In The Word
Read: Psalms 49
The Foolishness of Trusting in Riches.
For the music director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
49 Hear this, all peoples;
Listen, all inhabitants of the world,
2 Both low and high,
Rich and poor together.
3 My mouth will speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will express my riddle on the harp.
5 Why should I fear in days of adversity,
When the injustice of those who betray me surrounds me,
6 Those who trust in their wealth
And boast in the abundance of their riches?
7 No one can by any means redeem another
Or give God a ransom for him—
8 For the redemption of his soul is priceless,
And he should cease imagining forever—
9 That he might live on eternally,
That he might not undergo decay.
10 For he sees that even wise people die;
The foolish and the stupid alike perish
And leave their wealth to others.
11 Their inner thought is that their houses are forever
And their dwelling places to all generations;
They have named their lands after their own names.
12 But man in his splendor will not endure;
He is like the animals that perish.
13 This is the way of those who are foolish,
And of those after them who approve their words. Selah
14 Like sheep they sink down to Sheol;
Death will be their shepherd;
And the upright will rule over them in the morning,
And their form shall be for Sheol to consume
So that they have no lofty home.
15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol,
For He will receive me. Selah
16 Do not be afraid when a person becomes rich,
When the splendor of his house is increased;
17 For when he dies, he will take nothing with him;
His wealth will not descend after him.
18 Though while he lives he congratulates himself—
And though people praise you when you do well for yourself—
19 He will go to the generation of his fathers;
They will never see the light.
20 Mankind in its splendor, yet without understanding,
Is like the animals that perish.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
The writer is letting us know right up front that what he is about to share is very important. This Psalm instructs and consoles. It teaches that earthly advantages are not reliable for permanent happiness, and that however prosperous worldly men may be for a time, their ultimate destiny is ruin. All the while, the pious are safe in God’s care. He speaks of how man tries to build material things that will last forever, but in reality, it will all be destroyed.
One cannot buy their way into heaven with earthly wealth, no matter how much they have. “No man can, by any means, redeem his brother or give to God a ransom for him, for the redemption of his soul is costly (7-8)”. Many times it is hard for a rich person to understand this. That is why Yeshua said, “it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven… it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle” (Matthew 19:23-24).
We are reminded here to never put our trust in wealth, but in God for our eternal being. The blood of Yeshua is the only wealth that can redeem our soul or any person’s soul. Redemption is found in faith in Christ alone, who has paid the price for you and me. This should comfort us when we are poor, and remind us to not trust in our riches when we have them.