“So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before Thee.” (Psalms 73:22)
Asaph, the writer of this psalm writes that he was foolish meaning that he didn’t have understanding. (Proverbs 18:2) Asaph was the chief musician beginning with David. He and his family sang many of David’s psalms. Usually, the psalm will indicate that it was written by David and sung or played by Asaph or his sons which may mean not literally the children born to him, but those under his tutelage.
Verses 3-12 explain why he was foolish and without understanding. He envied the sinner. He saw that they prospered and lived without a care in the world. They had more than they needed and spoke in lofty words. But they sinned thinking that God didn’t see. “And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?” (Psalms 73:11)
It wasn’t until he was in prayer that he understood. “Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: Thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.” (Psalms 73:17-19)
In our need or in our flesh, we wish we had what the rich have. They don’t worry about the bills or if they will have enough to feed their families. They spend, spend, spend and have closets full of clothes they don’t wear while one wonders what to wear each day. Every problem that arises seems to be fixed with money. Or so we think. We play the lottery hoping to hit the jackpot. And we dream of what we would do if we did win. This is foolishness.
It is foolishness to think that doing things our way will work. If we have financial need, it’s not in winning the lottery, being a workaholic, saving or investing so much that you deprive yourself of necessities that will bring abundance financially. Working, saving and investing are good things to do. These are all means that the world uses. These ways were devised by human thinking which is limited thinking. God’s ways are not our ways. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 55:8) God doesn’t operate with the limitations we do. God is not restricted to the natural laws of this world. He says, “Give and it shall be given.” (Luke 6:38) Scripture says, “The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it.” (Proverbs 10:22) Getting rich winning the lottery leads to sorrow. Every person that has won the lottery has regretted it. Although they have bought their dream house and all the toys they wanted, people they know, relatives and people they don’t know, come out of the woodwork demanding a portion of it for some reason or another. They are hounded by schemers and dreamers. Then it is quickly gone. “Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.” (Proverbs 13:11) God didn’t mean working so much that your family is neglected or ignored.
There is a preoccupation in man that worries about his next meal and what he will wear. God says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)
God promises that if you, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 3:10-11) That’s quite a promise. He is saying bring all your 10% increases to the church and see if He won’t pour out blessings you don’t have room for. More also, He will Himself rebuke satan, the one who devours all our blessings and destroys our work, fountains and opportunities that make money.
Children of God don’t have to run around worrying about what to wear or if they will be able to feed their family because when they obey God, He will bring on the blessings and give us more than we can handle, and it won’t bring any kind of misery with it. The government is not going to take so much of it that it’s not worth getting it.
Asaph’s last phrase in this verse writes, “I was as a beast before Thee.” A wild animal has no understanding. If he is hungry, he goes about looking for prey to eat. He is ruled by its stomach and natural feelings. But the child of God is ruled by God’s Word and God’s promises. We believe God’s Word and we trust God and depend on His faithfulness.
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