Good Morning Yamon Ki Yesepar and Nevim Arith Hayomim:
Psalms 73:17: “Until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I their end.”
There is a quiet place, far from the rapid pace
Where God can sooth my troubled mind.
Sheltered by tree and flower, There in my quiet hour,
With Him my cares are left behind.
Whether a garden small or on a mountain tall,
New strength and courage there I find,
Then from this quiet place, I go prepared to face
A new day with love for all mankind.
-Norman C. Brown-
Asaph was a close friend of King David and collaborated with him on much of his poetry and music. Asaph was also a seer. The Bible does show a difference between a “seer (ra’ah)” and a “prophet (Nevim)” Simply put, people would go to consult with a seer but a prophet would go to consult with the people. As a Levite who functioned in the role of a seer, Asaph would have had many people come to him for counsel as people would go to their pastor or priest today. Many would not make an important decision without first consulting a seer. Like a prophet a seer would receive revelation from God but that revelation would be to help someone coming to him for advice to discover God’s will in a matter. Whereas a prophet would receive a revelation to exhort or warn people of their sins and short comings.
As a seer Asaph pretty well saw the sufferings and anguish of God’s people and he could not help but contrast this with the prosperity and problem free life of the wicked. In Psalms 73 Aspah is only repeating the question that he was most likely asked by the many who came to him for consul. That question would be: “I have served God, sacrificed for Him, lived for him and yet I am suffering. God has made many promises but it seems like He has not kept them. Why?” On top of that there is the issue expressed in verse 13: “I have cleansed my heart in vain.”
I have heard a number of people comment that they tried Christianity but it just does not work. What they are saying is that they bought into the all the hype of Christianity that God will solve all their problems, restore their marriages, relationships, finances and then when they accept Him, things seem to only get worse. These people are really saying like Asaph: “I have cleansed my heart in vain.”
This matter of why the righteous should suffer and the wicked get a pass on suffering is an age old question that usually goes unanswered. It goes unanswered because few who ask this question go into the “sanctuary” like Asaph where they discover the answer.
The word “sanctuary” in the Hebrew is a mysterious word. It is “mikodeshi” which is literally: “my place of separation” or “my place of holiness.” The Masorites ended the word with a “Sere Yod” which would give it a plural ending and thus be a allusion to the Holy of Holies. However, I question this as Asaph was not a high priest and could not have entered the Holy of Holies. As a seer, however, he would have a “holy place” or “separate place” that he would enter to receive his revelations from God. Thus, I would take issue with the Masorites and I would end the word with a “Chireq Yod” which would create the pronoun “my“. This is important because it shows that when Asaph needed an answer from God he had a special place, a quiet place where he would go to pray and meet with God.
It was in this special quiet place that God revealed his secrets to him and it was here that Asaph found the answer to that age old question of why the righteous should suffer and the wicked prosper.
Many translators render the last word in this verse, “’achar” as “end.” It could mean that I suppose, but I it really means “after,” “behind,” or “to tarry.” Stretch the meaning and you can get “end” to suggest that in this quiet place Asaph saw the end of the lives of the wicked which is in everlasting torment. The righteous, however, will end up in heaven after a life of suffering. In other words the translators wanted to answer the question of why the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper in word “achar.“ This is especially true of the KJV where King James and the Church of England wanted the people to be content in their sufferings with the promise of a better life in heaven. This was an excellent way to maintain control and hold down a rebellion.
I say, forget the agenda of kings and church leaders and let’s just stay with the general meaning of “achar” which is “to tarry.” In other words Asaph said that in this quiet place he understood why the wicked “continue” or “tarried” in prosperity. What Asaph came to understand is that the presence of God he felt in his quiet place, that peace and joy in the presence of God answered the question for him. Let the world have their wealth and prosperity, for in the presence of God it means absolutely nothing.
I challenge any translator to spend an hour in a “quiet place” or “sanctuary” with God and then give a rending for the word “achar” in this verse. There is an old song written by Helen Lemmel which best explains how we can understand our sufferings in this world like Asaph understood it:
Turn you eyes upon Jesus
Look full into His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
We do not have to wait until the “end” to find a better place, we can have it right now in the presence of God.
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