HAS BOTHERED HIM DAY AND NIGHT. HE DESIRED TO SPEAK ABOUT HIS FEELINGS BUT KNEW IT WOULD OFFEND THOSE WHO BELIEVED IN GOD, SO HE DID NOT SPEAK ABOUT HIS PROBLEM. (14-16)
• WHERE DID ASAPH FIND THE ANSWER TO HIS PROBLEM? (17)
• ASAPH FOUND THE ANSWER TO HIS PROBLEM IN THE SANCTUARY. (17)
• IN OTHER WORDS, HE SOUGHT THE ANSWER IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN THE TEMPLE.
• GOD HAS THE SOLUTION TO EVERY PROBLEM AND THE ANSWER TO EVERY QUESTION.
• READ JAM 1:5
• WHAT ANSWER DID ASAPH DISCOVER?
• HE UNDERSTOOD THE FINAL JUDGMENT OF MAN.
• MAN MAY APPEAR TO PROSPER AND BE SUCCESSFUL THROUGH LIFE, BUT EVENTUALLY HE WILL STAND BEFORE GOD IN JUDGMENT.
• JESUS GAVE US A PERSPECTIVE THAT FITS THIS PSALM.
• READ LUK 16:19-31.
• HADAES OR SHEOL WAS THE PLACE FOR THE DEAD THROUGHOUT THE OLD TESTAMENT. ACCORDING TO THIS PASSAGE IT WAS DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS, THE PLACE OF TORMENT FOR NON-BELIEVERS, AND THE PLACE OF ABRAHAM’S BOSOM FOR BELIEVERS. ALL DEAD SOULS WAITED IN THIS PLACE UNTIL THE FINAL RESURRECTION WHETHER BELIEVER OR NON-BELIEVER.
• AT THE CRUCIFIXTION JESUS MOVED THE DEAD BELIEVERS FROM ABRAHAM’S BOSOM TO A NEW PLACE THAT HE CALLED PARADISE IN HEAVEN. (LUK 23:43)
• THE RICH MAN ENDED IN TORMENT WHERE HE SUFFERED IN HIS TONGUE AT THE POINT OF HIS SIN.
• ALL NON-BELIEVERS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT AND IN THIS NEW TESTAMENT AGE WAIT IN TORMENT FOR THE FINAL RESURRECTION AND JUDGMENT.
• THE POOR MAN WAS BROUGHT INTO ABRAHAM’S BOSOM WHERE BELIEVERS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT WAITED FOR THE FINAL RESURRECTION.
• WHEN ASAPH SAW THAT THE WEALTHY NON-BELIEVER WOULD END UP IN TORMENT, HE CONCLUDED THAT A RIGHTEOUS LIFE WITH GOD WAS WORTH IT. HE SAYS, “I am continually with thee; thou has holden me by my right hand.” (23)
• ASAPH CONCLUDED THAT GOD CONTINUALLY SUSTAINED HIM AND WATCHED OVER HIM. HE LEARNED THAT THERE ARE BENEFITS THAT BELIEVERS HAVE THAT THE WICKED DO NOT HAVE.
• WHEN THE BELIEVER WALKS WITH GOD, GOD WILL TAKE HIM BY THE HAND AND GUIDE HIS LIFE. (23)
• GOD WILL GUIDE THE BELIEVER WITH HIS WORD, THE BIBLE.
• GOD WILL RECEIVE THE BELIEVER INTO PARADISE AND AN ETERNAL LIFE. (24)
• WHAT IS THE INHERITANCE OF THE NON-BELIEVER?
• THEY INHERIT DESTRUCTION AND DESOLATION (18-19)
• THEIR END IS TERROR. (19)
• THEY WILL BE SEPARATED FROM GOD FOR ETERNITY. (20)
• ASAPH WORSHIPS GOD (25-28)
• THERE IS NO ONE LIKE GOD IN HEAVEN OR ON EARTH. (25)
• GOD IS HIS STRENGTH AND PORTION FOREVER. (26)
• THE KEY TO LIFE IS TO DRAW NEAR TO GOD AND TRUST HIM THROUGH LIFE. (28)
• WHETHER A PERSON PROSPERS OR NOT IN THIS LIFE IS NOT SO IMPORTANT AS WHERE A PERSON SPENDS ETERNITY.
• THOSE THAT ARE SEPARATED FROM GOD BY SIN, WHICH IS THE SITUATION WITH THE NON-BELIEVER, WILL BE SEPARATED FROM GOD FOR ETERNITY. (27)

HOMEWORK
PSALMS 74
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• APPLICATION OF PSA 73
• DOES THE PROSPERITY OF THE WICKED EVERY BOTHER YOU?
• PRAY AND FIND THE ANSWER IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD AS ASAPH DID.
• FIND SCRIPTURES THAT TELL YOU OF GOD’S BLESSINGS ON BELIEVERS.
• PREPARATION FOR PSA 74
• READ PSA 74:1-23
• WHAT IS THE KEY QUESTION THAT ASAPH WANTS GOD TO ANSWER?
• HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER THIS QUESTION?
• MEMORY VERSE: PSA 74:12