Psalm 49:1-20 NKJV
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,
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.
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 not remain;
He is like the beasts that perish.
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. Selah
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.
In his Summary of the Psalms, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther writes this about Psalm 49: “This is a Psalm that instructs us unto faith, and teaches us to trust in God against that great god of this world, who is called Mammon. David here gives a long and striking introduction to the Psalm, that he may excite and wholly arrest our attention. He here sharply rebukes all who trust in the riches and wealth of this world; concerning whom Christ also severely says, “Woe unto you that are rich, for ye have received your consolation.” Luke 6:24
“All things give way to money, money is the first thing to be sought after; virtue is a secondary consideration. But all such admirers of, and slaves to riches are pointed at and exposed in this Psalm; as are also all those who trust in their wealth, nothing of which they can take with them when they die. And here also true faith is highly extolled; by which we trust in God, who can deliver us from death, and give us eternal life and salvation. And death is the time when not only gold, but all creatures put together, cannot save and deliver a man!” (pages 148-149 of Summary of the Psalms)
Oh, how our unbelieving, doubt-filled, flesh gets revealed when it comes to trust. By our very nature we were conceived and born in sin with one nature bent in on itself — and within that same flesh we continue not fearing, loving or trusting in God. Then once believing and baptized we were given a second nature, born from above — and inner battle begins. Within this fallen flesh we remain at enmity with God — wrestling with Him, straining to live by our will!
Sinful flesh is attracted to the wealth and honor that the world gives, but death will make it all come to nothing. This is no basis for a wise life. What makes for godly wisdom is what Psalm 49 is making clear — a plain, straightforward summons to godly fear! As the psalmist say elsewhere: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
Let us pray: O Lord, continually overcome our flesh and bring us to have a right fear, love and trust in You. Amen.