ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THE PSALMS

Structure

The Pulpit Commentary gives us the traditional five parts to Psalm 73: Sanctuary Importance: “We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house” (Ps. 65:4).
(1) The goodness of God with a condition. He affirms the goodness of God to all with a condition: "To such as are of a clean heart" (v1). Confession of sin cleans the heart: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). David prayed, teaching us: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Ps. 51:10). “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Ps. 32:1). (See Heb. 9:22, v23-24).
(2) The vexation of the soul’s entanglements (v1-12; See 2 Peter 2:8). He shares his personal problem, a vexation of his soul: that of the prosperity of the wicked and the poverty of God's people. Why do the ungodly prosper and the godly not? Why do I hurt when that other non-believing person doesn’t? “They are not in trouble as other men: neither are they plagued like other men” (v5). He blames God for the problem. That’s a No! No!
He says that his feet almost slipped over this. Why? He was envious as he looked at the foolish and ungodly. He describes the character of these he considers ungodly (v6-9). He was obsessed with this mental-spiritual entanglement (v14, 21). The Apostle Paul warns God’s children in regard to the world’s entanglements (2 Tim. 2:4). The Apostle John did also: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15). We need to keep our focus on Jesus; then, we’d not sink into this bondage of worldly entanglements (Matt. 14:25-31, v30).
(3) The importance of the Sanctuary of God (v17-20). His eyes were enlightened on the subject of this good and evil when he went to the Sanctuary of God (The House of God) (v17-20). There he got a word from God on the subject. The Sanctuary is important for Worship, Word, and Walk (building our soul-spirits). The Lord told Moses, “And there I will meet with thee, and commune with thee from above the mercy seat . . .” (See Exodus 25:22). The Lord had said that He would meet with them at the altar of God in the House of God. That’s a holy place. Joseph Parker said, “It is at the House of God that my soul has seen most of the Divine going” (Parker, Studies in Texts, Vol. 1, viii).
(4) Life’s solutions are found in the Word of God at the House of God (v21-27). He contrasts his present state of perplexity and danger with his present satisfaction and security due to the answer he found at the Sanctuary of God. There are ought to be answers for life’s perplexing problems coming from the pulpits from the Word of God at the House of God. (See Acts 20:28).
(5) Conclusion (v28): It is good for the soul to draw near to God (v28; See Exodus 25:22). Trust in the Lord and a vision of the destruction of evil might come your way. He concludes the Psalm with an expression of unqualified trust in God and the ultimate salvation of the righteous and the absolute destruction of the wicked (their lostness to God, His goodness, and His eternal dwelling place). (The Pulpit Commentary, Exposition, Vol. 8, Psalms, 70).

Spurgeon divides this Psalm with five divisions: Fact, Focus, Faith, Fix, and Fight.
(1) The Soul’s Faith in God with a Condition (v1): Fact. “Verily (Amen, Truly) God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart” (v1). He is even good to those whose hearts are unclean. Good thing! This is applicable to the Church and all persons wanting a closer walk with the Lord—that’s you and me.
(2) The Soul’s Frustration of Faith (v2-14): Focus. He states his problem. His vexation with the world and evil had caused him to almost slip away from God (v2): “My steps had well-nigh slipped” (v2b). It means one’s walk with God, one’s faith, one’s well-being was on slippery ground.
What’s the indicator of slippery soul-steps? One stops attending the services in the House of God, or has never started.
(3) The Soul’s Futility of Faith (v15-17): Faith (Believe). A lady yelled at me once, “What can faith do?” It is an offense (downward spirit) for the future generation, says the Psalmist (v15). It was futile to seek the answer in the world (mixing faith with fatalism) (v16). He found the answer at the House of God (v17): through the Word of God, the sacrifice of praise, and the renewal of faith. He received deliverance from his dilemma. It was a spiritual heart problem with a spiritual solution.
(4) The Soul’s Focus of faith (v18-20): Fix. His fixed refocus in faith revealed the destiny, demise, and destruction of the wicked ungodly non-believers. They are in danger of slipping into the eternal abyss, down into destruction (v18). They are brought to desolation, “as in a moment they are utterly consumed with terrors” (v19; See Rev. 6:15-17). They are going to awake in eternity with their image despised by the Lord (v20). They are desolate, despised, and destroyed (v18-20). (Their “image” is the creation in the image of God” (See Gen. 1:26; Gen. 6:3, 5-6, v7).
(5) The Soul’s Foolish Behavior: Fight or Flight. “So foolish was I, and ignorant” (v22; See Hosea 3:6). He struggled to the finality. Finally, he condemns his own folly, and worships and adores the Lord accepting the forgiving grace of God (v21-24). Perhaps, he prayed something of the sinner’s prayer: “God, be merciful unto me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13). One of our seminary professors was telling us of an instance of great evil that accosted him. When asked, “What did you do?” He said, “I ran.” Probably wise!
Conclusion. The Soul’s Spiritual renewal—The How of it? (Note specifically, v23, v25-28—The Eternal Presence and the “Nevertheless”). He renews his faith (v25), reconsecrates his soul-spirit to the Lord (v26), and refocuses and reasserts his need to draw nearer to God (v28; James 4:8). He reminds himself of the eternal destiny of those that are alienated from God (v27). (Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 2, “Psalm 73,” 246; Outline with examples and comments by JB).

The Soul’s Spiritual Illumination. With an insight into the problem of evil, Morgan divides the Psalm into three sections gathering the thoughts around three words. One could title it: A Crisis of Faith (v2): The secret (v1-12); The Sanctuary (v17); and The Solution. (Morgan, Notes, 135).
(1) The Secret (v1-12). Asaph was comparing physical things with spiritual (1 Cor. 2:13). You'll come out with the wrong answer every time. Paul said, "Don't do that; but compare spiritual things with spiritual things" (1 Cor. 1:12-16; 3:1-2). There is no comparison between earth and eternity. The Psalmist was comparing physical prosperity with spiritual prosperity looking around at people who were better off than he was and not suffering half as bad.