What does Psalm 73:7 reveal about the nature of human desires and sinfulness? Immediate Context Asaph wrestles with the apparent ease of the wicked (vv. 3–12). Verse 7 sits at the climax of his description: with wealth (v. 12) they are self-satisfied, yet internally their creativity is deployed toward sin. When he later “enters the sanctuary of God” (v. 17) he sees their end, confirming that indulgent desire is transient and destructive. Literary Imagery: Bulging Eyes And Overflowing Hearts Ancient Near-Eastern poetry often links physical excess with moral excess. Bulging eyes symbolize limitless consumption—vision always scanning for more. Fatness denotes a life untested by hardship (cf. Deuteronomy 32:15). Overflowing hearts portray an internal spring of schemes; the verb can describe floods breaking banks. Desire, once uncoupled from God’s design, floods every faculty. Doctrine Of Human Depravity 1. Inward Origin of Sin Mark 7:21-23 confirms that evil “comes from within.” Psalm 73:7 aligns: the wellspring is the heart, not external circumstances. 2. Insatiability of Fallen Desire Eccles 5:10 records, “He who loves money is never satisfied.” The Hebrew imagery of swelling and overflow depicts endless appetite—mirroring the “lust of the eyes” in 1 John 2:16. 3. Self-Deception The wicked misread prosperity as divine approval (v. 11). Jeremiah 17:9—“The heart is deceitful above all things”—explains their blindness. Sin dulls discernment even while desires intensify. Role Of Desire In Temptation James 1:14-15 traces sin’s sequence: desire → conception → birth of sin → death. Psalm 73:7 provides a case study at steps one and two—desire already pregnant with schemes. Left unchecked, it moves inexorably toward judgment (vv. 18-20). Gospel Remedy Only regeneration replaces the heart of stone with a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). Christ’s resurrection validates His power to “cleanse our consciences” (Hebrews 9:14) and to redirect desire: • 2 Corinthians 5:15 – live “no longer for themselves but for Him.” • Galatians 5:16 – walk by the Spirit, “and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” The Psalm ends with Asaph’s confession, “God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (v. 26), prefiguring the believer’s new appetite for God Himself. Practical Application • Diagnose Desires – Regular prayerful self-examination (Psalm 139:23-24). • Cultivate Contentment – 1 Timothy 6:6-8 prescribes godliness with contentment as great gain. • Redirect Imagination – Philippians 4:8 urges believers to dwell on whatever is true and pure, harnessing creativity for worship rather than scheming. • Embrace Eternal Perspective – Like Asaph in the sanctuary, evaluate present desires against ultimate destiny. Cross-References For Study Gen 6:5; Deuteronomy 32:15; Job 15:27; Psalm 17:10; Proverbs 27:20; Isaiah 10:16; Jeremiah 5:28; Matthew 23:25-28; Romans 1:24; Ephesians 2:3; Colossians 3:5. Summary Psalm 73:7 exposes fallen humanity’s tendency toward limitless, self-deceiving desire that originates in the heart, manifests outwardly, and spawns continual wrongdoing. Scripture, behavioral observation, and lived experience converge: without God’s transforming grace the human heart is a fountain of ever-expanding craving. The antidote is not asceticism but a new, Christ-centered heart that finds its satisfaction—and thereby its restraint—in the glory of God. |
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