What does "set them on slippery ground" mean in today's context? Opening Picture Imagine walking across a frozen pond that has only a paper-thin layer of ice. It looks solid, but one step can send you plunging through. That vivid peril is exactly the picture Psalm 73:18 paints about the fate of the wicked. Reading the Key Verse “Surely You set them on slick ground; You cast them down to ruin.” (Psalm 73:18) Immediate Context of Psalm 73 • Asaph is wrestling with the prosperity of the godless while the faithful suffer (vv. 1-14). • Entering God’s sanctuary shifts his perspective (vv. 15-17). • Verses 18-20 reveal the true end of the arrogant: sudden collapse. • The psalm closes with Asaph confessing God as his only security (vv. 21-28). Meaning of “Slick Ground” in the Ancient Text • “Slick” (or “slippery”) translates a Hebrew word describing a treacherous surface—unpredictable, unstable, impossible to stand on for long. • God Himself places the wicked there; their downfall is not random but divinely appointed. • The judgment is swift: “You cast them down to ruin.” One moment they stand tall, the next they are destroyed. Translating the Image into Today’s World “Slippery ground” describes any seemingly solid success built apart from God: • Financial empires propped up by dishonesty. • Celebrity status gained through immorality. • Political power rooted in corruption. • Personal comfort secured by ignoring God’s commands. All appear stable, yet at the sovereign moment they collapse—sometimes publicly, sometimes privately, always decisively. God’s Justice and Timing • Because God “works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11), no injustice escapes His notice. • “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked” (Galatians 6:7). What looks like delay is mercy, giving space for repentance (2 Peter 3:9). • When His set time arrives, the fall is irreversible: “They are brought to sudden desolation, completely swept away by terrors” (Psalm 73:19). Personal Application • Evaluate foundations: Is my security anchored in Christ or in achievements that can vanish? • Guard against envy: Apparent prosperity of the wicked is temporary; eternal reward belongs to those who trust the Lord. • Cultivate gratitude: “God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26). Supporting Scriptures • Proverbs 3:33 – “The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the righteous.” • Psalm 37:35-36 – “I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree, yet he passed away and was no more.” • Jeremiah 17:5-8 – Contrast between trusting in man (barrenness) and trusting in the LORD (fruitfulness). • Matthew 7:26-27 – House on sand collapses when the storm hits; only the house on the rock stands. Takeaway Summary “Slick ground” underscores God’s sure, sudden judgment on every life built apart from Him. What glitters today may vanish tomorrow, but those who anchor themselves in the Lord stand firm forever. |
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