The authors of Psalm 49 were the sons of Korah. They are instructing us on the futility of worldliness - riches, pride, fame - which resounds from this psalm. Comparable in form to the book of Ecclesiastes, this psalm is one of the few written more to instruct than to give praise.
Psalm 49:10-14 - "For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others, 11-Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwelling for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves. 12-But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is 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-Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions."
The rich and poor have one similarity - when they die, they leave all they own here on earth. At the moment of death (and all of us will face that moment), both rich and poor are naked and empty-handed before God. The only riches we have at that time are those we have already invested in our eternal heritage. At the time of death, each of us will wish we had invested less on earth, where we must leave it and more in heaven, where we will retain it forever. To have treasure in heaven, we must place our faith in God, pledge ourselves to obey him, and utilize our resources for the good of his kingdom. This is a good time to check up on your investments and see where you have invested the most. Then do whatever it takes to place your investments where they really count.
Psalm 49:15 - "But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself."
There is no way for a person to buy eternal life with God. God alone can redeem a soul. Don't count on wealth and physical comforts to keep you happy because you will never have enough wealth to keep from dying.
Psalm 49 / New International Version
ReplyDelete1 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 utterance 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 men die,
the foolish and the senseless alike perish,
and leave 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 But man, despite their riches, do not endure;
he is 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 Like sheep they are destined for the grave;
and death will feed on them. The uproar will rule over them in the morning;
Their forms will decay in the grave,
far from their princely mansions.
15 But God will redeem my life from the grave;
he will surely take me to himself.
16 Do not be overawed when a man grows rich;
when the splendor of their houses increases;
17 for he will take nothing with him when he dies,
his splendor will not descend with them.
18 Though while he lived 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.