Psalms Reading – 2.15.2022
Psalm 49
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world, 2 both low and high, rich and poor alike:
3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.
4 I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle:
3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.
4 I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle:
5 Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me—
6 those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches?
7 No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them—
8 the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough—
9 so that they should live on forever and not see decay.
10 For all can see that the wise die, that the foolish and the senseless also perish,
leaving their wealth to others.
11 Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations,
though they had named lands after themselves.
6 those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches?
7 No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them—
8 the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough—
9 so that they should live on forever and not see decay.
10 For all can see that the wise die, that the foolish and the senseless also perish,
leaving their wealth to others.
11 Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations,
though they had named lands after themselves.
12 People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings.
14 They are like sheep and are destined to die; death will be their shepherd
(but the upright will prevail over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions.
15 But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself.
16 Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases;
17 for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them.
18 Though while they live they count themselves blessed— and people praise you when you prosper—
19 they will join those who have gone before them, who will never again see the light of life.
14 They are like sheep and are destined to die; death will be their shepherd
(but the upright will prevail over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions.
15 But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself.
16 Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases;
17 for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them.
18 Though while they live they count themselves blessed— and people praise you when you prosper—
19 they will join those who have gone before them, who will never again see the light of life.
20 People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish.
This psalm is a source for, “You can’t take it with you.” This central thought of the psalm calls for us to consider how we live now in light of eternity. Are we amassing earthly fortunes for no eternal good? Or are we living with a larger sense of purpose that is centered on the eternal plan of God?
This is classified as a wisdom psalm which exhorts the godly not to envy the prosperity of the ungodly because all people die and their wealth with them. Instead, the incredible news is that God redeems the faithful to himself.
This teaching gives us the clear difference between the wise and unwise. Those who live unwisely trust in themselves and in what they have accumulated. The wise trust only in God. This psalm gives us one of the rare peaks of the hope for life after death in the Old Testament. Such hope is obviously very common in the New Testament after Jesus died and resurrected and offers the same hope to all believers.
This psalm boldly declares, for the wise and godly, that God will redeem His people from the dead and take them to Himself. This is the prize of all prizes. This is wealth of all wealth. So, please do not settle for anything which is far less that cannot save or redeem you for all eternity.
Memory Verse: Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
Question(s) to Consider: How are you putting into practice what the psalmist and the Apostle Paul say, “Set your hearts and minds on things above where Christ is seated, not on things below”? Would you tell the rest of us what works for you?