Written by Stefan Johnsson
The Word
Psalm 49
Hear this, all peoples!
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2 both low and high,
rich and poor together!
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom;
the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre.
5 Why should I fear in times of trouble,
when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,
6 those who trust in their wealth
and boast of the abundance of their riches?
7 Truly no man can ransom another,
or give to God the price of his life,
8 for the ransom of their life is costly
and can never suffice,
9 that he should live on forever
and never see the pit.
10 For he sees that even the wise die;
the fool and the stupid alike must perish
and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their graves are their homes forever,[a]
their dwelling places to all generations,
though they called lands by their own names.
12 Man in his pomp will not remain;
he is like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the path of those who have foolish confidence;
yet after them people approve of their boasts.[b] Selah
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
death shall be their shepherd,
and the upright shall rule over them in the morning.
Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.
15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will receive me. Selah
16 Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,
when the glory of his house increases.
17 For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
his glory will not go down after him.
18 For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed—
and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—
19 his soul will go to the generation of his fathers,
who will never again see light.
20 Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.
Reflection
This psalm begins by preaching to everyone, both rich and poor, and both low and high. It is a reflection for all people, in all situations in life. When troubles come our way and problems face us, be it personal problems, health issues, political turmoil, job loss, or natural disasters, we are all equal in our need for safety and security. For the poor, the Psalm is a reminder that one should not fear those who are rich; and for the rich it is a reminder that wealth cannot save or redeem your soul.
We are reminded in verse 10 that all people will perish eventually, both the wise person and the fool, and wealth cannot be stored up and kept after death. Wealth is fleeting and Solomon in Ecclesiastes reminds us of this in chapter 5. We cannot know how the next generation will use what we stored up. Would it be worth it to lose our lives to gain wealth and then lose our soul? Wealth is fleeting and we cannot live as if money is the most important thing in our life. It is only to be used as a tool for God’s kingdom.
The Psalm continues in verse 16 to say that we should not be afraid when a man becomes rich, for when he dies (v 17), he will carry nothing with him. Then in verse 20, it hits home, which is to say that you can be rich and without understanding, and this attitude is like a beast in the field. How much different are we when all we have is wealth? It brings no meaning to life outside of short-term entertainment. Understanding is more important than wealth because of how one will begin to view life and one’s place within it. And that understanding which we should have in life is to truly know God and to fear Him.
Application
This psalm hits home in the time of Easter. Verses 7 and 8 says that no man can ransom their life or give God the price of his life. Because the ransom of one’s life is too costly and will never be enough. Money or good deeds cannot give us a place in Heaven.
Yet in verse 15 it says “But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol(hell).” And this is the key. We can never gain heaven on our own merit or with our possessions and wealth. It is impossible. But it is through the blood of Jesus who ransomed us when He died on the cross for our sins and rose on the 3rd day.
Praise Jesus! Praise Him who broke the curse of death and gave us eternal life through His Son!
Prayer
Father in Heaven, help me to reminder today the ransom that You paid on my behalf. I know that there is nothing that this world offers which can save me, but only the blood of Jesus Christ. There is nothing to fear, nothing that anyone can do to me which can take this gift away. Let me fear You only and to follow You the rest of my days. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.
City Life Starter 
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