4. According to Psalm 73:3-9, what did Asaph see that he found distressing?

⁴ What did Asaph see that had such an unbalancing effect on him? The answer is found in the words of Psalm 73:3-9. When Asaph observed the prosperity of the wicked, envy was stirred up within him. Unscrupulous men would boast about the wealth that they had accumulated by fraudulent means. Despite their lawlessness, things seemed to go very well for them.

7. What shows that the psalmist recognized the wrongness of viewing service to God as being futile?

⁷ Nevertheless, Asaph realized that it was wrong for him to give in to such thinking. He said: “Had I let myself talk on in this fashion, I should have betrayed the family of God. So I set myself to think this out but I found it too hard for me.” (Ps. 73:15, 16, The New English Bible) Yes, the psalmist recognized that his viewing service to God as vain would actually mean his being disloyal to the faithful ones. Then, too, his giving way to public expression of doubt could have undermined the faith of some.

8. (a) Where did the psalmist go to readjust his thinking? (b) What should we do when we become unduly disturbed about the things that we see?

⁸ What did the psalmist do to readjust his thinking? Asaph went to the sanctuary. There among the assembled worshipers, he came to appreciate just what was in store for the wicked. (Ps. 73:17) Similarly, if you find yourself disturbed by what you see, seek to find the answers from those who are trying to be wholehearted in their service to God.

3. (a) How have some reacted to the seeming prosperity of wicked men? (b) Who was Asaph? (c) What did he acknowledge about a particular period in his life?

³ So disturbing has it been for them to face injustice that some of God’s servants have found themselves giving way to serious doubts about the value of an upright life. This is what happened to Asaph,a a prominent Levite musician during the reign of King David.