THIS LIFE IS NOT ALL THERE IS
Psalms 49:16-20 NKJV
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.
This psalm has such a different tone. This is not David expressing his heart to God or working through a difficult situation. The header of my New King James Bible calls this psalm the confidence of the foolish.
This psalm is attributed to the sons of Korah. In case you are wondering who these guys were, here is an explanation according to the internet site Got Questions. "One group of Korahites (1 Chronicles 12:6) joined King David in various military exploits and won the reputation of being expert warriors. However, the most remarkable thing to note about the sons of Korah is that during the time of King David, they became the great leaders in choral and orchestral music in the tabernacle. Heman the Korahite had a place of great importance as a singer, along with Asaph (a Gershonite) and Ethan or Jeduthan (a Merarite). These individuals played an important role in the thanksgiving services and pageantry when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem. David formed an elaborate organization for song, instrumental music, and prophesying through these men."
This entire psalm examines the thoughts of the foolish, especially the rich, and how they think they will live forever. And yet, no rich man can redeem his brother or give God a ransom for him. This points to the fact that hundreds of years later, God paid the price no one on earth could pay by giving His Son Jesus to be the ransom for all of mankind.
Our verses for today sum up this psalm. Encouraging people to not be enamored or afraid of rich people. Verse 17 is sobering. "For when he dies, he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him." We have all heard the adage you can't take it with you. And there are no U-Haul trucks following the hearse. This is true, but this verse uses the phrase, his glory shall not descend after him. That doesn't sound good. Believers know we'll rise to meet the Lord in the air. And to depart and be with Christ is far better. Descending is reserved for hell, not heaven. As I said, this is a sobering psalm, but it does point to the spiritual reality that this life is not all there is. There is a life beyond this one.
This psalm does not end cheerfully. The one without God goes to the generation of his fathers, meaning no one stays forever. They shall never see light. My Bible says they shall never see the light of life. Again, this message is for the one who has trusted in his riches instead of trusting in God. The rich are honored in this life, and people esteem those who have or have earned great wealth. But in the end, they will still die, and without hope and faith in God, they have no future.
You may be thinking that Psalm 49 is rather morbid. But I do not believe that was the intent. The message is to God's people as a reminder to not be afraid or amazed by the rich. But live in the awe and respect of God. The message to God's people is found in verse 15, "But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me. Selah." To those who have put their trust in Jesus as Lord, we can say with confidence that regardless of our status here on earth, God will deliver us from the power of death and receive us to Himself forever!
PRAYER
Lord, thank You for the faith and confidence that I have in You. You are my hope and my future. Because of You, I don't fear the rich, for their glory is temporary. And I don't fear death because I will live in Your presence for eternity. Thank You; I have the confidence of the faithful, not the foolish.