The author of this Psalm vividly expresses how he almost deceived himself and betrayed the community of believers by becoming envious of the prosperity of the wicked. Although the Psalmist openly acknowledges his misguided thoughts, many believers harbor similar feelings but are reluctant to admit them. The frustration that arises from witnessing the seemingly comfortable and carefree lives of the wicked stems from a hidden desire to live like them. However, due to their connection with the righteous, they refrain from engaging in the same behavior. Moreover, unaware of God’s true nature, people sometimes abandon their righteousness, believing it doesn’t yield the rewards they expect. In doing so, they risk leading others to question God’s faithfulness in their lives.
The Prosperity Of The Wicked
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.
For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.
They are free from common human burdens;
they are not plagued by human ills. – Psalms 73:1-5 (NIV)
Certainly, God is good to those who are pure in heart, revealing Himself to them as promised (Matthew 5:8). Yet, the author initially assumed that God’s goodness toward Israel was due to their pure hearts. This misconception persists today, as people often believe their hearts are pure simply because they experience God’s blessings. This led the author to wrestle with the apparent prosperity of the wicked, whose hearts are not pure. It also serves as a reminder to the righteous, who sometimes fall short of God’s standards.
The Psalmist confessed that his envy of the wicked led him to stumble. Watching the arrogant prosper, he struggled to love them and began to question God’s justice. Observing the wicked living healthy, carefree lives, seemingly untouched by burdens or illness, deepened his inner conflict. Unaware of God’s ways, he overlooked the truth that God causes the sun to rise and the rain to fall on both the righteous and the unrighteous alike (Matthew 5:45).
Earthly Possession
Therefore pride is their necklace;
they clothe themselves with violence.
From their callous hearts comes iniquity;
their evil imaginations have no limits.
They scoff, and speak with malice;
with arrogance they threaten oppression.
Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
and their tongues take possession of the earth.
Therefore their people turn to them
and drink up waters in abundance.
They say, “How would God know?
Does the Most High know anything?”
This is what the wicked are like—
always free of care, they go on amassing wealth. – Psalms 73:6-12 (NIV)
People while oppressed by the oppressors suffer a lot, yet they admire their oppressors arrogance and pride, as they give them a authoritative look. Knowing very well that they are the cause for their agony, they still love to adore them. This might be a human nature, common to all walks of life. Then everyone has an eye on the possession of the wicked, and long to acquire those kind of possession at any cost. The words of the wicked, does the Most High know anything, prompt the innocent to follow their path believing the God does not know their evil actions. With these trend, people seek God only to acquire wealth.
The scripture tells us in many instances that pride leads to fall, and the desire to amass money and wealth are the root cause for destruction. Yet people desire pride and chase after money. Every one acts as if they are interested in heaven, but in real sense they are ambitious to earn name and fame in this world. If we apply this portion of the Psalm to our lives, we too are sailing in the same boat with the Psalmist.
Entering The Sanctuary
Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
and have washed my hands in innocence.
All day long I have been afflicted,
and every morning brings new punishments.
If I had spoken out like that,
I would have betrayed your children.
When I tried to understand all this,
it troubled me deeply
till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny. – Psalms 73:13-17 (NIV)
Being the children of God, comparing our lives with that of wicked is the grave mistake that we often do. The prosperity of the wicked kindles envy in our heart and that envy is the outcome of our own heart’s desire to become like them. God called us to become like Christ, yet we want to become like one of the business tycoon or celebrity icons. The targets of our lives are fixed by relating us to the environment we live in. For this reason, we must live in spirit, in the atmosphere of Godly realm despite being in our flesh in this world. This is what Jesus told the Samaritan woman, as God is spirit, the worshipers should be in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Truth is the Word of God and every other knowledge we acquire through academic/scientific field are based on the truth of the Word of God. Other than academic/scientific knowledge there are hearsay that perpetuate the ignorance of the people who do not know God and His Word. Basically they are the lies of this world, and Jesus attribute this to the devil, the father of the people, who ignore God (John 8:44). These sect of people betray the people of God from worshipping Him in truth and spirit.
At the end the believers think that their righteous lives are of no use, as it does not yield the required amount of the prosperity of the world, instead it adds agony and sickness to their lives. The Psalmist acknowledged that all these ruthless desires will harm a person till the time he encountered God in His Sanctuary. The Psalmist avail the grace of God to enter into the Sanctuary of God while many depend on their own deeds to reach God. Being with God is the solution to the challenges of the world, yet people stay far from God and pray in vain. Obviously there will be no answers because they treat the one as the answer from God that suits their whims and fancies. But being with God and walking in the light reveals the secrets of the everlasting plans of God that He had made even before the creation of this world.
I was Senseless and Ignorant
Surely you place them on slippery ground;
you cast them down to ruin.
How suddenly are they destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors!
They are like a dream when one awakes;
when you arise, Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.
When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you. – Psalms 73:18-22 (NIV)
The Psalmist gained clarity when he understood the true fate of the wicked. However, coming to this realization by witnessing the destiny of the wicked won’t keep us spiritually awake for long, because it’s still based on comparing ourselves to the world rather than to the truth of God. When we look at the world, we often perceive ourselves as better people. But it’s only by recognizing the grace that has been given to us, despite our unworthy condition, that we can remain truly aware, and our faith will not be shaken.
The prophet Isaiah had a wonderful experience when he compared his own condition with that of the Holy God. He realized two important truths. First, he became aware that his lips were unclean, even though he had assumed he was pure because he lived among people with unclean lips. The second truth he realized was that his sin had been atoned for. So, rather than rejoicing over believers who stumble and fall, we should rejoice in God for what He has done for us.
Proclaiming the Goodness of God
Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds. – Psalms 73:23-28 (NIV)
The Psalmist declared that the ultimate aim of every believer is to attain eternal life. He acknowledged God’s guiding hand, providing counsel and direction toward this ultimate destination. By clinging to God, he believed he would be led safely into eternity.
In today’s context, God has saved us from eternal death and is leading us toward the eternal life He has promised. To attain this eternal life, we must hold on to the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us as a guarantee of our salvation. The Holy Spirit provides counsel and guidance, especially when we are tempted to envy the worldly prosperity of the wicked. Let us not trade the eternal glory for the fleeting glitter of this world, but instead, hold firmly to Jesus, who will present us blameless before His Father.
Until then, we must take refuge in Him and continually proclaim His goodness—if not to others, at least to ourselves. Reminding ourselves of His goodness regularly will help us stay rooted in Him and continue moving forward toward eternal life. Sadly, many people spend their time lamenting over the wickedness of others or the torment brought by the devil, unknowingly allowing the enemy a foothold in their lives.
Father God, pour out Your grace on us so that we do not envy the prosperity of the wicked, but instead seek the true treasure You have stored for us in heaven. Grant us humble hearts to hold fast to the Holy Spirit, securing our undeserved salvation, and help us live according to Your Word, becoming more like Jesus to fully receive the salvation You have promised.
The Jordan Valley 
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