Psalm 49:15
Notes
Transcript
But God will redeem my life from the grave;
he will surely take me to himself. Selah
But God....indicates that there is something preceding that seems impossible. Verses 1-14 highlight announcement of doom and gloom. Death will affect every person. These verses tell us that those who will die include:
all who live in this world
both high and low
rich and poor
wise, foolish and senseless will all die
the bodies will lie in the tombs forever as everyone will cease to exist
Human wealth cannot buy human life.
Verse 7 makes this very clear. By the way, did you know that Mormons practice this idea? They believe that when a loved one dies, they can pay to have the dead baptized so that their soul may enter into heaven.
God’s word says that humans cannot redeem the life of another. Their wealth will not stop the decay of their flesh.
It seems helpless and hopeless.
But God....REDEEMS. What does He redeem? NIV84 says life. NKJV says soul. That is more accurate.
God provides hope and salvation beyond the grave. This verse clearly links the OT to the NT teaching of life after death, eternal life and salvation from God. A seed is planted here for the hope we have in the resurrection.
The Bible clearly states that God is the only Savior able to provide that hope and fellowship after death.
Before we get too far, we need to see whose soul and life is redeemed. Whose is redeemed? MY.
Salvation is personal and comes from a personal God. God has the power to do so.
This verse concludes saying “He surely will take me to Himself.”
The words “take me” are a continuation of how personal God acts. We are reminded of what was studied this past week:
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
Where is God going to take me?
TO HIMSELF.
What does that indicate to you?
It also indicates that those who are in Christ will not be separated from God and His love.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What does this mean for us?
We should not fear death. Everyone will meet the grave.
There is hope.
God will redeem from the power of the grave those who are in relationship with Him through Christ. The soul will not go to the grave with the body.
By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return.”
The soul will remain alive and be able to move, act and speak more freely than ever.
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”
For you have delivered me from death
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.
This may be a stretch, but if our feet are not stumbling, this also reminds us that the body and soul will be reunited with the resurrection.
We will have that reuniting of soul and body and great comfort is given.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.
Therefore, the first death has no sting and the grave no victory!
2. God will receive us to Himself.
He redeems souls so He can receive them.
Into your hands I commit my spirit;
redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth.
These were words of Jesus on the cross.
This brings to light the words of Jesus in a whole different way:
In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.