Psalm 49

Read Psalm 49

Who - The sons of Korah sing a song to the people who will listen.

What - This is a choir song of wisdom.  The psalmist is trying to teach his hearers of the dangers of trusting in wealth, power and influence.  He is also warning them not to fear those who use their wealth, power and influence to take advantage of others.  The reason to not trust in or fear those with wealth, power and influence is those things cannot keep them from death and the hand of God's justice.  In the end they are like the beasts that perish.

When - Unknown

Where - Unknown

Why - The psalmist wants his hearers to resist the temptation to trust in wealth, power and influence and fear those who have it.  Instead he wants them to see the temporary life of those people and how God brings them all to the same place, the grave.  

How - The first stanza is a call to hear the wisdom the psalmist is going to teach.  The next stanza tells the hearers not to fear those with wealth, power and influence because no man can pay the ransom for his life to God.  The ransom price is so he may have eternal life on this earth and avoid the grave.  And the next stanza the psalmist reminds his hearers that everyone goes to the grave, and when they do they leave their wealth, power and influence behind.  Even those who call land by their own names die and all that is left of their wealth, power and influence is something with their name on it.  While it is nice to have a remembrance after you are gone, everyone shares the same fate, rotting flesh in the grave.  “Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish.”  In the next stanza the psalmist reminds the hearer how God will ransom the righteous from Sheol, and receive him or her into His presence.  The last stanza is a summary of the previous four.

So What 

1. We cannot fall into the temptation to trust in our own wealth, power or influence.  Whether it is the quest for wealth, power and influence or what we have gained, it will not save us.  God alone will ransom us and we must remember that.
2. We cannot fall into the temptation of courting those who have wealth, power and influence in hopes of getting it ourselves.  This is just another form of trusting in it instead of the LORD.  
3. While we must be wise about dealing with some of those who do have wealth, power and influence, we cannot fear them for they are under the LORD’S sovereign control.  Even if it is in eternity, we will be delivered and they will be judged.
4. If the LORD does bless us with wealth, power or influence, it is for accomplishing His good purposes.  It is not so we may exalt ourselves.  Verses 16 & 17 should be always before us in times of prosperity and success.