Part 4: Asaph (50, 73-83)

Psalm 50
3 Misinterpretations of God's Judgment
1) He will judge us based on our practice of the sacrificial system
2) He will judge our public lives, but not our private lives
3) His delay in judging puts in to question the certainty of future judgment

Psalm 73 & 75-76
Psalm 73 begins with 2 lines of Hebrew Parallelism. Israel is spoken of synonymously with the pure in heart. This is a precursor to the sayings of Jesus & Paul. Verse 1 is spoken in the present tense for the author, but the rest of the Psalm recounts a time of great difficulty for his faith in a 'good' God. He struggled with the fact that in practical observation, it seemed like God loved the wicked! They were wealthy (3). They were healthy (4). They freely mocked God (8). The author, at that time, was ashamed to admit his struggle because of how it might impact those he was leading (15). But the author received revelation on this issue when he entered the presence of God (17). The revelation was about the ultimate final destiny of the wicked. Their present stance is on 'slippery ground' (18). The wicked are, in fact, like a nightmare to God. It's as if He's dreaming a horrible dream, but when He awakes, they will vanish from memory (20). In other words, their time of triumph will be short lived. The author admits that his former doubts and concerns regarding this issue were held out of ignorance (22). He now trusts in future vindication from God and considers righteousness its own reward (28). Psalm 75, also, is a Psalm of God's sovereignty and future judgment. The righteous will be vindicated while the horns (power) of the wicked will be cut off (75:10). Psalm 76 speaks of God's sovereignty over the nations.

Psalm 74 & 79
These 2 Psalms seem to have been written on the occasion of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. God's revelation had ceased (74:9). It seemed as if God had His hands in His pockets (74:11). The author knows, from the past, that God is capable of resolving the issue of Jerusalem's overthrow, and he begs Him to rise up (22). Psalm 79 speaks of the horrible state of Jerusalem (79:1-4) and asks how long God will be angry (79:5). The Psalmist begs for God's help.

Psalm 77
This author advises his readers to focus on the positives amidst crisis. The crisis of faith is found in verses 1-9. But at verse 10, the author transitions to reflecting on God's past presence and victories. He realizes that God is with us even when He doesn't seem to be (19).

Psalm 78
This long Psalm is a record of Israel's history, re-told for the purpose of keeping Israel from repeating past mistakes. The readers are comforted by being reminded that God knows we are merely flesh.

Psalm 80
Psalm 80 is a prayer for restoration (3, 7, 19). Verses 8-16 contain an extended metaphor comparing Israel to a vine. Jesus, of course, called Himself the vine.

Psalm 81
This was a Psalm for the feast of the tabernacles, a 7 day long festival in Judaism. It speaks of Israel's delivery from Egypt and promises that God will respond to obedience. It recognizes Israel's subsequent rebellion, but promises that simple obedience will restore right relationship.

Psalm 82
This Psalm is used by various groups in doctrinal disputes because of its usage of the word 'gods.' It's a Psalm about God judging wicked judges, but instead of using the term 'judges,' it uses the term 'gods.' This term is used b/c these judges have been made like God, in a sense, because of the authority and responsibility He has placed on them. Unfortunately, these judges had used this position of power to defend the unjust (2). These judges had been no help to the poor and needy (3-4). Because of this, these judges/gods were about to be condemned themselves by the true Judge/God (7).

Psalm 83
Psalm 83 is one of the imprecatory Psalms, which means it's a Psalm which includes a curse on one's enemies. These Psalms are controversial in that it may seem difficult to reconcile them to Jesus' teaching in the New Testament. Three possible explanations emerge:
1) These 'feelings' are natural and honest to express
2) The curses are descriptive of the ultimate fate of the wicked
3) They are appropriate for the Old Covenant, but not the New Covenant
In any case, we know that personal vengence is not for the believer. If such feelings/curses are OK, they must be motivated for an increase in God's glory (16-18)