The Riddle of Life, Death, and Prosperity

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Psalm 49

Perhaps no other portion of the Bible more effectively illustrates Psalm 49 than the parable of Christ in Luke 12:13-21—Psalm 49 is essentially a commentary upon the Rich Fool Parable. 

Psalm 49 explores the answer to the riddle posed in verses 5 and 6—Why should I fear in the days of trouble, when the iniquity of my deceivers surrounds me, those who trust in their wealth, and in the abundance of their riches boast?

Let us come to search out the answer to the riddle of human life, death and prosperity!

In a day and age when it seems as if very powerful political elites seek to rule our world, Psalm 49 offers hope and encouragement to the people of God regarding the final fate of wealthy people who trust in their riches!

1. A Misplaced Trust in Uncertain Riches in Verses 1-6
   1. A Call to All to Hear in Verse 1—The phrase “inhabitants of the world” is not world in the sense of the ball of dirt and oxygen which swirls around the sun.  This “world” in its basic meaning, has to do with life, with lifetime, with the space and time in which human beings live. Thus, a better translation for this phrase might be “all of the inhabitants of this life.”
   2. Indiscriminate Audience in Verse 2—The entire realm of humanity!    
   3. The Value of True Wisdom in Verses 3 & 4—All the language you see here suggests how to properly live for God and discernment.  The purpose of this great Psalm is to solve the riddle of verse 4!
      1. The Words “Wisdom” and “Understanding”—Deal with proper conduct and discernment in life.
      2. The Words “Proverb” and “Riddle”—Deal with the way in which the Psalmist will disclose said wisdom and understanding.
   4. The Puzzling Riddle in Verses 5 & 6—Why should I fear in the days of trouble? For the Psalmist the “days of trouble” are when “the iniquity of deceivers surrounds”.  In our modern terms the Psalmist is asking “should I fear the words and deeds ofpowerful, oppressive wealthy people which threaten our existence every day?”
2. The Inescapable Reality of Death in Verses 7-12
   1. True Equality in Verse 7—The declaration the Psalmist makes is that all humanity must face death and they cannot buy their way out of it.
   2. The Passover—This passage probably has Exodus 13:12-15 There is only One Who can pay the price of redemption to save us from Sheol and that is God Himself!
   3. The Point—Even the wealthy do not have enough riches to pay the ransom to redeem themselves from the inevitable fate of all humanity—death, the pit (v. 9).
   4. Illustration—Imagine a future in which a machine can scan your brain and migrate the essentials of your mind to a computer. It’s called mind uploading— preserving a person’s consciousness in a digital afterlife —An article from the Wall Street Journal Written by Michael S.A. Graziano on Sept. 13^th 2019.  Dr. Graziano is a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Princeton University.
   5. Illustration #2—”The French atheist and scourge of Christianity, Voltaire, was a very rich man…  
   6. You Can’t Take It With You in Verses 10-11—The point is that death is inevitable and that, when it comes, we must leave everything behind.  Two men met in a streetcar one day and began to talk about a millionaire whose death had been announced in that morning’s paper. “How much did he leave?” one asked the other.  “Everything he had!” replied his companion.  Years ago, when burial customs were a bit different from what they are now, people used to make the same point when they said, “Shrouds have no pockets.”—Dr. Boice  
   7. Illustration—Ancient Egyptians believed if they made hieroglyphs and placed statues and other treasures in their tombs they would be take their wealth with them.  Psalm 49 may be viewed as a polemic against that kind of thinking.  
   8. The Answer to the Riddle in Verses 13-15—The answer is found in the phrase Why should I fear? The answer given is, “You should not fear because, Like sheep, to Sheol they are appointed” (v. 14).  
3. The Great Contrast in Verses 13-15
   1. Those who trust in Riches—You do not have to have wealth to perish because of wealth.  Notice “their followers” in verse 13.  Those who make wealth and riches the pursuit of their life will inevitably find themselves in ruin.  We must give ourselves to seeking out spiritual things.
      1. Death Shall be their Shepherd in Verse 14.  This is perhaps the strongest condemnation against the unredeemed who place their trust in uncertain riches.  Contrast this verse with the opening lines of Psalm 23.  You can either have the Lord or death as your shepherd.
      2. Illustration:  The Grim Reaper shall be your shepherd! 
   2. Those who trust in God in Verse 15.  Notice the phrase “But God”.  

Conclusion:   

“In its position in Book Two of the Psalter, might the words of Psalm 49 be words of admonition to King Solomon? Book One focuses on David. In Book Two, David moves to the background as his son and successor, Solomon, assumes control of the kingdom. Solomon was a great king, known far and wide for his wisdom and his riches (1 Kings 3–10). But Solomon was not without his flaws. We read in 1 Kings 11:

King Solomon loved many foreign women … when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not true to the LORD his God … then the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel. (1 Kgs. 11:1, 4, 9)

Indeed, Solomon could boast in his riches and could claim great wisdom. But, in the end, he turned away from God and did not find favor in God’s eyes. As the proverb goes: A human being with such wealth cannot have insight … (Ps. 49:12).

Psalm 49 reminds the hearer that wealth and position and boasting do not give one position in the realm of God. Craigie writes, “The wisdom teacher in Ps 49 eliminates two possible kinds of human fear: the fear of foes in times of trial (v. 5) and the fear that the wealthy have some kind of advantage in the face of death (v. 17).” The reverence of the Lord is the path to wisdom and meaning in life, the message echoed by Jesus in Luke 12: “Do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying … instead, strive for [God’s] kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well” (Luke 12:29, 31)—NANCY DECLAISSÉ-WALFORD