Psalm 49
Psalm 49
has much to say about wealth. I love the
way the psalm ends, “Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the
beasts that perish.” It’s a really
telling psalm.
One of the
main points of this psalm is that all of our money, power, prestige, and fame
don’t really do anything for us. Think
about that statement for a moment. I
want that to sink in.
Take a
person who has all the money they need to live – enough so that they never have
to worry about the present or the future.
What need have they for God? I
believe this is one of the main reasons that Jesus says, “It is harder for a
rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the
eye of a needle.” (See Mark 10:25) Note that Jesus doesn’t say that it is impossible. Clearly there are exceptions to this rule
that Jesus teaches. But in general,
wealth inhibits our relationship with God.
Is it any
difference for people with power? How
many genuinely powerful people have you known to also be humble before anyone –
much less God? Or what about
prestige? Whether the prestige is
associated from influence or because of an obvious importance to a task – how
many prestigious people have you known to be humble and wise before God? Is fame any different? Do you typically find the famous among the
humble and wise before God? Again,
please note that I confess there are absolutely exceptions to the rule.
As the
psalmist hints at, what amount of money can we use to buy our soul – or even
our righteousness – from God? What
amount of power can we exert over God?
Can prestige or fame justify us before God?
But let’s
even talk about something far more concrete than God. Death.
We all die, right? Can our wealth
save us from death? When we die, will
not the vultures fight over what wealth we have acquired through their various taxes,
legal fees, and debates among the heirs?
Can any of us exert a single iota of power over death? Can any of us be so famous or prestigious
that death will pass us by?
I love the
cold dark truth of verses 10-12. Even
the fool sees that the wise die. The
fool and the stupid alike will die and leave their beloved wealth to other
people. All people who live in the pomp
of their own selves die like the beasts of the field.
But verse 15
contains a true statement. God will
ransom my soul from Sheol (the place of the dead). God will pay the price. No amount of money, fame, prestige, or power
that I have will make a hill of beans of difference when I die. But my relationship with God will make a
difference. God has the power to ransom
me out of Sheol! God even has the desire
to do so! The only question that remains
is do I care enough about that fact to make my relationship with God the most
important thing in my life?
In a way,
it seems like a silly question. Is
anything worth more than my eternal salvation?
Certainly those who are wise would say, “No.” But do we live like it?
The last
few verses of the psalm are very reassuring.
Don’t worry when someone else strikes it rich. They may seem like they are blessed here and
now. But a reward after Sheol is better
than a reward before Sheol any day. We
have no reason to be jealous, because we have a God who will ransom us out of
Sheol.
To move
beyond the words of the psalm, I am left deeply pondering my life today. Do I live in such a way as to indicate that
my relationship with God is the most important thing in my life? Do I live my life in such a way as to
encourage the people around me to put God first? How can I do this more efficiently?
To put it
a little more plainly … if someone were to observe me – how much would they
discern my love for God? Would my love
for God be obvious to them? Would it in
any way be inspiring for them?
It should
be. It should be the most important
thing in my life. It should be obvious
to everyone around me. What can be more
important to me than the fact that God is powerful enough to ransom me out of
Sheol? What piece of wealth, power,
prestige, fame, or materialistic possession is more important than that?
<><
No comments:
Post a Comment