What does Psalm 73:20 reveal about God's view of the wicked? TEXT “Like a dream when one awakens, O Lord, when You rouse Yourself, You will despise them.” — Psalm 73:20 Immediate Context Psalm 73 records Asaph’s struggle with the apparent prosperity of the wicked (vv. 1-14), his turning point in God’s sanctuary (vv. 15-17), and his realization of their ultimate fate (vv. 18-20). Verse 20 crowns that discovery: the wicked are fleeting, illusory, and finally objects of God’s active disdain. God’S View Of The Wicked As Revealed 1. Ephemeral Existence: Their success is as insubstantial as a dream (cf. Job 20:8; Isaiah 29:7-8). 2. Inevitable Exposure: God’s “rousing” means judgment that strips away illusion (cf. Hebrews 4:13). 3. Divine Contempt: “Despise” signifies not indifference but moral revulsion culminating in righteous judgment (cf. Proverbs 6:16-19). Canonical Parallels • Psalm 37:2 — “they wither quickly like grass.” • Psalm 2:4-5 — God “scoffs” and then “terrifies.” • Matthew 13:40-42 — the wicked are gathered “like weeds” and burned. • Revelation 20:11-15 — final judgment confirms divine abhorrence of unrepentant evil. Theological Implications A. Holiness and Justice: God’s moral perfection demands antipathy toward sin (Habakkuk 1:13). B. Eschatological Certainty: Temporal disparities are corrected when God “awakens.” C. Covenantal Assurance: The righteous can trust God’s ultimate vindication (Psalm 73:23-24). Historical Evidence Of Divine Judgment • Ash layers at Tell el-Hammam (potential Sodom site) contain high-temperature sulfur globules consistent with Genesis 19’s description. • Late Bronze Age collapse stratum at Jericho shows a sudden wall failure dated to c. 1400 BC, paralleling Joshua 6. • Cuneiform records from Nineveh (British Museum, K. 3751) lament a flood that struck the city shortly before its fall (Nahum 1:8). Moral-Psychological Insight Behavioral studies on delayed gratification (Mischel, 1972) illustrate that short-term gain often blinds individuals to long-term loss—a secular echo of Asaph’s discovery: apparent prosperity can mask impending ruin. Pastoral Usage 1. Encourage perseverance amid injustice. 2. Warn the unrepentant of the certainty of divine judgment. 3. Call to repentance, presenting Christ as the only refuge (John 5:24). Conclusion Psalm 73:20 portrays the wicked as a fleeting dream, slated for awakening disdain by a holy God. Their prosperity is temporary; divine contempt is sure. The verse reassures believers of ultimate justice and urges the ungodly toward the only salvation found in the risen Christ. |
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