Fear and Priorities

ILLUST

FEAR

Impending distress, doom, misfortune, being afraid

Awe-inspiring reverence

Psalm 49 - A Wisdom Psalm - similar to opening Proverbs

Opening - all people are invited to hear wisdom

Wisdom defined: skillful living, according to the Word

Wisdom - a moral aspect, closely related to fearing, trusting in God

QUESTION: Can there be wisdom without fearing God?

Problem premise - there is a contrast between what we see and what we don’t see

Spiritual vs material

MUCH easier to trust in, to fear, to worship what we can see.

More inclined to trust STUFF

And then we fear if that stuff might go away

This is the root of idolatry - fashion a god that you can see, or even represents a god you can’t see

For some, evidence of God through His work is insufficient, or they fail to recognize it, or they ignore it

The psalmist makes a choice: v.4

I will incline my ear to a proverb = I WILL LISTEN TO WHAT GOD HAS TO SAY

Some say, “I wish God was speaking to me.” Hello????

You Can’t Take it With You! (so why try?)

1) Foolish to Trust Riches (5-9)

Wise to remember this, foolish to forget

Focus on preparing for eternity, not retirement

World wants to escape death - and money saves nobody from death

And we cannot redeem anyone - even with money and stuff

2) Death is Inescapable (10-12)

People trusting wealth feel invincible

Feel they will not die

This is even greater folly/foolishness

And what do they leave behind when they go?

Everything

ILLUST: Two men met on a train, talked about a millionaire who died. “How much did he leave behind?” “EVERYTHING”

People refuse to see death - so they fail to see it

But they CAN see it, then behave as if life is forever

Verse 12 repeated - we are like beasts/animals, when we fail to consider our days, as in Psalm 90:12

Psalm 90:12 NASB95

So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.

3) Contrast trusting wealth vs God (13-15)

(Often, “money” is synonymous with the best things the world has to offer, the “American Dream”)

Option 1: Trust riches (heavy reliance on money/financial)

v. 13 adds their followers

There are the foolish rich, and then there are those who follow

Most people are not wealthy, so we tend to fall in with the “followers” - making money/riches our goal

(Often, “money” is synonymous with thebest things the world has to offer, the “American Dream”

Along the way, we forget spiritual matters

Goals also include - security, health, long life, reputation

When these rule the heart, the end is spiritual death, along with the known physical death

Death their shepherd (REM Ps. 23, the LORD is my shepherd, the true shepherd)

Psalm 49 shows a false shepherd (John 10, Jesus says His sheep hear HIS voice, those chasing worldly satisfaction do not, and they hear the call of worldly goals)

There are people in every church who have never heard the voice of Jesus

People living in the pursuit of worldly satisfaction are fearful, afraid people, because deep down they know they will be miserable if it’s all gone. And they fight like crazy to maintain something that will never leave this world! (Or they already have little, and are miserable b/c of that)

Option 2: Trust God (v. 15, But God)

We are redeemed by Him - bought, ransomed, debt fully settled when we leave here

Personal eternal life with Him, fellowship with Him, forever

WE, believers, KNOW there is life after death

See Gen. 5:24

Genesis 5:24 NASB95

Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

Enoch was taken by God, TO God

OT saints did not know fully what we know - Jesus, Resurrection, and yet they followed God, by faith

V. 14 references the morning

LITERALLY: Life is short (compared to eternity), we don’t even make it to morning

Reality - many wealthy outlive the righteous

So this reference is in anticipation of saints raised to glory

We are assured of seeing God

The wicked, those who make something or someone else their god, priority, DO NOT HAVE THIS

CLOSE

Several points that are clear:

Death is the great equalizer (in case you are tempted to worship/fear stuff)

Do not be afraid of those with money/stuff

ASIDE: Rulers use fear to control, wanting people to be afraid; rulers will use $$$ to make us afraid, knowing how dependent we are (physically and emotionally) on it.

What do you fear? Loss of stuff?

No one can redeem another, never enough money to save another from death

1 Peter 1:18–19 NASB95

knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

Who does God redeem?

Those who trust Him above all, above riches

Take giving, for example, and let’s say you tithe:

You give $5/week, because you make $50/week

Or you give $100/week, because you make $1000/week

Have you thought about lowering that to $75/week, because gas and groceries are doubling in price? Why would you lower your giving, unless you are afraid of not having enough…?

People live fearful lives, when they trust comfort, satisfaction here, instead of the LORD

Tough times like these, when it is “tougher”, are when the faithful actually step up and step out in faith, knowing that they depend on God

Times like these actually help us see that we need Him, and that He is faithful

God would never allow bad stuff to happen if He could not cause good to come from it.

This psalm is about wisdom

So what is life all about?

Ecclesiastes 12:13 NASB95

The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.

You have a choice - Fear God, Fear World/Self

Truth: one does not desire to come close to the thing or person he fears- meaning, we do not fear wealth in this sense - maybe we should!

One DOES come close to that which inspires him and brings him awe - and if that is worldly satisfaction, wealth, reputation, etc. - it speaks of a lost soul

We are to desire to come close to God, HE is the object of our awe, immense awe!

And when He is TRULY that object of that awe, everything else falls into line, priority-wise

We need not be afraid, when we fear the Lord!

Closer you get to big money and comfort, the more you desire it, and depend on it

Closer you get to the LORD, the more you desire Him and that closeness, and depend on Him

Look at your life - what/who are you striving to be close to for satisfaction?

Fear the LORD - He’s got you covered. He’s got your back!