Message Notes

SSS 4 25 September 2022
Book 2
Psalms 42-72

Text: Psalm 49

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
1 Hear this, all peoples;
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,

2 Both low and high,
Rich and poor together.

3 My mouth shall speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.

4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will disclose my dark saying on the harp.

5 Why should I fear in the days of evil,
When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?

6 Those who trust in their wealth
And boast in the multitude of their riches,

7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother,
Nor give to God a ransom for him—

8 For the redemption of their souls is costly,
And it shall cease forever—

9 That he should continue to live eternally,
And not see the Pit.

10 For he sees wise men die;
Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish,
And leave their wealth to others.

11 Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever,
Their dwelling places to all generations;
They call their lands after their own names.

12 Nevertheless man, though in honour, does not remain;
He is like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the way of those who are foolish,
And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah

14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave;
Death shall feed on them;
The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning;
And their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from their dwelling.

15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave,
For He shall receive me. Selah

16 Do not be afraid when one becomes rich,
When the glory of his house is increased;

17 For when he dies he shall carry nothing away;
His glory shall not descend after him.

18 Though while he lives he blesses himself
(For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),

19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They shall never see light.

20 A man who is in honour, yet does not understand,
Is like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 49:1-20

1. Authorship
The sons of Korah

2. Type of Psalm

a) A wisdom Psalm

b) A discourse

c) The topic: Wealth

3. Features of a Wisdom Psalm

a) To offer wisdom and understanding to the reader

b) Focus is “Instruction”

c) Proverbial and dark saying Psalm 49:4

THE CONTEXT

1. A difficult time

2. Problems caused by the wicked wealthy

Why should I fear in the days of evil,
When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me?

Psalm 49:5

OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE WEALTHY

1. Mindset of trusting in their wealth

Those who trust in their wealth
And boast in the multitude of their riches

Psalm 49:6

2. Vain hope of living eternally (on earth)

That he should continue to live eternally,
And not see the Pit.

Psalm 49:9

3. Inner thought

Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever,
Their dwelling places to all generations;
They call their lands after their own names.

Psalm 49:11

THE SOMBRE REALITY OF DEATH

For he sees wise men die;
Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish,
And leave their wealth to others.

Nevertheless man, though in honour, does not remain;
He is like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 49:10, 12

1. All will die sometime

a) The wise men

b) The fool

c) The senseless person

2. They will have to leave their wealth behind!

3. They cannot redeem their souls

7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother,
Nor give to God a ransom for him—

8 For the redemption of their souls is costly,
And it shall cease forever—

Psalm 49:7-8

4. Posterity

13 This is the way of those who are foolish,
And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah

14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave;
Death shall feed on them;
The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning;
And their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from their dwelling.

15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave,
For He shall receive me. Selah

Psalm 49:13-15

a) The foolish fail to recognize that all would die

i) Like sheep they are laid in the grave

ii) Death would feed on them

iii) Their beauty would be consumed in the grave

b) The upright shall have dominion

i) They may be poor

ii) They may be persecuted

iii) But the LORD would redeem his soul from the power of the grave

iv) God will receive the upright

WISE ADMONITION GIVEN

16 Do not be afraid when one becomes rich,
When the glory of his house is increased;

17 For when he dies he shall carry nothing away;
His glory shall not descend after him.

18 Though while he lives he blesses himself
(For men will praise you when you do well for yourself),

19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They shall never see light.

20 A man who is in honour, yet does not understand,
Is like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 49:16-20

1. When people become rich

a) The glory of his house is increased

b) He blesses himself

c) People offer praises

d) He may have honour heaped upon him

2. Appropriate response

a) No need to fear the rich

b) His glory will perish with him

c) He cannot carry his riches with him

d) He will die as his forefathers

e) He will not see the light