Psalm 73:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

NIV: Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

NASB: Whom do I have in heaven but You? And with You, I desire nothing on earth.

CSB: Who do I have in heaven but you? And I desire nothing on earth but you.

NLT: Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth.

KJV: Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.

NKJV: Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.

After resolving his bitterness and doubt (Psalm 73:2–3, 15–18), Asaph makes the strong statement that nothing on earth captures his desire. He has the Lord God, and that is enough. His focus is not on wealth, as is the focus of the prosperous wicked (Psalm 73:4–7). His eyes are on the Lord in heaven. His declaration is similar to David's in Psalm 23:1. David testified: "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." It also reflects later statements by Paul who celebrated Christ as the only part of his life with true meaning (Philippians 3:8).

Many hymns focus on the glories of heaven, often speaking in terms of physical things like mansions, gates, streets, or endless time. However, the most glorious aspect of heaven will be seeing Jesus face to face. Before dying on the cross, Jesus promised to come again and receive us unto Himself. He promised that we will be with Him (John 14:3). First John 3:2 promises "we shall see him as he is." Although it is not wrong to look forward to the wonderful features of heaven, we can be most enthusiastic about seeing Jesus. Asaph's priorities were in the proper order.

Psalm 73:15–28 gives a fitting resolution to Asaph's complaint (Psalm 73:2–3). He was disturbed by the contrast between the seemingly prosperous wicked and the difficulties of the righteous. Many today feel the same conflict. An eternal perspective gave the answer he needed to those hard examples. In short, wickedness does come with risks, and earthly life is not all there is to our existence. Even in the context of the natural world, evil invites negative consequences and disaster. In eternity, judgment on godlessness is absolutely guaranteed.

Seeing godless people thrive, even as they hatefully mock God, while believers suffer, leads many people to a crisis of faith. This was the case for Asaph. Using exaggerated imagery, he complains to the Lord that it seems as if evil people have easy lives, while godly people suffer. Further reflection reminds Asaph that sin does lead to consequences, both in this life and the next. He confesses his sins of bitterness and resolves to trust God more deeply.

This psalm is the first in a collection which corresponds to Leviticus and the overall theme of worship. Asaph, who wrote Psalm 73, confesses that seeing prosperity among wicked people brought him bitterness and envy. That nearly caused him to lose trust in God. Carefully considering God and His eternal truth led Asaph to a stronger faith. Job chapter 21, in which trial-laden Job also complains about the success of some wicked people, mentions many of the same ideas as Psalm 73.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.