All right, well this morning we come to our last psalm in our summer series through the psalms.
It's hard to believe already that summer's gone and we're heading into September here,
but we are looking at Psalm 49 today.
So if you have your Bible with you, you can open it up to Psalm 49.
And instead of reading it all through at the beginning here,
I'm going to kind of read through it bit by bit as we go.
So Psalm 49, let me just pray and then we'll jump in.
Father in heaven, thank you for your word.
Thank you for the power that is in your word.
And we ask that you would give us ears to hear in these moments.
We ask that you would speak directly to our hearts.
That you would convict us, that you would encourage us,
that you would reveal your truth to us,
and that we would be changed forever because of what we hear.
in your word.
We ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
So as you can see from the superscription at the top of the psalm,
it says,
For the director of music of the sons of Korah.
A psalm.
So this was written by the sons of Korah.
Korah was a descendant of Levi.
Levi was one of the 12 sons of Israel.
And way down the line,
some of Korah's descendants were installed by King David
as musical worship leaders at the tabernacle
and later at the temple.
This is all about a thousand years before Christ came.
And one of these guys,
or maybe one or two of them,
wrote this psalm
and gave it to the director of music.
So this was actually sung at the tabernacle
and probably later at the temple.
And if we look at verse 4 there on the screen,
we see that the writer was a harpist.
The actual word is lyre,
so you can imagine that little U-shaped harp
that you can almost hold in your lap.
That was the instrumentation of this song.
So as we work through this,
keep that in mind,
that this is music,
this is song lyrics all the way through.
The opening lyrics of this song
invite us to listen.
Verses 1 to 4.
Hear this, all you peoples.
Listen, all who live in this world,
both low and high,
rich and poor alike.
My mouth will speak words of wisdom.
The meditation of my heart
will give you understanding.
I will turn my ear to a proverb.
With the harp,
I will expound my riddle.
So the first thing that the songwriter does
is he asks for our attention.
He says,
Hear this.
Listen.
Give me your ear for a moment.
Now who is his intended audience?
Who is he talking to?
Who is this song for?
Hear this, all you peoples.
Listen.
All who live in this world,
both low and high,
rich and poor alike.
So right out of the gate,
he lets us know that this song is for everyone.
All peoples.
All who live in this world.
That's as broad as it gets.
Doesn't matter whether you're upper class,
famous,
influential,
popular,
or whether you're lower class.
Doesn't matter whether you're rich,
or you're well-to-do,
you've got the means,
or whether you're poor,
or whether you're struggling,
trying to get by.
This song is for you.
So this is how he starts.
Listen up, everybody.
This song is for you.
No matter who you are,
give me your ear for a moment.
Verse three,
I have some wisdom to speak to you.
There's something I've been meditating on in my heart.
And with this song,
I'd like to give you that same understanding.
I'd like to share that wisdom with you
so that you can be wise.
So we get a bit of a clue
about the kind of song that this is.
Even though it's going to be sung at the tabernacle,
it's not a song of praise.
It's not even addressed to God.
It's not a prayer.
This is a wisdom song.
And the purpose of it is to impart God's wisdom
to the hearer,
to make us wise.
If we look at verse four there,
we see that this is almost like Proverbs set to music.
It's the clever sayings of the wise
explained, revealed with an instrument.
So this is how the song begins.
He begins by asking for our attention
and offering words of wisdom.
And then immediately following this,
he introduces the main theme of the song.
He puts the theme in the form of a rhetorical question
in verses five and six.
Why should I fear when evil days come?
When wicked deceivers surround me,
those who trust in their wealth
and boast of their great riches.
So this song has one big question
and this is it.
And it's the big question
because it's the only question in the whole song.
It's the main question.
Everything that follows is the answer
to this question.
And it's a big question.
I mean, it's a long question.
It's got lots of phrases and parts to it.
But if we boil it down and simplify it,
the question is,
why should I fear when evil days come?
And then these lines which follow
kind of explain more about that.
What is it that makes these days evil?
And he puts words to this.
These are days when wicked deceivers surround me.
In particular,
those who trust in their wealth.
These are wealthy wicked deceivers.
They're people who are boasting
of their great riches.
So there's a lot here.
Notice that word surround.
All around me.
And the temptation
is to fear.
To be afraid.
To be anxious.
To be worried.
Because these are men of great power.
They're wealthy.
And with their wealth,
they're not known
for giving that money to charity.
And doing nice things
to help people in need.
They're known for their deceitfulness.
And their cruelty.
This was written in troubling days.
If you've been reading
through the Old Testament,
I'm not sure if you've got
to that point yet.
Hopefully.
In your Bible reading this year.
The book of Judges.
It was a time of great trouble
in the history of Israel.
There was war.
There was lawlessness.
There was tribalism.
There were enemy kings
and nations
and raiders
and armies.
And finally,
Israel did get their own king.
But then things didn't go
all too well with him.
There was more wars.
There was more battles.
There was corruption.
There was oppression.
Those things were normal.
Finally,
they did put King David
on the throne of Judah.
But even after that,
there was still a lot of turmoil
in those early years
of David's reign.
And so,
this is how things have been
for people
leading up to this song
being written.
Even within the land of Israel,
amongst ethnically related peoples,
there hasn't been stability.
There often hasn't been justice.
The strong and the wealthy
and the powerful
often trampled the weak
and the poor.
And so,
we have to know
that this question
in verse 5
probably struck a chord
in the hearts of the people
in these days.
They knew
what it was like
to live with fear
and anxiety,
with insecurity.
They'd seen some evil days,
either witnessed it
or some of them
even been victims.
The wealthy
and the powerful,
they were those people
who bullied,
who oppressed,
who stole,
and often there was no justice
and nobody
to stand up
to those guys.
So there's a sense
in which this question
may feel a little bit
far away
to us today,
a little bit irrelevant
because,
if we're honest,
we all enjoy
a good measure
of peace and safety
here in these days,
in this place.
We don't feel
imminently threatened
by the wicked
or by wealthy people
all around us.
But, you know,
as I thought about
this some more,
I realized
that maybe this is
a little more relevant
after all.
I mean,
it was just a couple
years back
when I watched
as the temperature,
even here in our own church,
changed
as we endured
the whole COVID thing.
Fear rose
in many of our hearts.
Anxiety,
stress.
We all struggled
as we talked
to different people
and heard different
things in the news
and online
and we struggled
to know
who's telling the truth
and who are those people
who are trying
to deceive us.
Many became
increasingly dissatisfied
with leaders
and politicians
in government
and rightly so
because we hear
about all kinds
of corruption.
We hear about
scandals.
We hear about lies.
We hear about
promises
that are not
being kept
and we know
that many in power
in our own country
are the wealthy.
We know
that they're
manipulating
and maneuvering
oftentimes
behind the scenes.
Now,
COVID is over.
At least,
that's my opinion.
But still today,
we're seeing
the prices of gas
and food
and groceries
increasing.
Then we look over
and we see others
around us
who somehow
are able to afford
a brand new car
or holiday trailer
or house
or whatever,
go on an expensive
vacation.
So are we immune
to this fear
that evil days
have come?
I don't think so.
Are we tempted
to fret
as we watch
some around us
prospering,
getting things easy
while we struggle
to pay the bills?
I think so.
This is the amazing
thing here.
He raises
all of this
with a question
but it's a rhetorical
question.
He's not asking it
because he doesn't
know the answer.
He does know
the answer.
He's actually
making a statement
like,
why should I fear
when evil days come?
When wicked deceivers
surround me,
those who trust
in their wealth
and boast
of their great riches.
It's a statement.
I'm not going
to fear
in evil days.
I'm not going
to worry
about the wicked
or what they
might do to me.
I'm not going
to envy the rich.
Those who take
such confidence
in their wealth
or boast
in their possessions,
their investment
holdings,
their bank accounts.
And why not?
Well, the rest
of the psalm
is the answer.
It's the reasons
and we're going
to look at
two main reasons.
We'll see
two main reasons
come out.
And the first one
we'll just lay it
out right up front
and then we'll see it.
I'm not going
to fear
in evil days
when the wicked,
when the wealthy
surround me,
when they're prospering.
And his answer
is basically this
because they're
all going to die
and lose everything.
They will get
what they deserve
and no amount
of wealth
will keep them
from that.
Let's see this
starting in verse 7.
He says,
he asked the question,
why should I fear
when evil days come?
No one,
verse 7,
can redeem
the life of another
or give a ransom
to God
for them.
The ransom
for a life
is costly.
No payment
is ever enough
so that they should
live on forever
and not see
decay.
So there's a great
leveler,
he says,
that's coming
for all of us
and that's death.
And no amount
of money,
no amount
of possessions,
no amount
of health care
coverage
can change the fact
that someday
you will die.
and in these verses
he makes it quite clear,
it doesn't matter
how much money
you have,
it's not enough.
You can't buy
an unending life
from God.
You can't stave off
death forever.
Death came to humanity
as a punishment
from God
for sin
and you can't
pay your own ransom
or the ransom
of another
to God
so that he's going
to somehow
grant you
to live forever.
Both low and high,
rich and poor
alike,
we all die
and our bodies
see decay.
They come to rot
in the ground.
Verse 10,
for all can see
that the wise
die,
that the foolish
and the senseless
also perish,
leaving their wealth
to others.
Money can do
a lot of good things
but there's one thing
that it cannot do.
It cannot keep us
from the punishment
that we all deserve
for our sins.
Sooner or later,
one way or another,
death will have
all of us
whether you are
a wise person
or a fool.
And on that day,
he says,
all the wealth
you have
will be left
for another.
Verse 11,
their tombs
will remain
their houses
forever.
Their dwellings
for endless generations
though they had
named lands
after themselves.
Now there's a bit
of a translation
variance here
depending on what
translation in English
you have.
It'll read a little
differently but in
either case,
it's about
the permanence
and finality
of death
despite the pride
and the presumption
of the wicked.
Even though they
lived in houses,
strong,
established dwelling
places that they
thought would last
forever.
They even named
land after
themselves,
laying claim to it.
This is my
territory.
Yet it's the tomb
over in the hillside
that will be their
house,
their dwelling
place forever.
as it says
in verse 12,
people
despite
their wealth
do not
endure.
They are like
the beasts
that perish.
Again,
the main point
here,
death
is inevitable.
It's coming.
It's coming
for you.
One way
or another,
sooner
or later,
wise or
foolish,
it doesn't
matter.
It doesn't
matter how
much money
you have,
doesn't matter
how many
possessions
you have
or what
quality they
are,
doesn't matter
how sturdily
you built
your house
or what
kind of
renovations
you did
to it,
none of
these things
will stop
your day
from coming.
Your net
worth,
the minute
after you
die,
will be the
same as
everybody
else's
net worth
the minute
after they
die.
That thing
you bought
or built
might have
been built
to last,
but what
does that
matter if
you aren't
here to
make use
of it?
It's going
to be
someone else's
soon.
People,
despite their
wealth,
do not
endure.
They are
like the
beasts that
perish.
How many
of you have
seen something
like this
in your
travels this
summer so
far?
After about
almost 5,000
kilometers to
Indianapolis
and back,
I saw quite
a lot of
roadkill
on the
side of
the road.
Got
thinking about
that.
The beasts
that perish,
that roadkill
on the side
of the road,
that's what
things will be
like for
you and
for me.
Soon
enough.
Now,
of course,
with roadkill,
the end of
that animal's
life was
sudden and
violent,
but regardless,
death was
coming for
that critter
at some
point.
We all
know that.
Animals
don't live
forever,
and the
truth is
that he's
saying here,
neither do
we.
We are
like them
in that
regard.
We,
too,
will
perish.
Our time
will come.
Verse
13,
this is the
fate of
those who
trust in
themselves,
and of
their followers
who approve
their sayings.
They are
like sheep
and are
destined to
die.
Death
will be
their
shepherd.
Their
forms will
decay in
the grave,
far from
their
princely
mansions.
That
contrasts
in verse
14 is
pretty
powerful.
Their
forms will
decay in
the grave,
far from
their
princely
mansions.
Think about
your house,
all that
you've put
into it,
but that's
not where
you will
end up.
You'll
end up
about a
mile west
of town
in the
Davidson
Cemetery,
unless,
of course,
you have
another
cemetery
picked out.
and there
he says,
your body
will
decay.
Far
from
your
house.
Again,
the point
that he's
making,
I'm not
going to
fear in
evil days
when the
wicked,
when the
wealthy
surround me,
when they
prosper,
because they're
all going
to die.
We're all
going to
die and
lose
everything,
and they
will get
what they
deserve,
and no
amount of
wealth
will keep
them from
it.
And there's
a lesson
here,
verse 16.
He says,
do not
be overawed
when others
grow rich,
when the
splendor of
their houses
increase.
That word
overawed is
maybe a little
bit misleading.
It almost
sounds like,
whoa,
but really
it means to
be greatly
afraid,
or overly
concerned,
or worried,
and it
just ties
right back
in with
the big
question.
Why should
I fear?
He says,
don't worry
about them.
Don't fear.
Don't get
bent out of
shape when
the wicked
around grow
rich,
when the
world prospers.
Why not?
Because,
verse 17,
for they
will take
nothing with
them when
they die.
Their
splendor
will not
descend
with
them.
Though
while they
live,
they count
themselves
blessed,
and people
praise you
when you
prosper,
they will
join those
who have
gone before
them,
who will
never again
see the
light of
life.
Again,
don't worry.
Don't be
overly concerned
in evil
days as the
wicked seem
to get
their way,
as they
prosper,
because they're
all going
to die
and lose
everything.
They'll get
what they
deserve,
which here
is described
as never
again see
the light
of life.
Think about
that.
That's eternal
darkness,
eternal
death.
They will
never again
see the
light of
life.
Maybe you've
heard it
said,
there's no
U-Haul
behind the
hearse.
I think
Billy Graham
was known
for saying
that.
Apparently
Denzel
Washington
was too.
And how
this picture
came to be,
I have no
idea.
Maybe somebody
thought they'd
just do it
for a joke.
But I like
that saying,
there's no
U-Haul
behind the
hearse.
You can't
take your
possessions
with you
when you
die.
You can't
take your
money with
you.
Death
separates
you
permanently
from all
your stuff.
You leave
it all
behind.
And so
again,
he charges
us,
don't worry,
don't get
bent out of
shape.
When you
see other
people getting
ahead,
prospering,
getting rich,
getting into
those positions
of power and
influence all
around you,
they won't
have those
things for
long.
They're going
to lose it
all.
And he
ends in
verse 20
with a
similar
statement to
that in
verse 12.
People who
have wealth
but lack
understanding
are like
the beasts
that perish.
It's hard
to imagine
that as kind
of the
clincher
phrase of
the song.
Like the
beasts that
perish,
you know.
Just not a
pleasant feeling.
But this is
a wisdom
psalm.
And his
first answer
to this
big question,
don't worry.
Don't worry
when evil
days come.
The people
that make
those days
evil,
they're going
to lose
it all
when they
die.
And they
will get
what they
deserve.
And their
money can't
save them
from that.
Their
positions,
their power
can't save
them from
that.
What's the
big issue
here with
these people?
people.
It is a
problem that
they are
wicked.
It is a
problem that
they're deceitful.
It is a
problem in
verse 11 that
they're proud.
But probably
all of those
things are more
symptoms of a
deeper problem.
I think verse
6 highlights
what their
problem is.
They are
those who
trust in
their wealth.
They are
those who
boast of
their great
riches.
Money is
the thing
that they
put their
hope in.
Their
stuff.
Their
bank
accounts,
their cars,
their houses,
their properties.
Verse
16.
Beautifying
their houses,
making the
splendor of
their house
increase.
We're
talking
expensive
renovations,
luxurious
things,
fine
furniture.
lavish
comforts.
These are
the things
that matter
most to
these people.
And it's
not just
that they
trust in
it,
but they
boast in
it.
They love
it.
They celebrate
it.
And when
the days
become evil,
they look
at what
they have
as their
security,
their
protection.
In
verse 13,
they are
further
described as
those who
trust in
themselves.
They
foolishly put
confidence in
what they have
achieved for
themselves.
But according
to the
songwriter,
their confidence
is terribly
misplaced.
It's utterly
short-sighted.
Their confidence
is based on a
lie.
This lie
that they will
live on forever.
That they will
never face a
trouble that
their money
can't fix.
And so they
are fools.
they are
those who
lack
understanding.
In verse
20.
So I found
a question in
here that I
thought I'd
just ask this
morning.
As you think
about some of
these things that
we're hearing in
this psalm,
what would you
say is the
greater danger
for you
personally?
Is it being
overly concerned
about others
prospering all
around us?
Or is it
falling for the
same lie that
they do?
What's the
greater temptation
for you?
The greater
problem?
Is it being
overly concerned,
fearful,
worried about
those around us
who are prospering,
who are getting
ahead, who are
jockeying, who
are doing things
that are not
good?
Or is the
greater temptation
for you falling
for that same
lie that they
do?
I can get
that.
I'll be happy.
Then I'll
really have
life.
We've already
looked at the
answer, number
one, to this
big question.
But there's a
secondary answer
nestled within
this.
If this is
how it goes
at the end
of our lives,
then we
should also
know that we
shouldn't be
among those
who desire
wealth like
they do.
We shouldn't
be among those
who trust in
it, who look
to money and
stuff and
houses for
fulfillment.
their forms
will decay in
the grave, far
from their
princely
mansions.
But, verse
15, some
of you have
been waiting,
where's the
good news in
this?
But, here
it is, verse
15, God will
redeem me from
the realm of
the dead.
God, he
will surely
take me to
himself.
So, there is
hope.
There is an
alternative to
putting your
trust in wealth,
in your stuff,
in your
possessions.
You can put
your hope in
God.
You can put
your trust in
him.
And, here in
verse 15, the
singer tells us
that his
confidence is
that his fate is
going to be
totally different
from those who
trust in
themselves.
God will
redeem me from
the realm of
the dead.
He will
surely take me
to himself.
So, death is
still coming.
He's still
going to the
realm of the
dead.
He knows
this.
But, there's
a hope beyond
that.
Because, God
will redeem me.
He will buy me
back from
death.
This word
takes us back
to verse 7.
No one can
redeem the life
of another so
that they should
live on forever
and not see
decay.
But, wait.
There is
someone who
can pay
death's ransom.
There is
one who has
enough to
redeem us,
to ransom
us from the
eternal clutches
of death.
God will
redeem me.
Quite
literally.
God will
redeem my
soul, my
life, from
the hand
of Sheol.
Sheol.
Now, Sheol
was that
ancient Hebrew
proper name
for the
realm of
the dead.
And, here,
Sheol is
personified as
if it was
like a
powerful being
who's got
his hand
outstretched
to receive
you when
you die.
And, so,
it's beautiful
how he
phrases this.
God is
going to
pay the
ransom
to set me
free from
the grip
of death.
He's going
to receive
me.
Death's hand
is not
going to
receive me.
He's going
to receive
me.
He's going
to take
me to
himself.
So, the
psalmist has
this beautiful
confidence and
hope in God
that even
though he
will die,
just like
everybody else,
God is
able to
rescue him
from that.
Do you
hear this
contrast in
verses 14
and 15?
Their forms
will decay
in the grave
far from
their princely
mansions,
but God
will redeem
me from
the realm
of the
dead.
So, you
look at those
people over
in the
cemetery
there.
Because I
trust in
the Lord,
my fate
will not
be the
same as
theirs,
is what
he's saying.
The ultimate
end of my
life, my
story, will
not be that
my body
just rotted
away in
the grave.
I may go
into that
grave, but
I'm coming
out of it
because God
will ransom
me from
the hand
of Sheol
and receive
me to
himself.
We skipped
over a part
of verse 14
here in
parentheses.
He said,
they are like
sheep and are
destined to
die.
Death will
be their
shepherd, but
the upright
will prevail
over them
in the
morning.
I love
this statement.
So here's
the second
answer to
this big
question.
Why shouldn't
I fear when
evil days
come, when
the wicked
prosper all
around me?
Because we
who are
upright and
trust in
God will
prevail over
the wicked
in the
end.
This is
the long
view.
This is
the truth
of what's
coming.
In other
words, God
may allow
evil days
to come
here on
earth.
He may
allow wicked
deceivers to
afflict his
people, but
it's just
momentary for
a short
time, like
the darkness
of night.
But dawn is
coming.
Morning is
coming.
A new day
is coming for
this world.
And when it
comes, the
righteous, the
upright, those
who trust in
the Lord, they
will prevail over
the wicked.
I love that
language.
It speaks of
triumph.
It assures us
that no matter
what people do
here on this
earth, we
need not be
worried.
We don't need
to fret.
We don't need
to be anxious
or fearful
because in the
long scheme
of things,
justice is
coming.
And the
tables will be
turned.
That great
leveler, death
is coming.
for all of
us.
And at the
end, when the
sun rises, when
Jesus Christ
returns in
glory, God
will vindicate
his people.
He'll put us
on the
victor's throne.
So this song,
I mean, it
really drives us
to this most
important question.
Have you put
your trust
in the Lord?
Lord, is your
hope in him?
Is he your
treasure?
Are you
depending on
him?
Is he the one
that you're
living for?
A thousand
years later,
God sent his
son, Jesus.
And Jesus,
amazingly, not
really surprisingly,
preached the
same message.
on one
occasion, Mark
8, 36, he
asked this
question, what
good is it for
someone to gain
the whole world
yet forfeit
their soul?
Same kind of
idea in this
psalm.
He went on and
asked a follow-up
question.
What can anyone
give in exchange
for their soul?
Answer,
nothing.
No payment is
enough.
It's the same
message.
He said, do
not work for
food that
spoils, but
for food that
endures to
eternal life,
which the
Son of Man
will give
you.
One of my
favorite sayings
of Jesus to
Mary, I am
the resurrection
and the life,
he said.
The one who
believes in me
will live,
even though
they die,
and whoever
lives by
believing in
me will
never die.
He preached
the same
message.
As God in
the flesh, he
called people to
trust in him
and in the
Father.
He promised
eternal life,
resurrection,
raising him up
at the last
day, and then
he went on to
pay the ransom
for us that
God's penalty
of death
required.
He died on
the cross
to redeem
us, to
buy us back
for God.
He came
not to be
served, but
to serve and
to give his
life as a
ransom for
many.
Three days
after he
died, God
gave us the
ultimate sign
that the hope
of this songwriter
here in verse
15 was well
placed.
God raised
Jesus back
to life
from the
dead, and
his promise
is that he
will do the
same for
all who
trust in
the Lord,
who trust
in him.
Have you
put your
trust in
him?
It's the
most important
decision of
life.
There are
only two
fates to be
had.
Which do
you choose?
Once we've
got that
straight, and
I'll end
with this,
there are two
questions that
this song
leads us
to, and
I just
want to
leave these
with you
to think
about through
the week.
The first
question is
this, have
I got my
priorities
straight?
Have I
got my
priorities
straight?
Oh, this
song hits
us there about
this.
And two, am
I fretting
needlessly
about others?
We may
need to
confess some
things to
God today
or this
week, and
to repent.
We may need
to come back
to the
priorities that
he has for
us.
We may
need to
find the
peace that
he has for
us, for
our hearts
today.
Let's pray.
Let's
pray.
Father in
heaven, thank
you for this
sober reminder
that you've
given us in
this song, that
our lives are
short, and
that we can
waste our
lives going
after things
that we will
lose.
And I pray
that you would
do that work in
our hearts, that
you would put
that wisdom
inside of us,
convict us of
our sins, Lord,
set our priorities
straight.
Forgive us for
those times,
those moments
where we have
chased after the
stuff of this
world.
We ask for
that peace, that
security that
cannot be shaken
by anything.
Put our eyes
on Jesus and
on the life
that he gives.
We ask in his
name.
Amen.