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Commentary on "Worship in the Psalms"
Day 4: Tuesday, August 9, 2011 - "Like the Beasts That Perish"
Overview
Today’s lesson follows up on yesterday’s theme that “so much unfairness and injustice reign in this world” by focusing on Psalm 49.
We will be putting this theme into perspective by outlining the whole of this Psalm and would ask that each student of scripture would in prayer and under the leading of the Holy Spirit follow along in their own bibles to confirm the truth offered in today’s commentary.
Observations
Verses 1 & 2: While this Psalm was obviously presented to the Hebrew people by their religious leaders, it is intended as a message to all peoples regardless of their rank and position in life or if they were either righteous or wicked.
Verses 3 & 4: Through the inspired wisdom that only comes from God, the speaker puts forth both a ‘riddle’ of life and what is God’s answer to that riddle.
Verses 5 & 6: The speaker now asks a rhetorical question; Why should I fear in times of trouble and when the wicked boast in their wealth? There is nothing to fear for those who are righteous. The speaker goes on to expound upon why this is so in the rest of the Psalm.
Verses 7-9: All peoples have one thing in common. The ransom for our lives from out of the pit of death is far beyond the ability for another sinner to pay. Notice that the ‘pit’ is described as a real place literally occupied by the real souls of those who are dead. There is no such thing as non-existence in death, now or ever.
Verses 10-12: All people whether wise, a fool or simply stupid all face physical death. All that the world counts as wealth is gone when we die. For those who boast in their ‘pomp’ the speaker compares to the beasts of the earth that also perish. Note carefully that ‘like’ does not have the same meaning as the word ‘same’. We of the human race were created in God’s image whereas the ‘beasts’ do not have a soul. That is, those who ignore the condition of their soul or believe it is non-existent in death are ‘like’ the beasts of this earth without being the ‘same’ as the beasts of the earth.
Verse 13: The tragedy is that there are those who approve of the foolish boasts of the wicked.
Verse 14: The fate of the wicked fools ends in the grave. There will come a time when the upright will rule over the wicked.
Verse 15: The speaker is prophetically looking forward to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who will ransom his soul from the grave. Once again, Sheol the place of the dead is portrayed as a real place occupied by real souls.
Verses 16-19: Whatever wealth the wicked have in this life, it is lost and ends when they die. Their souls will never again see ‘light’.
Verse 20: The wicked perish like the beasts they emulate because they are without understanding. However, the wicked do have souls and they are without excuse.
For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. (Romans 1:18-20 HCSB)
Summary
- The riddle of Psalm 49 is what happens to each of us, whether righteous or wicked, when we die? Or, what is left when we die and all our worldly wealth, position and power is gone? With the resolution of these questions comes the realization that the apparent unfairness of what happens in this present life is of little consequence.
- Since the ransom price for our souls is far beyond any of us sinners to pay, are you so foolish to think you can contribute anything to your own salvation?
- The faith of the speaker of this psalm is so great nothing is offered other than the hope placed in a Messiah who he has never been seen but knows will assuredly redeem all the righteous dead from the place of the dead, II Tim. 1:11-12.
- The wicked do not understand that the loss of their worldly wealth in death, even if they were to still retain it, would never be enough to redeem their real souls from a real place which this Psalm calls the ‘pit’.
- If Jesus Christ were to ask you, why should I let you into my kingdom, what would your answer be?
Copyright 2011 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised August 7, 2011. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
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