LENT 5 March 16-18, 2013 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Psalm 73

LENT 5

March 16-18, 2013

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Psalm 73

“LENT HELPS US UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM OF INJUSTICE”

          Today we are going to meet a man who I’m sure we can all relate to. He’s like us in many ways. His name is Asaph and he’s the man God chose to write Psalm 73 in the Bible. Like you and me he was a regular church-goer. In fact he served as one of the chief musicians for his congregation. It was a large one. He was one of the three chief musicians for the Temple at the time of King David. Also like you and me, Asaph was a Christian. He was a man who recognized his sinfulness before God. Yet he believed in God’s promise of the Christ, the one who would save him from his sins. Like us he also tried to live his life in accordance with God’s commands as his way of thanking God. Asaph was also like you and me in another respect. He had a problem with his perception of  justice—a spiritual problem. Let’s personalize the problem by reading the first portion of Psalm 73 together.

THE PROBLEM

{1} Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

{2} But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.

{3} For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

{4} They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.

{5} They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills.

{6} Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence.

{7} From their callous hearts comes iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.

{8} They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression.

{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.

{11} They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?"

{12} This is what the wicked are like-- always carefree, they increase in wealth.

{13} Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.

{14} All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning.

          Asaph had a problem. All believers have it at some time or another. Did you pick up on it? Asaph knew a fact in his heart. God is good to Israel. God is good to believers. The opposite is also true. God judges and punishes the wicked. God judges and punishes those who reject Him. These facts Asaph knew. But that’s not what Asaph saw. What Asaph saw was the prosperity of the wicked. They had wealth. They had health. They blatantly lived their lives in defiance of God and were proud of it. They didn’t seem to have any guilt over their sin. Instead they boasted about it and even spoke blasphemously against God. What’s worse it seemed their wickedness was the source of their wealth and prosperity. What was it that Asaph saw that hurt him so? Was it dishonest businessmen who cheated and stole and got wealth that way? Was it the priests of the false gods who promoted sexual immorality? We don’t know.

But we certainly can relate. We work hard for our money, try to scrimp and save. We feel like we just get by, live in modest homes and drive average cars. Others steal. They don’t even want to work and take advantage of us taxpayers. Those working in the sin industries of prostitution and pornography make more in a week than we do in month. We have more things than we need but the drug dealers the latest cars and electronics and lavish lifestyle. We try to do things the right way but the bullies at work, in the family, or at school always seems to get their way, the promotion, the popularity, schmoozing the people, working the system.

This, my friends, is the problem. It’s not so much that we suffer problems that bothers us. We expect that in an imperfect world. What we don’t expect and what does bother us is when we see the wicked, the immoral, the God-haters prosper. Something screams in us, “That’s not fair!” We know God is good to believers. We know He punishes those who hate Him but why don’t we see it? The problem of suffering leads us to the same place it led Asaph—to doubt of God. Anger against Him. Accusations that He isn’t loving or fair. Like Asaph our feet can almost slip into despair. We might feel that our loyalty to God has been misplaced. In vain we have kept our hearts pure. In vain we have striven after innocence. It’s the problem of injustice.

God loves us though, even though we have doubted Him, even though we’ve given Him every reason to treat us like the wicked. In love He has provided a way for us to understand what we see. It’s pointed out to us in the next section from Psalm 73. Please read with me verses 15-17.

THE WAY OF UNDERSTANDING

{15} If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children.

{16} When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me

{17} till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.

          The Holy Spirit testified in Asaph’s heart that his way of thinking was wrong. He knew that to speak against God was a betrayal. Yet trying to understand gave him no comfort. No matter which way Asaph looked at the situation it came out wrong. It just wasn’t fair. Finally Asaph did find understanding. He did find comfort. Did you pick out where? Asaph found it in the sanctuary of God. In the Temple. What was there? The Word! The Word of God. Remember in those days copies of the Scriptures were made by hand and hand made scrolls. Expensive. Precious. Rare. They were kept for use in the Temple. When Asaph went to God’s Word he found understanding.

          You and I do as well. You and I won’t find relief from the problem of suffering by looking at things rationally. We won’t find relief by trying to find someone who has it worse than we do. We find understanding only in God’s Word. That’s what I mean by saying the Church Year season of Lent helps us understand the problem of suffering. For when we look in the Word who do we see first and foremost? Jesus. The Son of God. Our Savior. When we look into the Word to see Jesus during Lent we see injustice. You want to see something that’s not fair? Look at Jesus. He’s the Son of God, the owner of all things. Yet on earth he looks poor and owns nothing. He is righteous and pure. Yet on earth He suffers for all sins. He loves all people. Yet on earth He is hated and resisted and mocked and tortured and spit on by the very people whose place He did take in Hell. That was not fair.

          But it was brilliant and loving. For God knew what He was doing after all. He had a plan. A great plan. A plan we can’t live without! Jesus for us. Jesus in our place. God’s Word gives us that understanding of why God allowed Jesus to experience injustice. God’s Word gives Asaph and us understanding to deal with injustice today. Let’s read about the solution to the problem of suffering it in the last section of Psalm 73.

THE SOLUTION

{18} Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.

{19} How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!

{20} As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as

        fantasies.

{21} When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,

{22} I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.

{23} Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.

{24} You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.

{25} Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

{26} My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

{27} Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

{28} 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."

          There are unalterable truths that gave Asaph the solution to the problem of suffering and filled him with joy. They will do the same for us. The first is the fact that God will judge the wicked. It is patient kindness on God’s part that keeps Him from giving the wicked what they deserve now. He wants them to repent and be saved too. But make no mistake about it, the wicked, the God haters, will be judged. They will get the punishment of Hell. That’s part of the solution to the problem of suffering. Take a long term look at it. Never, never begrudge the wicked the wealth or limited happiness they have now. You know why? This is as good as it gets for them. We should pity them because when they die, not only are they forgotten her,e but they are forsaken by the God they forsook. They’ll be cast down to ruins. They’ll be completely swept by terrors. They experience an eternity of  pain and anguish in Hell. The wicked will be judged.

          But you won’t. You have God and God has you. That’s the second truth that provides the solution to the problem of injustice. Your faith and trust and allegiance to God is never in vain no matter what you see. God has a plan. A plan to take you to glory. A plan to hold you up and keep you from falling. Lent proves it with Jesus. It lets you see the way God works. It lets you see a masterfully loving God working according to a masterfully loving plan. That’s the solution. God knows what He’s doing. Always.

          There’s one more thing we need to learn from Asaph though. And that is the right response by Christians who have struggled with perceived injustice. The first part of the response is repentance. Asaph admitted he was being senseless and ignorant, a brute beast, when he let his heart become grieved and bitter against God. We should do the same. We have no right to cast aspersions on God’s love for us--not when He gave us His Son Jesus.  We are ignorant brutes when we doubt God. If you have been struggling with injustice and it has led you to doubt God, repent to Him. Tell Him you were wrong. He is not. Tell Him you are sorry. It’s the right thing to do. And then do the second part of the right response. Tell of the Lord’s good deeds. Praise Him. Tell others how He brought you through like Asaph did. It’s the right thing to do. In fact, let’s do it right now. Let’s praise God using the musical setting of Psalm 73 as it’s found on page 94 in your Hymnal. Amen.