Psalm 49
This Psalm is meant to correct a false impression that you may have. It is addressed to everyone in the world and it is instructional in its nature. The psalmist, who is most likely in exile, has been playing music on his harp while meditating on an imbalance in the state of affairs between rich and poor. He sees the foolish, who trust in their wealth, and the wise, who trust in God, both die. The first four verses are an introduction to the psalmist, his wisdom and the consideration of this problem. They tell us that the psalmist has troubles, and they come from seemingly rich enemies. The enemies surrounding the psalmist trust in their wealth. The psalmist doesn’t expand on the comparison and reveal much about his side of the equation until fully exploring the fate and thinking of the wealthy enemies. It is also noteworthy that the writer concedes that everyone dies including the wise v.10 and that they also cannot take their wealth with them. Redemption has nothing to do with wealth. v.8-9
Interestingly the Psalm doesn’t even really mention God or reveal much about Him directly until verse 15 “God will redeem my life.He will snatch me from the power of the grave.”
And this is the MAIN POINT: God alone can redeem you from the grave.
Money can not redeem you from the grave. v.7
People may think that they can pay God with their money but that is a foolish thought. v.7
To trust in money is as foolish as being an unthinking animal. v.12
I’ve heard from those with more understanding and experience than myself that the Jewish thought concerning “life after death” has mostly to do with legacy and what people think of you after you die. The person setting out to correct faulty thinking about living forever, the nature of taking wealth with you beyond the grave or redemption based on your financial success does admit that some people will be remembered as being wise. It seems unfair because it perpetuates the lie that people who didn’t prioritise money were foolish and those who gained earthly riches were wise. And so the reader is assured that this reputation is incorrect and though widely held is still incorrect and reflects a herd mentality of foolishness. Everyone is going to die v.14.
The end of verse 14 turns the tables. Here is the real surprise. This is an idea we see Jesus teaching further about in Matthew 20:16 “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.” And with many parallels to Psalm 49 Jesus expands this teaching in his parable of Lazarus and the unnamed rich man in Luke 16:19-31.
The Psalm is rich in metaphors and many of these thoughts are picked up and expanded on by Jesus in His teaching.
Like death just being asleep, Psalm 49:14 “In the morning the godly will rule over them.” compared with the following small set of examples:
Mark 5:39 “The child is not dead but sleeping.”
John 11:11 “Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.”
Luke 8:52 “The house was filled with people weeping and wailing, but he said, “Stop the weeping! She isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.””
Matthew 9:24 “Get out!” he told them. “The girl isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” But the crowd laughed at him.”
Jesus is demonstrating that as God He can redeem life from death and snatch people from the power of the grave, just as this Psalm says God can do: Psalm 49 v 15 “But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of the grave.”
The contrast is very important to understanding. In this life people will think something totally incorrect. v.17 Their wealth will not follow them into the grave. v.18 In this life they consider themselves fortunate and are applauded for their success.
Look at all the worldly marks of “wisdom”: Wealth, Fortune, Applause, and Success.
People who see wealth, good fortune, applause and particularly financial and status success as the marks of wisdom have completely failed to understand how it actually works. They have lost their humanity and have been reduced to the thinking of an animal. They will die. They will not be redeemed because they trusted in the wrong thing.
19 But they will die like all before them
and never again see the light of day.
20 People who boast of their wealth don’t understand;
they will die, just like animals.
This is the very point Jesus is making in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. It may look as if Lazarus was a failure and the unnamed rich man with wealth, family and even a very humanitarian view of salvation was the success and thus will naturally have a good afterlife. This tortured, unnamed rich man even in the grave has concern for his brothers. He is a real family man. And he had well cared for pets too. His dogs ate at the same overflowing feast table as he did. Surely he was a truly good man. He had it all, wealth, family, pets….. But his lack of concern for the poor man on his gate showed a crack in his philosophy. He took all these values to his grave but he never grew in concern for the poor. He trusted his wealth and died with nothing to give him comfort.
Psalm 49 wants to warn my heart and keep me from such a common and foolish mistake.
Be wise, trust God for your redemption. He can raise the dead. Even the very wealthy Abraham figured as much out. Hebrews 11:19 “Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.”
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| Handwritten Psalm 49 |
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