Psalm 49 - Wealth and Resurrection
This is the last psalm of the first group of psalms by the sons of Korah (Psalms 42,44-49). There are altogether 11 psalms by the sons of Korah: 7 in this first group, and 4 more almost at the end of Psalms book 3, Psalms 84-85, 87-88.
Outline of this psalm
vv1-4 Intro calling on everyone to hear this wisdom
vv 5-13 The foolishness of trusting in wealth
vv 14-15 Hope for resurrection
vv16-20 Conclusion, lesson from vv5-13
v1 - This message is not just for Israel but for all human beings of all statuses.
It is not a topic which men delight to consider, and therefore he who would instruct them must press them to give ear.
... We must all appear before the judgment seat, and therefore we all should give earnest heed to holy admonition which may help us to prepare for that dread event. - Spurgeon
v2 - The low will be encouraged, the high will be warned, the rich will be sobered, the poor consoled, there will be a useful lesson for each if they are willing to learn it. Our preaching ought to have a voice for all classes, and all should have an ear for it. To suit our word to the rich alone is wicked sycophancy, and to aim only at pleasing the poor is to act the part of a demagogue. Truth may be so spoken as to command the ear of all, and wise men seek to learn that acceptable style. Rich and poor must soon meet together in the grave, they may well be content to meet together now. In the congregation of the dead all differences of rank will be obliterated, they ought not now to be obstructions to united instructions. - Spurgeon
ref. Prov. 22:2
v3 - A bold statement
Inspired and therefore lifted beyond himself, the prophet is not praising his own attainments, but extolling the divine Spirit which spoke in him. He knew that the Spirit of truth and wisdom spoke through him. He who is not sure that his matter is good has no right to ask a hearing. - Spurgeon
The same Spirit who made the ancient seers eloquent, also made them thoughtful. The help of the Holy Ghost was never meant to supersede the use of our own mental powers. The Holy Spirit does not make us speak as Balaam's ass, which merely uttered sounds, but never meditated; but He first leads us to consider and reflect, and then He gives us the tongue of fire to speak with power. - Spurgeon
v4 - To understand some passages of the Bible and apply it to our lives, we often need to stretch our hearing. ref. Prov 22:17; etc. Prov 25:2
Always write (and read) with the ear, not the eye. You should hear every sentence you write as if it was being read aloud or spoken. If it does not sound nice, try again. - C. S. Lewis
He who would have others hear, begins by hearing [the Word] himself. ...
The truth came to the psalmist as a parable, and he endeavored to unriddle it for popular use; he would not leave the truth in obscurity, but he listened to its voice till he so well understood it as to be able to interpret and translate it into the common language of the multitude. Still of necessity it would remain a problem, and a dark saying to the unenlightened many, but this would not be the songster's fault, for, saith he, I will open my dark saying upon the harp. The writer was no mystic, delighting in deep and cloudy things, yet he was not afraid of the most profound topics; he tried to open the treasures of darkness, and to uplift pearls from the deep. To win attention he cast his proverbial philosophy into the form of song. - Spurgeon
v7 - The blessing of having more wealth than you need is to be able to help others. If you can't help others with your wealth it is vain. (1Tim 6:17-19)
They see that the wise men die, so they do not treasure wisdom as in this psalm (v3).
v11 - lit. their dwellings to a generation and generation
v13 ref. Luke 12:20
"their mouth" refers to their superficial sayings, but may also include their consumption. People liked to watch the TV series Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, which ran for 11 years. The TV host ended each show with his signature catchphrase "champagne wishes and caviar dreams".
We must give ear to this psalmists' mouth speaking wisdom (v3) to keep us from delighting in the world's mouth.
The Selah after this verse says that we need to take this verse to heart.
Selah. Well may the minstrel pause, and bid us muse upon the deep seated madness of the sons of Adam. Take occasion, reader, to reflect upon thine own. - Spurgeon
v14 "Sheol" is the place where all the dead go, both good and bad (Gen 37:35). It is translated "Hades" in Greek.
lit. Death will shepherd them.
The verb could be translated "graze on".
"Shepherd" is the more common meaning of the Hebrew verb, especially when it has a direct object.
I chose "shepherd" because then that thought is advanced by the next phrase "and the upright shall rule over them."
Death's is probably what the rich man experienced in Luke 16.
The righteous are led by the Good Shepherd, but the ungodly have death for their shepherd, - Spurgeon
The middle of this verse is the first statement of hope in this psalm, hope beyond the grave.
There will be a morning, the next age, when all the dead will arise. The upright ruling over him is a good thing.
The poor saints were once the tail, but at the day break they shall be the head. Sinners rule till night fall; their honors wither in the evening, and in the morning they find their position utterly reversed. The sweetest reflection to the upright is that "the morning" here intended begins an endless, changeless, day. - Spurgeon
v16 lit. when the glory of his house grows
This goes back to the beginning of the riddle, v5.
In these last verses the psalmist becomes a preacher, and gives admonitory lessons which he has himself gathered from experience. Be not thou afraid when one is made rich. Let it not give thee any concern to see the godless prosper. Raise no questions as to divine justice; suffer no foreboding to cloud thy mind. Temporal prosperity is too small a matter to be worth fretting about; - Spurgeon
v18 "Take care of Number One, "is the world's proverbial philosophy, ... To do good wins fame in heaven, but to do good to yourself is the prudent thing among men of the world. Yet not a whisper of worldly congratulation can follow the departing millionaire; they say he died worth a mint of money, but what charm has that fact to the dull cold ear of death? - Spurgeon
ref. Luke 16:15, 19, 25
v19 "his soul" is literally "she" which I understand as referring back to "his soul" in v18, which is the nearest feminine antecedent.
"group" is literally "generation".
Where the former generations lie, the present shall also slumber. - Spurgeon
At the end, they will see light, but it will be too late. This also is a serious warning to act now and not delay.
I do not believe that animals were not made to live forever (Eccl 3:21). The word translated "are no more" or "perish" in v12 means to cease to exist (Hos 4:5-6). Of all life on earth, only man, who is made in the image of God, is created to live forever, and that is also in man's heart (Eccl 3:11). To not consider our future state beyond the grave is to be like a beast who is just made to live for a while on earth and then die and be no more.
So ends the minstrel's song. Comforting as the theme is to the righteous, it is full of warning to the worldly. Hear ye it, O ye rich and poor. Give ear to it, ye nations of the earth. - Spurgeon
"My rich brother, trust not in uncertain riches; but use thy wealth wisely, and it shall prove a blessing to thyself and to others:
My poor brother, do thou neither envy nor fear the power of wealthy worldlings; but rejoice in thine own, inalienable and blessed portion." - Scroggie, W. Graham.
ref 1Tim 6:17-19
-copyright Steve Miller