April 22, 2007 Psalm 73 Class Who was Asaph?

1 Chronicles 16:4-6 He (David) appointed some of the Levites to minister…5 Asaph was the chief… .

Who is God good to? How does the Bible describe a pure heart?

Psalm 24:3-4 … a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.

Matthew 5: 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

1 Timothy 5: 22 … do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

2 Timothy 2: 22 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, …

Hebrews 10:19-22 … sincere heart in full assurance of faith,.. our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us …

purified heart Acts 15: 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.

James 1: 26-27 … look after orphans and widows... keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

1 Peter 1: 17-22 …you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth …

evil hearts: Genesis 8:20-21 Proverbs 26: 23-24 Jeremiah 7:23,24 Matthew 9:3-5

Luke 6:44,45 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit… out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

Verses 2 and 3 What does it mean to lose your foothold and why did that almost happen?

Do we sometimes envy the arrogant and the wicked?

Read verses 4 – 12 Do some arrogant and wicked people have an easy life?

v6 Can the arrogant and wicked be proud of themselves and their attitudes?

v 10 Are some people attracted to the arrogant and wicked?

v11 What do they think about God’s ability to know what is going on on the earth?

1 Samuel 2:1-4 .. you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand…

Luke 16: 13-15"… God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight.

Acts 15:7-9 … he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit.. for he purified their hearts by faith.

1 John 3:18-20 Dear children, let us not love with words … but with actions … 19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence ..

Read v 13 and 14 How is the psalmist feeling?

Is it good to think about things from God’s point of view before we share our point of view with others?

v16 Could the psalmist make sense of the state of life of the arrogant and wicked on his own?
READ Luke 16: 19-31 …Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. …

Read v 21 – 26 What caused the psalmist to have faulty thinking about the arrogant and wicked?

What does the psalmist trust in?

v24 "The Wycliffe Bible Commentary" C. F. Pfeiffer and E. F. Harrison eds. Moody Press (1962) page 521

"…verb for "thou shalt receive me" is used for the experiences of Enoch and Elijah" Gen5: 24 2Kings2:9-10

Read v 27 and 28 Do these verses summarize the psalm?

v28Do we talk about the rich and wicked or God?

Hebrews 10:19-22 …let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

James 4:7-10 … 8Come near to God and he will come near to you….purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Summarize this Psalm. Next: Psalm 78 Copyright © 2007 by Greg Clements. Permission is granted to copy and distribute these documents as long as no fee of any kind is charged and this copyright notice is included in the document.

April 22, 2007 Psalm 73 Leader

Who was Asaph?

1 Chronicles 16:4-6 He (David) appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to make petition, to give thanks, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel: 5 Asaph was the chief… They were to play the lyres and harps, Asaph was to sound the cymbals, …

Who is God good to?

How does the Bible describe a pure heart?

Psalm 24:3-4 … Who may stand in his holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.

Proverbs 20: 9 Who can say, "I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin"?

Matthew 5: 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

1 Timothy 1: 5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

1 Timothy 5: 22 … do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

2 Timothy 2: 22 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Hebrews 10:19-22 … we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus…let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience …

purified heart

Acts 15: 9He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.

James 1: 26-27 … 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

1 Peter 1: 17-22 Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. …. you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.

evil heart (We did not have time to discuss this material)

Genesis 8:20-21 .. Noah built an altar to the …The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground … even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood.

Proverbs 26: 23 Like a coating of glaze over earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart. 24 A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but in his heart he harbors deceit.

Jeremiah 7:23,24 but I gave them this command: Obey me, … they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.

Matthew 9:3-5 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!"

4Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? …

Luke 6:44,45 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit…The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

Verses 2 and 3 What does it mean to lose your foothold and why did that almost happen?

Do we sometimes envy the arrogant and the wicked?

Yes, it seems like money would solve all our problems.

The grass is greener on the other side of the fence.

Read verses 4 – 12 Do some arrogant and wicked people have an easy life?

yes, money buys them creature comforts (but not heart comforts)

v6 Can the arrogant and wicked be proud of themselves and their attitudes?

yes

v 10 Are some people attracted to the arrogant and wicked?

yes, they want to be near the riches too

v11 What do they think about God’s ability to know what is going on on the earth?

God sees

1 Samuel 2:1-4 Then Hannah prayed .. 3 "Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed. …

Psalm 10: 14-18 But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand… 15 Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out. …

Luke 16: 13-15"… You cannot serve both God and Money." 14The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight.

Acts 15:7-9 … Peter … addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit.. for he purified their hearts by faith.

1 John 3:18-20 Dear children, let us not love with words … but with actions … 19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

How is the psalmist feeling?

depressed? regretting the good life he lived?

Is it good to think about things from God’s point of view before we share our point of view with others?

v15 perhaps the psalmist has just been thinking the above verses

If he had spoken them to others he would have polluted and misled others.

v16 Could the psalmist make sense of the state of life of the arrogant and wicked on his own?
no v17 His mind is opened. He understands the final destiny of the wicked.

READ Luke 16: 19-31 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with …The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus .. 24So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' 25"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. …

What caused the psalmist to have faulty thinking about the arrogant and wicked?

jealous, maybe saying "Why me?" too much

What does the psalmist trust in?

v23 God holds us v24 God guides and will provide eternal life

v25 the psalmist realizes he values God above the things in the world

v26 the psalmist knows God will be with him forever

v24 "The Wycliffe Bible Commentary" C. F. Pfeiffer and E. F. Harrison eds. Moody Press (1962) page 521

"…the same verb for "thou shalt receive me" is used for the experiences of Enoch and Elijah"

Genesis 5: 24 Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

2 Kings 2: 9-10 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?" "Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit," Elisha replied. 10 "You have asked a difficult thing," Elijah said, "yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours…

Do these verses summarize the psalm?

v28 Do we talk about the rich and wicked or God?

Hebrews 10:19-22 … we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus…let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

James 4:7-10 Submit yourselves, then, to God. … 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail… 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Summarize this Psalm.

Next: Psalm 78