The thoroughbred musician

Psalms, as we know, are songs. The book of Psalms is the book of songs. It is also the book of songwriters and singers. Asaph was one of them. He was once appointed by King David as chief over the temple music at the time the ark of the covenant and the tent sanctuary were erected in Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 15; 1 Chronicles 16:2-6). He was what today would be called a “thoroughbred musician.” Under Asaph’s leadership, God was praised in Jerusalem. Asaph was a singer, it says (2 Chronicles 5:12). He wrote a total of 12 psalms (Psalm 50 and Psalms 73-83).

The second psalm in this series is the subject of this article. It joins the many other psalms. Psalms are always personal testimonies. You get an insight into what someone is thinking and moving. Therefore, many people like to read the Psalms. What is written there is recognizable. The whole spectrum of emotions can be found there, despair and hope, gratitude and joy, life and death and what belongs to it.

Asaph also writes from his own experience. How is he who serves day after day at the shrine in Jerusalem? What do you think shapes his ministry? This can be gleaned to some extent from his psalms.

Asaph’s confidence

What struck me in Psalm 73 was his confidence. Twice in it he speaks of “good” things.

He begins the psalm with the words:

“Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.”
Psalm 73:1

He concludes the psalm with another “good” statement:

“But I, drawing near to God is good for me.”
Psalm 73:28

Between these two statements, however, Asaph tells of his own trouble and hardship. This is a real contrast program. If in the first verse he spoke of God, emphasizing the good, in the following verses he speaks of the envy and pride of others, and of the distress and consternation this causes him. By no means did he feel equal to everything he perceived within himself and around him. Already in the second verse it says:

“But I – little lacking, my feet would have swerved, for nothing my steps would have slipped.”
Psalm 73:2

Asaph tells in this psalm from his own experience. He relentlessly reports on what throws him off track. We also read how he struggles to put everything back together, to categorize the experiences and thoughts. His reflections made him bitter and did him no good. Asaph describes it as follows:

“When my heart waxed fierce and it pricked me in my kidneys, I was dumb and knew nothing; a beast was I with Thee.”
Psalm 73:21-22

Against this background, he recalls his God and how very different he is:

“But I am always with Thee: Thou hast laid hold on me by my right hand; by Thy counsel Thou wilt guide me, and after glory Thou wilt receive me. Whom have I in heaven? And beside Thee have I no pleasure in anything on earth. Perish my flesh and my heart – the rock of my heart and my portion is God forever.”
Psalm 73:23-26

God is One. One is his confidence. Confidence that the Almighty Himself will take him by the right hand. It’s remarkable how Asaph writes this. For first he says “But I am always with Thee” and has it immediately followed by “Thou hast laid hold of me by my right hand”. That’s two statements. There is both the statement that he (Asaph) is with God and the statement that God is with Asaph. This speaks of reciprocity. That is personal relationship. But it also shows that Asaph does not rely on himself and his performance, but essentially places his trust in his God that He will hold him fast. Trust in God. It also reminds me of the words of the Apostle Paul, who writes almost identically:

“… Not that I have already received this or am already accomplished in this. But I chase after it, whether I may take hold of what I have also been taken hold of by Christ Jesus..”
Phil 3:12-14

The alignment of the heart

Now Asaph comes to the end of the psalm. Here he sums up what he’s all about. It is this orientation of the heart, this clear attitude, grown from experience, that makes him say:

“But I, drawing near to God, am good for me; I have put my trust in the LORD, O LORD, to tell all your deeds.”
Psalm 73:28

Getting close to God is good for me. It is a simple statement. Asaph says this against the background of his own confusion and out of his own painful experiences. He has found that others are “far from you” (Psalm 73:27). He sees no salvation in that. It is a realization that has matured in him. “But I – to draw near to God is good for me!”. He put it in a nutshell for himself. It’s good when we can make such a clear and positive statement for ourselves.

What is good and what is not

Asaph made a very positive statement, a statement about his own faith attitude. The fact that other people take completely different paths does not stop him from consciously choosing a good path. Not everyone succeeds in this, and even Asaph has told of being seized by bitterness and going almost completely astray. He turned away from it. The dispute will probably always have it, and also in our time.

Paul wrote soberingly to Timothy:

“This but know that in recent days severe Times will come; for men will be selfish, money-loving, boastful, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, incontinent, cruel, not loving good, traitors, imprudent, puffed up, loving pleasure more than God, which is a form of godliness. but deny their power. And from these turn away!”
2Tim 3:1-5

Paul is recommending here – as Asaph did – to turn away from these negative things. However, it is not enough to simply turn away without turning to the good. The apostle describes this quite aptly in his letter to the Philippians:

“By the way, brethren, anything that is true, anything that is honorable, anything that is just, anything that is pure, anything that is lovable, anything that is agreeable, if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, consider it! Whatever you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do! And the God of peace will be with you.”
Phil 4:8-9

This advice comes with a clear promise: “Do this! And the God of peace will be with you”.