Psalms In My Palms - Book 1 - Wisdom

Can You Hear Me Now?

Psalms 49:1-20

This Psalm uses several forms of the word, "wealth" and contrasts the righteous regardless of income with the worldly rich who are totally sold out to gaining more financially. At least six or seven verses refer to the wealth; yet, the essence of this chapter is to show the end results of singular desire for riches above the service to God. Money is not the problem but the attitude which sometimes exist with those seeking it.

The sons of Korah were the head of the family of sacred musicians among the Levites according to the Bible in 1Chronicles 6:31-32-NEB-"David put the following in charge of the music in the Lord's house after the chest was placed there. They ministered with song before the dwelling of the meeting tent, until Solomon built the Lord's temple in Jerusalem. They carried out their usual duties." What a great ministry and what a great opportunity to present God's word in music before the people, not only as worship, but also as a reminder of God's love and commands to the people! They sang this chapter as a song, not built on worldly power, but on God! Worldly prosperity is not to be admired.

This chapter is like a person raising a megaphone to their mouth and proclaiming this, (TEV)- "Hear this, everyone! Listen, all people everywhere, great and small alike, rich and poor together." (NEB)-"Listen to this, all you people..." (NKJV)-"Hear this, all peoples..." (NEB)-"All you citizens of the world..." (EGA, my initials)-"Calling all people, listen up..." Psalm 117 accepts it as a call to wisdom and understanding, the universal worship of the Lord!

Now that I have your attention, let's see what the psalmist had in mind. "My mouth speaks wisdom; my heart's meditation is full of insight; I will pay close attention to a proverb; I will explain my riddle on a lyre." This riddle in another translation is "dark sayings, enigma, perplexing statements." The riddle is "How do the righteous compete with rich people who seem to have no thought of God?" TEV calls this "thinking sensible thoughts". It also refers to the lyre as the harp, which are the same thing in translation. Here we find the riddle put to music. What an inspiring way to present the truths of God.

"I am not afraid in times of danger when I am surrounded by evil enemies, by men who trust in their riches." This is the first thing he addresses. (Mark 10:24 & 25-NKJV-Children, it is difficult to enter God's Kingdom. It is easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God's Kingdom."). This is clear enough!

(TEV)-"A man can never redeem himself. He cannot pay God for the price of his life, because the payment for a man's life is TOO GREAT." (NKJV) says "...nor give God a ransom..." For wealth cannot buy redemption! (TEV) ."what he can pay will never be enough to keep him from the grave, to let him live forever." NKJV calls the grave the "pit". This represents the power of death in its darkest aspect. Only God can deliver a soul from death and Hell.

"Wise men die too..." Ecclesiastes 3:2-(NEB)-"A time for giving birth and a time for dying..." Everyone will experience these times! We are not exempt due to financial status! The rich, the poor, the wise, the foolish, all face the same physical death. It is all in God's timing! And they all leave their money to someone alive. Whether they make a will or not they cannot take it with them. BUT THEIR DESTINY AFTER DEATH IS IN THE HANDS OF GOD ACCORDING TO THEIR DECISION OF WHO THEY SERVE HERE ON EARTH. It doesn't matter "if they had counties named after them! ...they are just like the animals that pass away." Their shepherd only leads them to the grave, like sheep, the psalmist says.

David is also the same psalmist who wrote, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want, He leadeth me beside the still waters, He restoreth my soul...Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me...my cup runneth over...And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever!" His Shepherd did not just lead him to death but to eternal life! Something money cannot buy!

(TEV)-verse 14b-"The righteous will triumph over them in the morning as their bodies decay in the land of the dead, far from their homes ! But God will save me; He will take me from the power of death." Death is the leveler! The world loses its power at death, "where the darkness lasts forever." (NEB)-verse 15-"But God will save my life from the power of the grave, because He will take me." What a happy ending!

I cannot leave this Psalm without adding Proverbs 4: 10-19-(NEB):

"Listen, my son, and take in my speech, then the years of your life will be many.

I teach you the path of wisdom. I lead you in straight courses.

When you walk, you won't be hindered; when you run you won't stumble.

Hold on to instruction; don't slack off; protect it, for it is your life.

Don't go on the way of the wicked; don't walk on the path of evil people.

Avoid it! Don't turn onto it; stay off it and keep going!

They don't sleep unless they do evil;

They are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.

They eat the bread of evil, and they drink the wine of violence.

The way of the righteous is like morning light that gets brighter and brighter till it is full day.

The path of the wicked is like deep darkness;

They don't know where they will stumble."

This is as plain as God could make it! LISTEN TO WHAT I SAY FOR IT IS THE WISDOM OF GOD AND BY HEEDING IT YOU WILL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE BUT BY IGNORING IT YOU WILL SUFFER ETERNAL DAMNATION! "Choose you this day whom you will serve!!!"

Next time...