What role does the sanctuary play in gaining insight according to Psalm 73:17? Setting the scene: the psalmist’s confusion Asaph opens Psalm 73 bewildered by the prosperity of the wicked. His thoughts spiral toward despair—“Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure” (v. 13). The tension builds until one decisive line changes everything. Verse in focus “until I entered God’s sanctuary; then I discerned their end.” (Psalm 73:17) What the sanctuary supplied that the street could not • A place saturated with God’s revealed presence • Concrete reminders of holiness—altars, blood, incense, the veil • Visual sermons on judgment and mercy played out in daily sacrifices • A setting where God’s Word was read aloud and sung, steering thought back to truth • A re-centering of attention from life’s unfair snapshots to God’s eternal panorama Insights gained inside the sanctuary 1. Perspective on the wicked – Their “end” (Hebrew: ʼacharit, final destiny) comes into view. – Present glitter is exposed as slippery ground (vv. 18–20). 2. Reassurance for the righteous – God’s nearness outweighs earthly losses (v. 28). – Eternal fellowship is guaranteed: “You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory” (v. 24). 3. Self-correction – Worship reveals inner bitterness as “senseless and ignorant” (vv. 21–22). – Repentance flows naturally in the light of God’s holiness. Why the sanctuary brings clarity • Holiness shines: Isaiah 6:1–5 shows that one glimpse of God recalibrates every value. • Sacrifice speaks: Hebrews 9:22 reminds that without blood there is no forgiveness, confronting sin’s seriousness. • Covenant is celebrated: Psalm 26:8; 27:4 portray the sanctuary as the heart’s true home, not a mere ritual site. • Eternity invades time: In the annual Day of Atonement, Leviticus 16 enacted final judgment in miniature, previewing the wicked’s fate and the believer’s cleansing. Practical takeaways – Regular, reverent corporate worship guards the mind from worldview drift. – Symbols of faith (cross, table of Communion, Scripture reading) preach louder than cultural noise. – When envy or doubt creeps in, shift locations—move from the echo chamber of circumstances into the sanctuary of God’s presence (physically at church, or privately in focused worship and Word). – Evaluate success by its end, not its momentary sparkle. Scriptures that echo the lesson • Psalm 27:4 – “that I may dwell in the house of the LORD… to gaze on His beauty and seek Him in His temple.” • Psalm 63:2 – “So I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and glory.” • Malachi 3:16–18 – God distinguishes between the righteous and the wicked in His “book of remembrance.” • Hebrews 10:19–22 – We now enter the true heavenly sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, gaining bold, clear insight. In short, Psalm 73:17 teaches that stepping into the sanctuary turns blurred confusion into spiritual clarity by unveiling God’s holiness, justice, and eternal plan. |
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