John Calvin Commentary Psalms 73:1

"Surely God is good to Israel, [Even] to such as are pure in heart." — Psalms 73:1 (ASV)

Regarding the author of this psalm, I am not disposed to contend very strongly, although I think it probable that the name of Asaph was prefixed to it because the responsibility of singing it was committed to him, while the name of David, its author, was omitted, just as it is usual for us, when things are well known, not to take the trouble of stating them.

It is easy to discover how much benefit we may derive from meditating on the doctrine contained in this psalm from the example of the prophet. Although he had been deeply experienced in true godliness, he still had great difficulty keeping his footing while reeling to and fro on the slippery ground where he found himself placed.

Indeed, he acknowledges that before he returned to a soundness of mind that enabled him to form a just judgment of the things which caused his trial, he had fallen into a state of almost brutish stupidity. As for ourselves, experience shows how slight an impression we have of God's providence.

We undoubtedly all agree in admitting that the world is governed by the hand of God; but if this truth were deeply rooted in our hearts, our faith would be marked by far greater steadfastness and perseverance in overcoming the temptations that assail us in adversity. But when the smallest temptation we encounter dislodges this doctrine from our minds, it is evident that we have not yet been truly and earnestly convinced of its truth.

Besides, Satan has countless artifices by which he dazzles our eyes and bewilders our minds. Then, the confusion of things that prevails in the world produces so thick a mist as to make it difficult for us to see through it and to conclude that God governs and extends His care to things here below.

For the most part, the ungodly triumph. Although they deliberately stir up God to anger and provoke His vengeance, yet because He spares them, it seems as if they had done nothing wrong in deriding Him, and that they will never be called to account for it. On the other hand, the righteous, pinched by poverty, oppressed with many troubles, harassed by numerous wrongs, and covered with shame and reproach, groan and sigh. And in proportion to the earnestness with which they exert themselves in trying to do good to all, is the effrontery with which the wicked abuse their patience.

When this is the state of affairs, where can we find anyone who is not sometimes tempted and urged by the unholy suggestion that the world's affairs roll on at random and, as we say, are governed by chance? This unholy idea has undoubtedly taken complete possession of the minds of unbelievers, who are not enlightened by the Spirit of God and thereby led to lift their thoughts to contemplate eternal life.

Accordingly, we see why Solomon declares that since all things come alike to all, and there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked, the hearts of the sons of men are full of impiety and contempt of God (Ecclesiastes 9:2–3). The reason is that they do not consider that things apparently so disordered are under God's direction and government.

Some of the heathen philosophers discussed and maintained the doctrine of a Divine Providence. However, it was evident from experience that they nonetheless had no real and thorough conviction of its truth, for when things turned out contrary to their expectation, they openly disavowed what they had previously professed.

We have a memorable example of this in Brutus. We can hardly conceive of a man surpassing him in courage, and all who knew him intimately testified to his distinguished wisdom.

Being a Stoic philosopher, he spoke many excellent things commending God's power and providence. Yet, when finally vanquished by Antony, he cried out that whatever he had believed concerning virtue had no foundation in truth but was merely the invention of men, and that all the effort taken to live honestly and virtuously was only wasted labor, since fortune rules all human affairs.

Thus this man, distinguished for heroic courage and an example of wonderful resolution, shamefully fell away by renouncing virtue and, in doing so, effectively cursing God. Hence it is evident how the sentiments of the ungodly fluctuate with changing events.

And how can it be expected that the heathen, who are not regenerated by the Spirit of God, should be able to resist such powerful and violent assaults? Even God’s own people need the special assistance of His grace to prevent the same temptation from prevailing in their hearts, for they are sometimes shaken by it and ready to fall, just as David here confesses that his steps had almost slipped.

But let us now proceed to consider the words of the psalm.

Yet God is good to Israel. The adverb אך, ach, does not here imply a simple affirmation like certainly, as it often does in other places, but is used adversatively for yet, notwithstanding, or a similar word. David opens the psalm abruptly. From this we learn something particularly noteworthy: before he broke out into this language, his mind had been agitated with many doubts and conflicting thoughts.

As a brave and valiant champion, he had been engaged in very painful struggles and temptations. But, after long and arduous exertion, he finally succeeded in shaking off all perverse ideas and came to the conclusion that yet God is gracious to His servants and the faithful guardian of their welfare.

Thus, these words contain a tacit contrast between the unholy ideas suggested to him by Satan and the testimony in favor of true religion with which he now strengthens himself, denouncing, as it were, the judgment of the flesh for yielding to misgivings about God's providence.

We see then how emphatic this exclamation of the Psalmist is. He does not ascend a lecturer's chair to dispute in the manner of philosophers or deliver his discourse in a style of studied oratory. Instead, as if he had escaped from hell, he proclaims with a loud voice and impassioned feeling that he has obtained the victory.

To teach us by his own example the difficulty and arduousness of the conflict, he opens, so to speak, his heart and innermost being, and wants us to understand something more than his words express. The essence of his message is that although God, to outward appearances and human reason, may seem to neglect His servants, yet He always embraces them with His favor.

He celebrates God's providence, especially as it extends toward genuine saints, to show them not only that they are governed by God in common with other creatures, but also that He watches over their welfare with special care, just as the head of a family carefully provides for and attends to his own household. God, it is true, governs the whole world; but He is graciously pleased to take a more close and particular care of His Church, which He has undertaken to maintain and defend.

This is the reason why the prophet speaks expressly of Israel; and why immediately afterward he limits this name to those who are right of heart; which is a kind of correction to the first statement, for many proudly claim the name of Israel, as if they were the chief members of the Church, while they are merely Ishmaelites and Edomites.

David, therefore, intending to remove from the list of the godly all the degenerate children of Abraham, acknowledges none to belong to Israel except those who purely and uprightly worship God. It is as if he had said, “When I declare that God is good to His Israel, I do not mean all those who, content with a mere external profession, bear the name of Israelites, to which they have no rightful claim; but I speak of the spiritual children of Abraham, who consecrate themselves to God with sincere heartfelt affection.” Some explain the first clause, God is good to Israel, as referring to His chosen people, and the second clause, to those who are right of heart, as referring to strangers to whom God would be gracious, provided they walked in true uprightness.

But this is a cold and forced interpretation. It is better to adhere to what I have stated. David, in commending God's goodness toward the chosen people and the Church, found it necessary to exclude from their number many hypocrites who had apostatized from the service of God and were, therefore, unworthy of enjoying His fatherly favor. Christ's language to Nathanael (John 1:47) corresponds to David's words: Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! As the fear of God among the Jews was at that time almost extinguished, and almost nothing remained among them but circumcision made with hands, that is to say, outward circumcision, Christ, to distinguish between the true children of Abraham and hypocrites, establishes it as a distinguishing characteristic of the former that they are free from guile. And certainly, in the service of God, no qualification is more indispensable than uprightness of heart.