Psalm 49
This psalm is also written to be sung in liturgical worship. It is a psalm of instruction, written by a member of the family of Korah. This family was one division of the Levites that served in the Temple and were involved with the music for the services. The lesson taught in this psalm is that earthly advantages do not bring eternal blessings.
The first two verses call upon all people on earth to pay careful attention to the instructions of this psalm. To re-enforce who should listen, both those noble born and those with no authority, the rich and the poor—need this instruction.
In the second section (verses 3 to 4), the author declares that he will speak wisdom and give understanding based on his meditation of God’s Word. The author asserts that he will listen carefully to a parable revealed by God Himself, dark sayings that reveal the counsel of God, whose ways are not like man’s ways. In order that this instruction strike deep in the heart, he will accompany his words on a harp, or zither.
Verse 5 deals with one of the paradoxes of the faithful. Days of evil and calamity inflicted by wicked men may surround the believer, but he does not need to fear them, as the following section graphically states.
In the next section (verses 6 to 13), the author describes the reason why every earthly thing is worthless to man. Humans may trust in all kinds of riches, but none of them can redeem his brother that he should live eternally. The redemption of souls is so costly that no sinner can pay it. Sin cannot be ransomed by wealth or might or by good deeds. The grave cannot be bribed in any way to stop death. Both the fool and the wise men die and leave their wealth to others. The rich and powerful seek to establish empires on the earth that honor their names forever, but these also lie forgotten in the dust. Death comes to the rich and powerful, and like the death of beasts, it comes suddenly and takes them away.
The next section (verses 14 to 15) presents the wonderful news of God’s deliverance from the grave. Verse 14 continues to describe the fearfulness of death. No matter how great, rich, and powerful one is, they are laid in the grave like sheep. Death feeds on them all, for all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. Yet the upright—the believer in the Messiah—shall triumph over the ungodly and through the Messiah receive the very thing the rich desire—eternal life. For “God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave.” The word “redeem” means to buy back from slavery. Jesus has redeemed all sinners by His death on the cross, His blood being most precious and costly offering to God for the souls of all people on earth. Having redeemed us, by faith He will receive us, body and soul, into heaven!
The final section (verses 16 to 20) teach the lesson to all. Believers are not to fear the rich or powerful, especially when they persecute the believer. For whatever the rich trust in shall remain on earth, not even his fame will go with him into the grave. While the rich live, they may flatter themselves that life is good and they are happy and others will praise them, death will cut him off from what he holds death and deliver him to hell. He who does not understand this dies like an animal without hope in eternity. Believers need to trust in the redemption of Christ alone.”