Psalm 73:16–28 describes the turning point in Asaph’s struggle, and Stephen Davey explains how everything changed the moment Asaph stepped “into the sanctuary of God.” There, his confusion over the prosperity of the wicked gave way to clarity as he finally looked past their present ease to their eternal end—sudden destruction and terrifying judgment. This new perspective replaced envy with compassion. Asaph then saw his own heart clearly, confessing that bitterness had made him “brutish and ignorant,” but God had never let go of him. Davey highlights Asaph’s renewed confidence in God’s continual guarding (“You hold my right hand”), wise guiding (“You guide me with your counsel”), and glorious welcoming (“You will receive me to glory”). With his focus restored, Asaph declares that God Himself is his greatest treasure—“There is nothing on earth that I desire besides You”—and his unfailing strength when his heart and flesh fail. The psalm ends with joyful resolve: it is good to be near God, and the believer’s greatest purpose is to know Him and make Him known. Even though Asaph’s circumstances did not change, his perspective did—and with it came renewed peace, joy, and the strength to face another day.
Finding Answers in the Sanctuary
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