Doubt: When Faith and Life Clash
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Greg Waybright
- Psalm 73
- Heart Cries
- 39 mins 5 secs
- Views: 1080
Community Study
Notes for Teacher/Facilitator
Psalm 73 is a personal lament in which the psalmist expresses some of his doubts about God’s provision in light of good things happening to bad people. The psalm progresses in a very clear manner: beginning with a statement of truth (v.1), the complaint he is lamenting (vv.2-3), a description of the people he is considering (vv.4-12), comparing his human response with God’s response (vv.15-26), and ending with a strong statement of truth once again (vv.27-28). The psalmist is identified as Asaph, which may be a reference to a figure in the Old Testament who is identified as a singer, seer, and songwriter (Ezra 2.41; 2 Chronicles 29.30; Nehemiah 12.46). Thus, the psalms attributed to Asaph may come from him or may come from the temple singers who stood in the tradition of Asaph.
Word Studies
Here are a few notes about particular words in this psalm:
- “Prosperity” (shalom) v.3: This is the Hebrew word that we most often translate as “peace,” though its meaning extends well beyond “peace” and/or “prosperity.” It implies completeness in number, soundness of body, welfare and health, and contentment and tranquility. A common way to translate shalom today is with the word “flourishing.”
- “Oppression” (osheq) v.8: This word means to cause intentional harm to a person or a people and often implies the idea of extortion, which means the act of taking something from someone through force or threats.
- “Afflicted” (naga) v.14: In this psalm this verb is used in the passive voice, meaning that the action of the verb is done to the subject of the verb. Since naga means “to touch” or “to strike,” in the passive it means “to be struck” or “to be attacked.” The psalmist is very clearly saying that he is the object of violent attacks by his enemies.
- “Brute beast” (behemah) v.22: This Hebrew word stands behind the English word “behemoth” and generally means something like a wild animal. The psalmist is here saying that his doubts caused him to be ignorant and irrational toward God, like a wild animal.
- “Portion” (cheleq) v.26: This word means something which is possessed by someone, often gained through some kind of conquest. Here God is named as the psalmist’s portion, meaning that through God’s work and his covenant, he has made himself available to all who enter into relationship with him.
Introduction
- Open your class/community time with prayer. Ask the Spirit of God to reveal himself to all of you through the Scriptures and through your discussion together.
- Discuss last week’s challenge and encourage people to share how the challenge went for them.
- Which of these questions is harder for you to wrestle with: 1) Why do bad things happen to good people?; or 2) Why do good things happen to bad people? How do you wrestle with them?
Bible Questions
- In verse 3 we learn that the psalmist almost slipped in his faith because he saw the prosperity (Hebrew: shalom) of the wicked. In other words, he was asking God a question like this: “Why do good things happen to bad people?” Is this a question you struggle with? Why or why not?
- In verse 12 the psalmist says that the wicked are “always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.” Do you think that the psalmist’s understanding is correct? Are the wicked carefree or have the psalmist’s doubt and frustration caused him to understand things poorly?
- The psalmist says in verse 17 that it was entering the sanctuary of God, the temple, that helped him come around with regard to his doubt and frustration toward the wicked. Have you had that experience when coming to corporate worship? What about coming together to worship God helps bring clarity to us as followers of Jesus?
- The psalmist is moved by his connection to God, so much so that in verse 28 he says he wants to tell the world of the deeds of God. What might it take for you and your community to be excited to share the good news of Jesus with the world?
Discussion Questions
- Is our love for God called into question by our doubts and sincere questions? Why or why not?
- As brothers and sisters in Christ, how can we support one another in the midst of our confusion and doubt? What sorts of things are unhelpful in times of confusion and doubt?
- How do you think those who are far from the Lord view us when we pretend to never have doubts? Is exercising our ability to question God good for evangelism?
Takeaway
Questions and doubt can serve as catalysts toward our faith in Christ maturing and deepening!
Challenge
This week when something happens that causes you to want to question God, do so. Ask him where he is at in the midst of your confusing situation. Ask him to show up and to guide you through the scenario. Ask him to send others into your life who can offer support and help.
Study Notes
Doubt: When Faith and Life Clash - Sermon Notes
Heart Cries: Doubt – When Faith and Life Clash
Psalm 73
Most Christians, sometime or other, have serious questions about their faith. A few of my Christian friends tell me that isn’t true for them – and I suppose that I believe them when they tell me that. But, I think that most people, including strong and long-time Jesus-followers have times of doubt – even about things as important as whether God is real and whether God is good.
There are certainly a lot of things that happen in our world that might lead to us having doubts. When I think of things like the growing violence in our nation; the hundreds of thousands of displaced refugees in our world and the many homeless children among them; and add to that personal things like terminal cancer and congenital handicaps; plus natural disasters and wars and miseries and sufferings of a thousand kinds in this world – I find each one asks the same question for an honest Christian: How could God allow it?
And that brings us to our heart cry of this weekend, i.e., the heart cry that comes when we are having doubts about our faith. I know, of course, that some people think that having doubt means that you no longer have faith. But, that’s not true. Contrary to popular opinion, doubt is not the opposite of faith. To think that is to confuse doubt with unbelief. But those are two quite different things. When you think about it, doubt is really only something that a believer can experience. You can only doubt what you believe. Atheists have doubts – but their doubts are about whether God might really be real after all. That’s their doubt.
For a Christian, I’ve found that doubt only becomes a problem when we try to run away from it. Christians who have the courage to engage with doubt honestly find that, far from being weakened by the battle, our faith often grows stronger as a result of those struggles. And, that’s what I want to show you today as we come to Psalm 73. Psalm 73 is a poem written by a man of genuine faith who is wrestling with genuine doubt. In v. 2, he tells us he came close to abandoning his faith altogether. In fact, in v. 2, we find a moving description of what doubt feels like: My feet had almost slipped;I had nearly lost my foothold.
When God is at the center of our lives, he is the one who provides a foothold for the difficult times. For the real believer, when God is the one we begin to doubt, then, we feel like we have nothing to stand on. It’s like stepping onto black ice in the middle of the night. We feel there is nothing we can do but slip and fall.
That’s how Asaph felt as he began his Psalm. But, at the end of the Psalm, his testimony is that he felt closer to God than ever before. See V.28. In the verses in between v. 2 and v. 28, Asaph tells us the story of a remarkable pilgrimage -- of how he progressed from doubt to a deeper relationship with God. I pray that this might happen for some who have come to church today.
Today, we’ll look at the two halves of Asaph’s salm. Part 1: Asaph describes the problems we have when we doubt (73:1-14), and then in Part 2, he gives us the solution he discovered (73:15-28).
Part 1: The Problem (73:1-14) The clash between what we believe and what we observe.
Asaph tells us what he believed in v. 1: Surely God is good to his people, to those who are pure in heart. Asaph probably said or sang verse 1 every week in worship. It’s a comforting thought, isn’t it? It declares that God can be relied upon to be good to those who are good. There are many churchgoers who are convinced if you live right and believe right, then you should expect God to reward you with good things for that.
But, as Asaph looked around, he noticed that reality didn't square up with his belief. If anything, the opposite seemed to be true. Read 73:3-11 and you’ll see that Asaph saw the prosperity, not of the pure in heart, but of the wicked. In those verses, Asaph said something like this: "Come on, church people! Open your eyes! Whatever the preacher says in church, really it’s the corrupt people in this world who have no problems. They're proud, they're loud-mouthed and arrogant -- but nothing ever seems to happen to them! -- except that they become popular. People want to become as successful as they are and praise them in spite of their evil.”
Read v.12. This is the problem that confronts Asaph and leads to his doubts. Asaph’s question: How can God let this happen? It’s a problem we can all relate to, isn't it? Look at all the people who have misused people and conned unsuspecting investors and then live lives of luxury while those conned are left only with debts.
When I was in 1st grade, all the little kids were being bullied by a couple of big kids. I complained once to the teacher. Do you know what she said to me? "It's a cruel world, Greg." And I thought, "Yeah, but why don't you do something about it!" That's why this was such a problem for Asaph. He saw people being bullied and couldn't figure out why a good God wasn't doing anything about it.
But, here’s the big question: Why did this suddenly – on one particular day -- become such a problem for Asaph? He didn't wake up and realize these injustices for the 1st time one morning. Those realities surely had been there long before the day he wrote this poem. Why did it suddenly turn into such a crisis of faith?
The answer is found in vv.13-14. Notice all the times in those verses that he talks abut “I” and “my”. It shouldn't be so. However, the truth is that the problem of the innocent suffering doesn't really become a problem for us until we personally become the suffering innocent. Then it becomes a huge problem. In v.1, he had said God is good to those who are pure in heart. Now he says, “I have kept my heart pure and I’m not getting any good benefits out of it.”
At least, the Psalmist is honest enough to admit his self-absorption. He could have complained about social injustice or “the principle of the thing” but he was frank enough to say that the problem was, "Why me, Lord?" "I envied the arrogant," he confessed (v.3). He wanted what they had. And that's the way it always is. We read of children dying of malnourishment, of homes lost to floods or fires --but it often doesn’t become a crisis of faith until it happens to me! Then, we cry out, “Why do I have to lose my job?” “Why do I have to be so sick?”
But whether it’s self-centered or not, the problem Asaph raises is a real one. What answer would you give if someone asked you the questions Asaph asked? How are we to respond when we come across people who are being assaulted with these kinds of doubts? Maybe you understand exactly what he's saying because something is happening that you just don't think you deserve! Maybe doubts are filling your mind right now.
Part 2: The Solution
A. Where He Discovered It
Notice where he was when he discovered the solution. Read vv.15-17. Notice the turning point in his heart when he said, "Till I entered the sanctuary of God, life was oppressive to me." The first step in dealing with doubt is to take a look over the shadows to catch a glimpse of God Himself. That is what is at the heart of worship. We take time to put God in his rightful place in our life. We fix our eyes on him.
That's what happened to Asaph. Thoughts were going through his mind, which, if he had expressed them, would have been utterly blasphemous. But in the midst of all this, he found his way to the house of God. Maybe he couldn't avoid it that day. Maybe he was in the choir, or had nursery duty. Maybe he even had to preach. But it was there in church that at last his mind began to clear. I pray that might happen to some today.
What should you discover in worship that can change doubt into a deeper relationship with God?
B. What He Discovered
1. A new perspective on human destiny. V.17b-18 -- You place them on slippery ground…
When you worship, you put God at the center of your vision. That begins to help you gain a God-centered perspective on what is happening. And that's important because its only when you begin to see things as God sees them that you see things as they really are. Without God’s perspective, Asaph was bothered because wicked people seemed to be doing rather well. When he began to worship, he began to realize that he seeing things from the perspective of a limited, time-bound observer.
Once he saw these wicked men from God’s perspective, their situation didn’t look so great. Read vv.17b-18a. God has said that people will not get away with evil forever. He will judge evil. All those successes that evil people were enjoying were not going to last – but, Asaph had forgotten that fact. We can only get to that perspective when we come to God and see things as He sees them. When we are preoccupied with the present moment, then eternal things get blurred out of our minds.
From God's eternal perspective, the material prosperity of the wicked is as substantial as a dream. V.20.
Imagine this: Have you ever had one of those nightmares in which you wake up sweating because of anxiety or fear? Maybe, you dream you're in the department store with every person you admire being there. Then you realize you forgot to get dressed before going shopping. You jump up out of your sleep, startled, and you look around you. Then you start laughing at your foolishness. It was only a dream! It all seemed so real. But it wasn't. You feel so silly to get so excited about something so ephemeral.
That's how God views it when evil people prosper. The prosperity of the wicked in God's sight is as unreal as a dream because it’s not eternal. It’s not going to last — just like tribulations for God's people are not going to last. And that's exactly what Asaph saw when he worshipped and put God at the center of the stage. He then saw how fleeting this prosperity of the wicked was that he was envying so much.
Let me tell you this: That is always the first step to finding your way through doubt -- worshiping God and getting His perspective on things. That's just one of many reasons why its so crucial for you to gather in God’s house on a regular basis -- not to be entertained, not just to meet your friends, not even simply to be taught -- but to worship. To acknowledge God is, he is here and he is in control of the present and the future.
When you know that, and you remember that God is a God who loves you so much that He gave His Son for You – then you can declare, "I know that God works all things together for good to those who love Him."
2. A new perspective on himself. 73:21-24 – I am always with you…
Asaph took time to look into himself, into what he believed. This kind of introspection is important. But, it can be problematic too if we get stuck focusing on ourselves. Part of the trouble of introspection is that once we get into the habit of looking at all our failures and problems, we can quickly fall into a vicious downward spiral. We might not feel like worshiping God. We would rather wallow in self-pity. When we do, we often become obsessed with our troubles and our darkness grows deeper and deeper. That often happens in times of doubt.
So, believe me – it’s a good thing to develop a habit of going to church every week — because if you do not learn to force yourself to regularly put God at the center of your life, then when doubts come, you will not have the help of this eternal perspective that worship give you. When you are in the place of worship, gladly or not, you are exposed to the presence of God. Here’s what I have experienced: When I worship God, I see myself as I really am. I see things about myself that I’d rather not see. And, when I confess them to God, I discover over and over that he steps in with forgiveness and renewing grace.
Notice what Asaph saw: "I envied the arrogant”! Hee became aware of how silly that is. Asaph kicked himself for such foolishness. Vv.21-22. That's the way we often feel when God is left out of the picture. But then when we enter into God's presence, we suddenly discover something else about ourselves. Asaph discovered that in spite of all his doubts and foolish talk, he nevertheless was a child of God.
Vv.23-24. When you stay away from God’s house, you might wonder whether you truly belong to God. The devil might tell you, "You're not a real Christian. With all your doubts and bad thoughts -- and your deeds aren't so great either! How can you think you're a Christian?"
When you worship, you realize that it's not only your doubts you have to come to terms with; it's also your faith. Your faith, your relationship to God, is just as much a real part of your life as any doubts that might trouble you. Matters will arise in this world that cause questions about what you believe about God, but no amount of questions can ever annihilate a real experience with Him.
One of the reasons we come into worship each week is to re-discover this fundamental truth about ourselves: That God is always with us. That He holds us with His right hand. That He guides us with His counsel. That He will take us to glory. To surrender to your doubts would be just as false to your true self as pretending that the doubts didn't exist.
It's such an important thing to grasp hold of this. Faith is not some delicate little thing like a plant that has to be kept in a green house because you fear that it’s going to be knocked down by the wind and the rain. Faith in Jesus is like a healthy perennial. It brings you into a real relationship with God that springs up even when everything in this world seems determined to extinguish it. Have you ever experienced that?
If you don't think that what I’m saying is true, then just try the sort of experiment that the Asaph tried. Say to yourself, "I'm fed up with this Christian faith. I have far too many intellectual problems to remain a Christian any longer. I'm going to give it up." Try to imagine yourself in that situation. Here’s what I’ve found: The one who truly knows God will find that the moment you try to deny God, you finds he cannot.
You can't give up a real relationship by saying it isn’t real. As hard as you try to deny it, faith keeps re-asserting itself like a cork pushed down under the surface of the water. You lift up your hand and it bobs right up to the top again. Why? Because, for the person who truly has placed faith in Jesus, God is real. I tell you: I cannot run from God’s presence any more than Asaph could. I hear God say, "Greg, I am always with you."
And Asaph discovered that about himself in the temple. While he stayed out of contact with God, he could think he wasn't a believer. But as soon as he was brought face to face with God in worship, this illusion dissolved. "What a fool I have been," he said. He knew that even in life's bitterest moments, God was always with him.
3. A new perspective on what is important (73:25-26) – It is good to be near God…
Have you ever talked with someone who answers every question with: "Well, it all depends on what you mean by..." It's an effective ploy to stall people when you don't know the answer. Try it in school sometime.
So, lets’ go back to v.1. It’s the big question underlying the whole Psalm: Is God good to his people – to those who are good?" “Hmm,” you might say, “well, it all depends on what you mean by good." If you mean, "Does God make all people of faith rich?" Then, it's not true. If you mean, "Does God make all people of faith healthy?" That's not true. If you mean, "Does God make all people of faith popular?" That certainly isn't true.
So if having riches and health and popularity is all that you mean by “good”, then, no - God is not good to the those who are his. But those benefits, as wonderful as are, are not what real goodness consists of, are they? One of the greatest mistakes we make in our world is allowing the pursuit of temporary "good" things to rob us of the best things.
V. 25: "Whom have I in heaven but You and being with you I desire nothing on earth." This makes me think of so many weddings I’ve done. Many of us in our youth and passionate enthusiasm said to someone once, "I take you for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, for better for worse." What we meant, or should have meant, when we said those words is that having that person in our lives is more precious than any other good thing we can think of. We are saying that the very ability to enjoy riches or health or good things depends upon our ability to share it with that person. Being with that person, we really require nothing else.
If human love can be so precious -- if human love can make us so indifferent to materialistic, physical welfare, then where on earth should the love of God figure in our scale of values? Hear Asaph’s testimony: 73:26 – “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
Consider this: One of these days you may pay off your mortgage. But your house will still fall down -- one of these days. One of these days you may get that car you've been longing for that's so much better than any car you can imagine. But that car will still break down--one of these days. Do you really believe that those are the kinds of things that make life good? If you do, I pity you. Through surrender to Jesus Christ, you discover the pearl of great price for which a person could sell all he has and still know he’s made a great deal.
Asaph learned of the beauty of this real pearl when he came into God's house to worship. In the light of the beauty of knowing God, he saw how foolish it was to doubt God because of things that really matter. He got his life back into perspective. He began with doubt – but he ends with a deeper relationship to God than ever.
So, here you too are in God’s house today. And Asaph speaks to you through his Psalm. He tells you that God is good to His people. But listen to what he means by good. "As for me, it is good to be near God." That's what it means to be good. "Being with Him, I require nothing else on earth."
Chinese Study Notes
心灵的呐喊：疑惑 ----当信仰与生活碰撞之时
诗篇 73
大多数的基督徒对于自己的信仰或迟或早都会提出一些严肃的问题。我的几个基督徒朋友告诉我，事实并非如此，我应该相信他们，但是我认为，大多数人，包括那些坚定跟随耶稣多年的人，都会有疑惑的时候，甚至对于神是否存在和祂是否良善这样的重要问题都存在着疑惑。
毫无疑问，在这个世界上发生的许多事情都会使我们感到疑惑。我想到我们国家不断上升的暴力事件，世上成千上万离开家园的难民，和他们之中那些无家可归的孩童；除此之外，还有致命的癌症、天生的残疾，加上自然灾害、战争和世上数千种的痛苦与不幸，我发现，任何一个诚实的基督徒都会问同样的问题：神怎会允许这一切发生呢？
而这就是我们这周所要谈论的主题：当我们对信仰有疑惑的时候，我们心灵的呐喊。当然，我知道，有些人认为，疑惑就意味着不信。但是这是错误的想法。和大众流行的观点相反，疑惑并不是信仰的反面，否则就是混淆了疑惑和不信。这是两个非常不同的概念。仔细想想，其实，只有相信的人才能经历疑惑。你只能对于你所相信的事情感到疑惑。无神论者也有疑惑，但是他们的疑惑是，神到底是不是真的。
对于一个基督徒来说，我发现，只有当我们试图逃离信仰的时候，这个疑惑才会变成一个问题。有勇气面对疑惑的基督徒会诚实地发现，在那样的疑惑中挣扎之后，我们的信仰非但没有被削弱，反而愈加坚强。这就是我今天要在诗篇73篇中要告诉大家的信息。诗篇73是一个有着真正的信仰、又真正地与疑惑争战的人所写的。在第二节中，他告诉我们，他几乎要放弃了自己的信仰。事实上，在第2节，我们看到了他对于疑惑不断改变的描述：“至于我，我的脚几乎闪失，我的脚险些滑跌。”
当神是我们生命的中心时，祂会为我们艰难的时候提供稳健的支点。对于真正的信仰者来说，当我们开始对神本身感到疑惑时，我们会感到，我们没有了立足点，就如同在黑夜中踏在冰上一般。我们会觉得，除了闪失和滑跌，我们什么也不能做。
这就是亚萨在他开始这首诗篇时的感觉。但是，在诗篇的结尾，他的见证是，他比以前更亲近神。请看28节，在第2节和第28节之间，亚萨告诉我们一个精彩的朝圣之旅，他讲了自己如何从对神的疑惑迈向与神之间更深的关系之中。我盼望，这也能发生在今天在座各位的生命中。
今天，我们来看一看亚萨这首诗篇的两个部分。在第一部分，亚萨描述了当我们疑惑时所遇到的问题（73：1-14）；在第二部分，他给了我们他所找到的答案（73：15-28）。
第一部分：问题所在（73：1-14）：我们所信与我们所见之间的冲突
在第一节，亚萨告诉我们他所相信的：神实在恩待以色列那些清心的人。亚萨有可能每周都会在敬拜之时吟唱第一节，这一节很有安慰的功效，它宣告说，对于那些良善的人，神是良善的，是可以被信靠的。很多信徒都认为，如果他们正确地生活和相信，那么他们就会受到神的奖赏。
但是，亚萨纵观周围，发现现实并非如此，有时候甚至适得其反。请读一读73：3-11，你就会发现，亚萨所看到的繁荣，不是心灵的清洁，而是邪恶昌盛。在这些经文中，亚萨的意思是在说，“相信神的人们啊，睁开你的眼睛，牧师们在教会中所说的，是世上腐败之人不会遇到问题，事实上，他们很自豪，他们傲慢和大声喧哗，但是他们似乎仍然平安无事！而且他们还变得受人欢迎。人们都希望像他们一样成功，尽管他们是邪恶的，他们仍然受人赞美。”
请看第12节。这里讲到了亚萨所面对的问题，他的疑惑就源于此。亚萨的问题是：神怎么能让这样的事发生呢？我们也都会有这个疑问，不是吗？看看那些滥用别人信任的人，那些欺骗毫无戒心的投资者的人，他们过着奢华的生活，而被他们欺骗的人们只剩下债务。
在我上一年级的时候，所有低年纪的孩子都被几个大孩子欺负。有一次我向老师投诉，你猜她跟我说什么？“Greg，这个世界很残酷。”我当时想，“当然了，但是你为什么不能做些什么呢？”这也就是亚萨的问题所在。他看到人们被欺负，却无法猜透为什么良善的神什么都不做。
但是，这里有一个大问题：为什么突然之间，这件事成为了亚萨的大问题？他并不是在某一天早晨醒来，第一次意识到这样不公平的事情。这些现实问题肯定早在他写诗篇之前就存在了。为什么这个问题会突然成为他信仰的危机？
答案就在第13-14节。请留意，他在这两节经文中都只谈到“我”和“我的”。不应当如此。然而事实是，对我们来说，无辜者遭受痛苦的问题并不成其为一个问题，除非我们自身就是无故遭受痛苦的人，如果是这样，那就是一个大问题了。他在第一节说，神恩待那些清心的人。现在，他说，“我实在徒然洁净了我的心，徒然洗手表明无辜。”
至少，诗人很诚实地承认他的自我中心。他可以抱怨社会的不公正或者“事情的原则”，但是他坦率地承认，问题是，“主啊，为什么是我？”他承认，“我嫉妒傲慢的人”（3节）。他想要拥有他们所有的。事情似乎总是这样。我们听过死于营养不良的儿童，因洪水或火灾失去家园的人们，但是那些都不足以成为信仰的危机，直到那些事情发生在我身上！然后我们就会呼求：“我为什么会失去工作？我为什么会病得这么厉害？”
然而无论是否是自我中心，亚萨所提出的问题的确很真实。如果有人问你亚萨所问的这个问题，你会怎样回答？当我们遇到正在面临这些疑惑的人们时，我们应当怎样回应？也许你非常理解他所说的这一切，因为你也正在面临着同样的遭遇，而你觉得这一切都不应当发生在你身上！
第二部分: 解决方法
A. 从何处发现解决的方法
注意看他从何处发现解决的办法。读15-17节，请留意诗人心灵的转折点，他说“等我进入神的圣所，眼看实系为难。” 对付怀疑的第一步，乃是越过阴霾，定睛观看阴云之上的神。这是敬拜的中心。将神放在我们生命当中的正确位置需要时间，要定睛在祂的身上。
这就是在亚萨身上所发生的。各种意念在他的思想中穿流而过，倘若表达出来，尽是全然的亵渎。但在困境之中，他径自奔向神的圣所。也许那天他无法回避，也许他在唱诗班，也许在担任幼儿班的事奉，也许他要讲道。但就是在神的圣所，他的思路才开始得以清晰起来。我的祷告是，你今天也有同样的经历。
在敬拜中，你是否发现，什么可以将疑惑转变为与神之间更深的关系？
B. 他发现了什么
1. 他对人类结局新的视角 17b-18节 –你实在把他们安在滑地…
当你敬拜的时候，神在你视野的中心。这会开始帮助你用以神为中心的眼光来看待所发生的事。这很重要，因为只有当你以神的眼光来看事物，你才能看见它们的本质。挪去神的眼光，亚萨倍感困扰，因为恶人看似兴旺。他敬拜的时候，开始意识到，他是以一种有限的，受时间限制的眼光来看问题。
当他从神的眼光来看恶人的时候，他们的情形就不见得那么乐观。请读17b-18a节。神说恶人不会永远逃脱罪恶。神将要审判罪恶。恶人所享的昌盛不会持久，但是亚萨忘记了这个事实。只有当我们来到神的面前，才能用神的眼光来看待事物。当我们被眼前的时刻所占据的时候，永恒的事物就从我们的思想中变为模糊。
从神永恒的眼光来看，恶人财宝加增就如同一场梦。 20节
想象一下: 你有没有做过这样的噩梦，从惊吓中大汗淋漓地醒来。也许你梦见在百货店，你仰慕的众人都在场，然后你意识到自己没穿好衣服就出来购物。你从睡梦中惊醒，吓一大跳，前后顾盼，然后笑话自己有多么的愚蠢。 这不过是一场梦！看似那么的真实，但却不是真的，为了那么短暂的事物如此激动，实在愚蠢。
神正是如此看待恶人兴旺的。恶人的兴旺在神的眼中就如梦一般不真实，因为这不是永恒的，不会长久---- 就如神的子民所受苦难不会长久一样。这正是亚萨在敬拜的时候，将神放在舞台的中央所看见的。然后他看见他深为妒忌的恶人兴旺转瞬即逝。
让我告诉你这点： 超越疑惑的第一步，总是从敬拜神以及用神的眼光看待事物开始。正因如此，这也就是常常聚集在神的家中一起敬拜是如此关键的主要原因之一，不是到教会以求娱乐，交朋友，或者只是来听教，而是来敬拜神，并认识那位掌管今日与未来的神。
当你认识到这点，并且记念神爱你，甚至将祂的独生子赐给你，你就会宣告说，“我知道神叫万事都互相效力，叫爱神的人得益处。”
2.他对自己新的视角。 73：21-24 --- 我常与你同在...
亚萨花了许多的时间来审视自己及自己的信仰。这种内省很重要。但是，如果我们陷入对自己过度的关注，就会有问题的了。这种内省的问题就是：一旦我们习惯性地过多看待自己的失败和问题，我们就会迅速地陷入恶性向下的漩涡之中。我们可能感觉不愿意敬拜神，而宁愿沉迷在自怜之中。这个时候，我们通常会痴迷于自己的问题之中，我们的阴暗面会变越来越深。这样的状况通常都是发生在疑惑的时候。
所以，请相信我，养成每个星期都去教会的习惯是一件非常好的事情。因为如果你不学会强迫自己习惯性地把神放在你生命的中心位置，那么当疑虑来临之时，你就无法在敬拜中从神永恒的视角得到帮助。当你敬拜的时候，无论你愿意或不愿意，你都身处神的同在之中。这是我真实的经历：当我崇拜神时，我看到了真实的我自己，我看到那些我本不愿意看到的自己的另一面。当我向神忏悔这些罪时，我一次又一次地发现，祂不断地赐给我宽恕和生命更新的恩典。
请留意亚萨所看到的：“我羡慕傲慢的”！他认识到了那是糊涂的想法，亚萨因为自己的愚昧而自责。第21-22节讲到当神不在我们生活中的时候，我们通常会有的感觉。然而当我们进入神的同在之中，我们会突然发现自我的另一面。亚萨发现，尽管他有疑惑、又说了糊涂话，他仍然是神的孩子。
第23-24节。 当你离开了神的家时，你可能会疑虑自己是否真的属于神。魔鬼可能会告诉你：“你不是一个真正的基督徒，你有这么多的疑惑和坏的想法，你的行为也不是那么好！你怎能认为自己是基督徒呢？
当你敬拜的时候，你认识到，你不仅要思索自己的疑虑，还有你的信仰。你的信心和你与神的关系，与任何疑惑所带给你的问题一样真实。什么是真正的相信神这样的问题，将会不断地出现；但是无论有多少类似的问题，也无法阻止我们去经历神。
我们每周都参加敬拜的原因之一，就是我们需要不断地认识自己，这是一个基本的道理，就是神永远与我们同在， 祂用右手扶持我们，祂以忠告引导我们， 祂要带我们进入祂的荣耀之中。你屈服于你自己的疑虑，正如你假装怀疑不存在一样，使你无法面对真实的自己。
明白这一点很重要。 信仰不是一个精致之物，像一株植物那样必须要保存在温室之中，因为你害怕它会被风雨所摧残。在耶稣里的信心像一个健康而生存久远的植物，它使你与神建立真正的关系，即使这个世界上的一切都想要掐断这个关系，它却依然生根成长。你有没有这样的经历？
如果你不认为我说的是真的，那么不妨做做亚萨的那种尝试，对自己说：“我对这个信仰感到厌烦了，我有太多的无法理解的问题，这使我不能继续做基督徒，我要放弃了。”请试着想象一下自己处在这种情况中，我发现，真正认识神的人都会发现，当他尝试着去否定神的那一瞬间，他立刻就会看到，他无法做到这一点。
你无法凭着说“它不是真实的”这样一句话，就放弃一个真正存在的关系。无论你如何努力地否定它，信仰本身都会不断地肯定自身，它就像一个被推下水面的软木栓，最终还是会浮上来。你手一旦抬起来，它就翻转到水面了。 为什么？ 因为，对于真正信靠耶稣的人来说，神是真实的。 我告诉你：我无法像亚萨那样逃离神的同在，我听见神说，“Greg，我会永远与你同在。
亚萨发现自己在圣殿里时，会出现这样的情况，当他离开神的时候，他可以认为自己不是信徒。但是，一旦他在敬拜中与神面对面时，这种幻觉就消失了。他说，“我是多么愚昧。”他明白，即使在生命最痛苦的时刻，神总是与他同在。
3.一个关于“什么才重要”的新观点（73：25-26） - 靠近神是好事...你是否跟这样的人谈过话？他总是用下面这句话来回答每个问题：“嗯，这一切都取决于你的意思...”这是一个当自己不知道答案时，有效地搪塞人的方法。你可以在学校里试着这么做。
所以，让我们回到第1节，这是整个诗篇最根本的问题：“神对祂的子民（就是那些良善的人）好吗”？“嗯”，你可能会说，“这一切都取决于你对好的定义”。 如果你的问题是，“神会使所有信祂的人都富有吗？” 那么，答案是否定的。 如果你问，“神会使所有信祂的人都健康吗？” 答案也是否定的。 如果你问，“神会使所有信祂的人都受欢迎吗？ 答案当然也是否定的。
所以，如果拥有财富，健康和受人欢迎就是“好”的定义，那么，对于那些属神的人来说，没有神就是不好的。然而那些好处，尽管看上去是美好的，却没有真正的益处，不是吗？ 我们在世界上犯下的最大错误之一，就是因着追求暂时“好”的东西，而让这些东西夺走了我们最好的东西。
第25节：“除你以外，在天上我有谁呢？除你以外，在地上我也没有所爱慕的！”
这节经文让我想起我曾主持过很多的婚礼。我们许多人在自己年轻和热情洋溢的时候都曾对某个人说过：“无论贫穷还是富有，疾病或是健康，在任何境况中，我都与你同在。”当我们说这些话时，要表达的意思，或者应该表达的意思是，在我们生活中拥有的那个人，比我们能想到的任何好东西都更珍贵；其中的意思是，我们享受财富、健康等好东西的能力，取决于我们与那个人一同分享的能力。除了与那个人在一起，我们别无所求。
如果人类的爱可以如此宝贵，如果人类的爱情可以使我们轻看物质主义、现实利益，那么到底神的爱应该在我们的价值观里占据怎样的位置？ 让我们听听亚萨的见证：73:26 - “我的肉体和我的心肠衰残，但神是我心里的力量，又是我的福分，直到永远。”
请想象一下：这几天你可能可以还清你的贷款，但你的房子有可能就在这几天倒塌。近期你可能会得到那辆你一直渴望拥有的车，它比你想象中的任何车都好得多，但那辆车总有一天是会坏掉的。你真的相信那些东西会使生活变得更好吗？如果你真这样想，我为你感到遗憾。藉着将自己交托耶稣基督，你会发现那颗值得人去变卖自己所有的去换取的珍珠，并且清楚地知道这样做是非常值得的。
当亚萨进入神的家敬拜的那一刻，他就了解了这颗珍珠的美丽。因着认识神的美善，他看到了，因着某些事情而对神产生疑虑是多么糊涂。 他的生命重新回到了正确的位置。 他以怀疑开始，但他却以与神有着比以往更深的关系而结束。今天，你也在神的家中，愿亚萨通过他的诗篇向你说话。 他告诉你，神对祂的子民是好的。但请听他所说的“好”的意思是什么：“我亲近神是与我有益。”就是好的意思。“与祂同在，我在地上别无所求。
荣耀归给神，
Greg Waybright 博士
主任牧师