The Sanctuary

Psalm 73:2, 16, 28 ESV

But as for me my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped.

But when I thought how to understand this it seemed to me a wearisome task,

But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.

The evidence is unquestionable. I am my greatest enemy. Over the past weeks I have had the conversation multiple times. Sometimes with others telling me, sometimes with me reiterating the facts of the matter. The world, the Flesh, and the Devil. The great struggle against sin is a struggle against these forces and the forces of light. Looking at the demonic, the majority of my interactions bear little to know resemblance to what I see in the New Testament. Do not mistake that for denial of but rather admission that the majority of my battles are not against said spiritual forces. The World and the Flesh seem to be the main antagonists in the struggle that is my sanctification.

Looking at the Psalmist I see that I am not alone. He begins with the wonderful truth of God’s goodness and blessing of the pure. Then he adds the “but” disrupting the perfect picture we like of Good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people. He looked around and the reality of life just didn’t seem to add up with what his eyes saw. Like most of us, his vision wasn’t as clear as Solomon who at least noted that “the rain falls on the just and the unjust”, but rather he only saw the evil being rewarded and the good suffering. It is easy to fall into that filtered view of life.

That filtered view hurts most because it has enough truth in it. When good gifts are not given to us from God and we see as those who scoff and hate God are given them; kids, employment, land, nice cars, wealth… it is enough to make the firmest foot slip. And so it was for the psalmist as he was brought to despair in seeing the blessings God had given those who scoff at God. Then we come to the next turn in the Psalm.

The Psalmist had spent his time contemplating the ways of life, watching, and trying to understand how these things could be. He was wearied and worn out by the task. He seeks out God. In seeking him out he went to the temple. As a youth I remember sitting for quiet moments in an empty sanctuary. Thinking and contemplating after fellowship meals in the basement. The Temple, however, was not a quiet place to be alone, to contemplate these things. People are always coming and going, worshiping with offerings and sacrifices. He would go and try to solve this conundrum where Songs were being sung and animals were being burned.

To often we think that being alone is going to help us solve our problems. “Do not lean on your own understanding” we are told but we are Americans and are grown to be independent and self-sufficient. How humiliating it is to have to go and ask for help. To lean on others as they help open scripture with us to discern wisdom in the midst of the congregation of God’s people met together.

The Temple of God, and the worship of him, is where the answer was found for this song writer. He watched as animals were slain, because of sin, their bodies thrown on the alter, to be burned, blood shed for remission of sins. He would ponder this and join the writer of Hebrews in understanding that “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). They seem to live in victory but their end is death. The wicked, no matter how great and blessed on earth, will die and be cast into the fire.

Seeing this reality, the Psalmist is driven to the one place he can go to find that he is different than the wicked. Only in how God relates to him. God held his right hand, God guided him with his counsel, and God will receive him in Glory (v 23-25). He ends his Psalm with the renewed focus that God is who he must draw near to and the desire to publish the works of God to all who would hear.

I often struggle with letting my eyes lead my heart to become distraught with the ways of the world. Letting my flesh cry out for things unneeded. As we battle with the sins of our flesh and this world let follow the psalmist to the sanctuary. To God’s people gathered together worshiping and serving him. Let us press into the assembly of believers and watch as he uses his hands in feet to comfort our heart.

Coram Deo