DEATH,
THE GREAT EQUALIZER
Psalm
49:1-3
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;
the
meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
This
invitation is for all people to come and listen, for what will be announced is
true for all, rich and poor, of any social position in society.
Psalm
49:5-9
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.
The
psalmist asks a very penetrating question: Why should I fear evil people who
really have no power to purchase life? With all their money they cannot keep
anyone from dying. They trust in their power and wealth, but have no true, lasting
power.
Psalm
49:10-12
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,
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.
Death
is the great equalizer. Wise and foolish, rich and poor - all die, leaving all
behind. They all end up in the grave; their earthly power does not make any
difference.
Psalm
49:13-14
13
This is the path of those who have foolish confidence;
yet
after them people approve of their boasts. 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.
Those
who have placed their confidence in their strength in this life, even though
they might still be praised by some people after their death, are nonetheless dead
forever.
Psalm
49:15
15 But
God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for
he will receive me. Selah
The
psalmist reminds himself and us that God is his hope after death, that God will
ransom him and receive him. We should not fear in life or in death.
Psalm
49:16-20
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.
How
could the psalmist state it more clearly? Everyone will die, and their status while
on earth will have no eternal value. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews echoes
this, as well:
Hebrews
9:27
And
just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes
judgment,
What should we learn from this
psalm?
-
Never envy those who seem powerful today - their power will end with their
death.
-
Do not fear man – his power is temporal.
-
Death is the great equalizer – all die and are buried.
-
Only Christ can give true hope – He is the Redeemer.
-
Accumulating wealth on earth has no eternal value – you will leave it all
behind.
-
Eternal values are the only ones worth living for – they make an eternal
difference.
-
Do not become distracted by the temporal – you will be working hard for things
that do not make a difference.
Dear friend, look at your life right
now…
Is
your time driven by the temporal?
Are
your thoughts captivated by things that have no eternal value?
Are
you worrying?
Are
you envying others or always hoping that your situation might change?
Do
you fear men?
May
this psalm drive you to biblical thinking.
Live
in light of eternity, driven by eternal goals, and rejoicing that you have a Redeemer.
Christ is alive today, may our lives be centered on Christ and may our desire
be to dwell with Him forever!
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