As a worship leader and songwriter, I often find myself deeply identifying with the musicians and lyricists mentioned in Scripture. When reading Psalm 73, I find myself identifying with no contributor to Israel’s songbook more than Asaph. Psalm 73 is a lyrical triptych if you will. A triptych is a hinged painting of three panels that illuminates, through visual art and storytelling, an altar of encounter in a sacred space.
In the first half of the Psalm, the left panel if you will, a pained Asaph gets deeply honest with God. Even the opening words can be heard as coming from a pained heart and an aching mind.
“Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold” (Psalm 73:1-2).
Asaph goes on to express what seems to be an unchecked envy for the prosperity of the wicked – their freedom from common human burdens (v. 5) and their always, never-ending, always confounding, wealth-driven, carefree life (v. 12).
When reading this left panel of the Psalm, the lyrics seem destined to affirm the utter uselessness of devoted living and purity of heart.
We can imagine hot tears rolling down Asaph’s cheeks as he writes the words we translate,
“All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments.”
“Until I Entered the Sanctuary of God”
Then, it happens. A single verse that forms the center panel of our triptych, and holds the two halves of the Psalm together, emerges.
“When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood…” (v. 16-17).
