THOU SHALT RECEIVE ME TO GLORY

While the previous psalm describes the ideal conditions that will prevail in the coming kingdom, when the glory of God will be universal, the psalmist here looks honestly at the godly and the ungodly and sees the failures of both. The difference between the godly Asaph and the ungodly around him in his day was that Asaph knew where to find a divine remedy, whereas the ungodly did not want to learn anything from God.

Asaph’s faith says, “surely God is good to Israel”, but his sight sees that the wicked seemed to be able to get away with injustice, and to live and die prosperously. Their ill-gotten gains seem to cushion them from the problems of life, common to others, v. 5, and they seem to be able to scoff at spiritual things with impunity, vv. 8-11.

This had brought initial confusion to Asaph’s mind, and he admits “my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped”, v. 2. His spiritual exercises did not seem to excuse him from problems, vv. 13, 14. All was confusion until he went into the sanctuary of God to meet with Him; there he considered the latter end of the wicked. There the whole picture changed: it was now the ungodly in the slippery place. In fact, God cast them down to ruins, v. 18 R.V. marg. The riches of this life were replaced by the ruins of the next.

Asaph frankly admits that his own ignorance had caused his confusion. He had been walking by sight, but he was now walking by faith. His slipping was ended, and he could say, “I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand … Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel”, vv. 23, 24. If his life was now satisfactory, then equally his future was safe, for afterward God would “receive me to glory … Whom have I in heaven but thee”, vv. 24, 25. For Asaph, even if the earth was not yet filled with the glory of God, he was going to the place called “glory”. We today are among the many sons who are being brought to glory, Heb. 2. 10. On the way, we might have to experience the chastening hand of God, 12. 6; this might make our lives appear more difficult than those of the ungodly, but the answer is in the sanctuary, and concerns the respective ends of the believer and the unbeliever; indeed, it is a matter of heaven and hell.