Psalms 49

Introduction:

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

1 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,

And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.

4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;

I will disclose my dark saying on the harp.

The psalmist had a message for everybody in the world, the important people and the nobodies, the rich and the poor (vv. 1–2). The word “world” is the translation of an unusual Hebrew word that means “the total human scene, the whole sphere of passing life,” not unlike “world” in 1 John 2:15–17. The writer spoke from his heart (v. 3; see 45:1) the wisdom and understanding that the Lord gave him, and he dealt with an enigma that only the Lord could explain (v. 4). The enigma was life itself and its puzzling relationship to the distribution of wealth and the power that wealth brings. How should believers respond when they see the rich get richer? Should they be afraid that the wealthy will abuse the poor? Should they be impressed by the wealth that others possess and seek to imitate them? The writer gives us three reminders to help us keep our perspective in a world obsessed with wealth and the power it brings.

1. Wealth Cannot Prevent Death (vv. 5–12)

5 Why should I fear in the days of evil,

When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?

6 Those who trust in their wealth

And boast in the multitude of their riches,

7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother,

Nor give to God a ransom for him—

8 For the redemption of their souls is costly,

And it shall cease forever—

9 That he should continue to live eternally,

And not see the Pit.

10 For he sees wise men die;

Likewise, the fool and the senseless person perish,

And leave their wealth to others.

11 Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever,

Their dwelling places to all generations;

They call their lands after their own names.

12 Nevertheless man, though in honor, does

It isn’t a sin to be wealthy if we acknowledge God as the Giver and use what He gives to help others and glorify His name (1 Tim. 6:7–19; Matt. 6:33). But an increase in wealth often leads to an increase in evil. It’s good to have things that money can buy, if we don’t lose the things money can’t buy. It’s sad when people start to confuse prices with values. Jesus concluded a sermon on riches by saying, “For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:15, nkjv). The psalmist feared that the wealthy in the land would start to take advantage of poorer people. It was easy for the rich to bribe judges and rob the poor of their rights. (See James 2:1–9; 5:1–6; Amos 4:1–3; 5:10–15.)

Those who boast of their wealth have a false sense of security, because their wealth can’t protect them from “the last enemy”—death (1 Cor. 15:26). Jesus had this truth in mind when He spoke about the rich farmer in Luke 12:13–21. If a relative was poor, a Jew could redeem him by paying his debts (Lev. 25:23ff), but if a relative was dying, no amount of money could come to the rescue—and to whom would you give the money? A murderer could not be redeemed (Num. 35:31), even if you could calculate the worth of a human life. So, money can’t rescue you on this side of the grave, nor can it rescue you on the other side of the grave, because you can’t take your money with you (vv. 10–12 and 17; Eccl. 2:18, 21; 7:2; 9:5). Whether you are rich or poor, wise or foolish, you leave everything behind. Many wealthy people think they will go on forever and enjoy their houses and lands, only to discover that death is a great leveler. After death, the rich and the poor stand equal before God. The rich may call their lands after their own names, but the names engraved in stone will outlast the owners. The phrase “he is like the beasts that perish” (v. 12, kjv and see Eccl. 3:10, 19, and 7:2) doesn’t suggest that humans are on the same level as brute beasts, but only that both face ultimate death and decay.

2. Wealth Will Not Determine Your Destiny (vv. 13–15)

13 This is the way of those who are foolish,

And of their posterity who approve their sayings.

Selah

14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave;

Death shall feed on them;

The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning;

And their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from their dwelling.

15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave,

For He shall receive me.

When Jesus told His disciples that it was hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven, they were astonished; for most Jews believed that the possession of wealth was a mark of God’s blessing (Matt. 19:23–30). If wealthy people have a hard time getting into the kingdom, what hope is there for the rest of us? But people with wealth tend to trust themselves and their money and to believe the nice things people say about them (v. 13). The writer pictured wealthy lost people as dumb sheep being led to the slaughterhouse by Death, the shepherd, who would devour them. (See Luke 16:14, 19–31.)

For the believer, death is only a valley of temporary shadows, and Jesus is the Shepherd (23:4). There is coming a “morning” when the dead in Christ will be raised and share the glory of the Lord (1 Thess. 4:13–18; see Ps. 16:10–11; Isa. 26:19; Dan. 12:3). We can’t ransom someone who is about to die (vv. 7–8), but the Lord has already ransomed us from sin and the power of the grave (v. 15; 1 Cor. 15:20ff). When we die, God will receive us to Himself (73:24; 2 Cor. 5:1–8; Gen. 5:24), and when Jesus returns, He will raise our bodies from the grave. Decision for Christ, not the possession of great wealth, determines our eternal destiny.

3. Wealth Must Not Increase Your Desires (vv. 16–20)

16 Do not be afraid when one becomes rich,

When the glory of his house is increased;

17 For when he dies, he shall carry nothing away;

His glory shall not descend after him.

18 Though while he lives, he blesses himself

(For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),

19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers;

They shall never see light.

20 A man who is in honor, yet does not understand,

Is like the beasts that perish.

Don’t be impressed and “over-awed” (niv) when you see others getting wealthy and buying bigger houses and cars. All their wealth will be left behind when they die and ultimately lose its value. They won’t be able to praise themselves, nor will they be able to hear others praise them. We take nothing with us when we die (Job 1:21; Eccl. 5:14; 1 Tim. 6:7). If we have been faithful stewards of what God has given us, we possess eternal riches that will never fade (Matt. 6:19–34). We can’t take wealth with us, but we can send it ahead.

Conclusion:

The statement in verse 12 is repeated in verse 20 with the addition of the phrase “without understanding.” The writer penned this psalm so we would have understanding! We need to understand that wealth cannot prevent death or determine our destiny, and that we must not become covetous when we see others prospering in this world. It isn’t a sin to have wealth, provided we earned it honestly, spend it wisely, and invest it faithfully in that which pleases the Lord.