Reflections on Psalms 49

 Psalms 49(Contemporary English Version)

1. (A psalm for the people of Korah and for the music leader.) Everyone on this earth, now listen to what I say!
   
2. Listen, no matter who you are, rich or poor.
   
3. I speak words of wisdom, and my thoughts make sense.
   
4. I have in mind a mystery that I will explain while playing my harp.
   
5. Why should I be afraid in times of trouble, when I am surrounded by vicious enemies?
   
6. They trust in their riches and brag about all of their wealth.
   
7. You cannot buy back your life or pay off God!
   
8. It costs far too much to buy back your life. You can never pay God enough
   
9. to stay alive forever and safe from death.
   
10. We see that wise people die, and so do stupid fools. Then their money is left for someone else.
    
11. The grave will be their home forever and ever, although they once had land of their own.
    
12. Our human glory disappears, and, like animals, we die.
    
13. Here is what happens to fools and to those who trust the words of fools:
    
14. They are like sheep with death as their shepherd, leading them to the grave. In the morning God's people will walk all over them, as their bodies lie rotting in their home, the grave.
    
15. But God will rescue me from the power of death.
    
16. Don't let it bother you when others get rich and live in luxury.
    
17. Soon they will die and all of their wealth will be left behind.
    
18. We humans are praised when we do well, and all of us are glad to be alive.
    
19. But we each will go down to our ancestors, never again to see the light of day.
    
20. Our human glory disappears, and, like animals, we die.

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Psalm 49 is a wisdom psalm addressing the foolishness of placing one's hope and trust in wealth. It is written from the perspective of one who is oppressed by those who are both wealthy and wicked. Those who enjoy the power their wealth allows them and use it against those who are powerless. It is another version of the school bully who picks on those smaller than him and unable to defend themselves against him.

The wise psalmist assures those who will listen that there is no need to fear such people for their wealth will not enable them to escape death nor can they use it to help anyone else escape death. It cannot purchase life. Life is too costly. Despite their wealth and power and prestige, when it comes to death, they are no different than the animals who also perish.

As for the righteous, "God will redeem my life from the power of Sheol (the grave)." (49:15) For those who wealthy and wicked, the grave is the end, but not for the righteous. The wealth of the unrighteous wealthy will not follow them into the grave. They will instead "go to the generation of his fathers; they will never see the light." And as mentioned before, "A man with valuable possessions but without understanding is like the animals that perish." (49:19, 20)

Man pursues happiness in many forms and wealth is one of them. But while it may be more respectable than using drugs and the destruction it brings to one's life slower in coming, its effects are little different. The drug consumes a person forcing them to give their very life to it. The fun or supposed happiness it may bring is very short-lived and increasingly hard to attain. Eventually the drug is used to avoid pain rather than to attain any happiness. What about wealth? It too is pursued to attain happiness, and like the drug any happiness it brings is short-lived and requires more and more to gain even a slight blip on the happiness scale. Meanwhile it consumes one's life in their pursuit of wealth and in the process they turn away those who are close to them leaving them without anyone who truly cares for them. And like the drug, in the end it is pursued in an attempt to turn away pain rather than to gain any measure of happiness, for by then the person realizes it will not bring happiness but must have it to insulate them from the pain of loss.