To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
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,
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.
The message the psalmist will deliver is not bound by any cultural or geographic boundaries. It is for all races in all places of the world. The 'low and high' speak of age or levels of maturity. The possession of money or riches won't change or alter the message nor exclude anyone from it.
The Psalmist will utter a difficult (dark) saying. He is doing so to extend wisdom and truth, but also to come to a more complete understanding himself as he inclines his ear to a proverb. He will speak this truth with his mouth and then try to make it real to the listener by relying on the meditation of his heart. What came forth from his heart is a song.
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.
The thought of the wealthy man is no different than any other man. Deep down inside we know that the days are evil. We know iniquity is hot on our heels. It surrounds us and encompasses us. Deep down inside we know we are in trouble. Our conscience convicts us as we become aware that we are lawbreakers. The wealthy man has riches in the world. Life has been good to him. He doesn't want things to change. Wealth and riches comfort him. Yet, the rich man ......regardless of the multitude of his riches can't ransom even his brother, let alone ransom himself. The redemption of the soul is costly. For a man to live forever and not see the pit would cost a great price.
The Psalmist didn't know how that great price would be paid. Yet, by faith, he knew of eternity. We were created as eternal beings. Eternity is written on our hearts.
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.
The wealthy man saw the wise man die and knew that his wisdom didn't extend his life in any way. At the other end of the spectrum, the fool and senseless one died the same way; with no apparent extension of life or hold on eternity. When they died, their wealth went to others. The wealthy man found no answer in wisdom or the lack thereof. The thought of others getting his wealth had to be an appalling thought.
The Psalmist conveys a truth in verse 11 that everyone experienced to some degree when they were younger. They gave no thought to death because that was something that happened to the old and we would never be that old. Old age was eons away and not even worth speaking about. In our minds we believe we will last forever; we act as though we'll be here for generations. Yet, generations come and generations go and each person quickly arrives to the age when they discover they will die some day. We will pass away. Our place of honor among man and beast is an illusion. In the end our bodies will all perish. At death the rich and poor alike stand equal before God.
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
Can you imagine having no hope of life after death? We have a greater hope that far surpasses any hope in this world. It's not in wealth or health or good luck because all those things come to an end. Those that rely on those things are foolish. They will experience spiritual death after their bodies pass away. Death will feed on them.
The upright are those who live by faith. The morning is a fitting picture of a new beginning; a sun rise, new life. After the dark night, there is new hope in the morning. However, the upright shall have dominion over those that put their faith in the world. All they put their faith in will be far from them.
But God will redeem the soul of the psalmist. The grave will hold no power over him. The Lord shall receive the Psalmist. This is an amazing insight into eternal life and overcoming the grave.
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.
You can't take it with you when you die. The warning is to all who live in the world - we live in the world but are to be citizens of heaven. Our attitude toward money and wealth can tell others about our faith.
1. Wealth can't ward off death.
2. Your wealth has nothing to do with where you go after you die.
3. Don't let the prosperity of others change how you look at 1 and 2.
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