Psalms 49 and 50: All the World and All the People

The wisdom of the world must recognize that even the rich don't have enough money to ransom their own souls.

They can't keep themselves alive, but God can ransom the soul. The book of Psalms is a great treasure for God's people. It's a rich songbook. It's a divinely inspired guide for our prayers. Yet it's not always easy to understand, especially if you're lacking the Old Testament context. I'm glad you're with us today for Renewing Your Mind, and I trust you'll be with us for the rest of the week, as W. Robert Godfrey will walk us through several psalms helping us see the riches, the beauty, and the wisdom that are contained in these sacred verses.

You're probably familiar with the Apostle Paul's description of the world in Romans 1. Claiming to be wise, they became fools. Well today, Dr. Godfrey will examine the wisdom of the world according to the psalmist in Psalm 49. That man in his pomp will not remain. He is like the beasts that perish.

Here's Dr. Godfrey. We want to turn now to Book 2 of the Psalter, and once again we're just going to be able to sample a couple of things out of Book 2. Book 2 generally is the book about the kingdom of God. It's focused on Jerusalem, on the temple, on the king. In fact, every psalm in Book 2 talks about either Jerusalem or the king or the temple, with one exception, and that one exception is Psalm 49. When you find exceptions in the Psalter, it sort of points to the delight and artful variation that the poet has.

Just the time we think we've got this stuff figured out, then he changes something enough to keep us off balance, keep us meditating, keep us steady. So I'm going to be perverse along with the psalmist and look at the one psalm that doesn't fit the mold, or doesn't appear to fit the mold of focusing on the kingdom of God in Book 2 of the Psalter. And that's Psalm 49. So I want to think with you a little bit about Psalm 49. Actually, it's a psalm that sounds like a proverb or part of the book of proverbs.

It sounds like wisdom literature. It begins, hear this all peoples. You notice it's talking to the whole world. It's not just talking to Israel or the kingdom of God.

It's talking to the whole world. Hear this all peoples, give ear all inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor together. My mouth shall speak wisdom. The meditation of my heart shall be understanding. So he's going to talk wisdom to the whole world. And we might say, well, that doesn't fit into a book that's about the kingdom.

But when we step back a little bit, we discover things are not quite as simple as they might initially seem. Psalm 48, which comes just before Psalm 49, Psalm 48 celebrates Jerusalem, celebrates the glories of Zion. Walk around her walls, see her citadels, see her power, see how impressive Jerusalem is, see the love of God displayed in the temple. This is the vintage Book II Psalm, celebrating the kingdom of God, celebrating Jerusalem, celebrating the temple. But in that Psalm that so focuses on Jerusalem, we also hear an appeal to the whole world. So in verse 1 of Psalm 48, we read, His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth. God's interest in Israel is never separated from His concern for the whole world.

Israel is the staging point for a gospel that will go out to the whole world. So we're not overly surprised that Psalm 48 will be followed by a very specific address in Psalm 49 to the whole world. And this wisdom psalm addressed to the whole world divides itself really into two stanzas. Stanza 1 is verses 5 through 12, which really is the wisdom of the world, and then stanza 2, verses 13 through 20 is the wisdom of God. And so the psalmist first wants to explore a way of thinking that will appeal to everybody in the whole world, and then wants to go on and say, Now we can do better than that.

It's true as far as it goes, but we can do better than that. Let me give you the wisdom of God that takes us beyond the wisdom of the world. And this psalm is so attractive in part because its logic is irresistible, but the beauty of its poetry is absolutely charming.

It's absolutely powerful in its delightfulness and its arresting quality. So I want to look at this a little bit together with you. Verse 5 poses one of the great questions in terms of the world's wisdom. Why should I fear in times of trouble? Okay, everybody has times of trouble. Everybody in the whole world has times of trouble. How do I face times of trouble fearlessly? Why should I fear in times of trouble when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me? Okay, it's not just general trouble, it's particularly the trouble caused by cheaters who are making my life miserable at my expense. Those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches, okay, there's real trouble, when the rich are given the rest of us a bad time. How can you deal with that in the day of trouble?

I'm trying to avoid political comment. Well, how do you deal with that kind of struggle? Verse 7, truly no man can ransom another or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit. What's our comfort when we look at the rich and the misery they're causing us? The comfort is they're going to die. They're going to die, and they can't take it with them. And for all their wealth, they can't buy their way out of that common situation of mankind. Verse 10, for he sees that even the wise die. The fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others.

You see, you can't take it with you. Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names. Conquerors, pioneers, people of such influence and power that they were able to name lands after themselves. You can still go to the Near East and find town after town after town named after some variation on Alexander, Alexandria in Egypt being the biggest of them.

But all over there are Alexandrias of one sort or another. But you know what? He's dead. They're still looking for his grave, actually.

He's dead. That's the wisdom of this psalm. Verse 12, man in his pomp will not remain.

He is like the beasts that perish. Death is the great equalizer. That's the wisdom of the world. And it's true as far as it goes, isn't it? Everybody's dying. We are Americans, of course, so we never talk about that.

That's a dirty little secret that must never be acknowledged. But the psalmist, you see, tells the truth, and that's the truth. The wisdom of the world, at least one of the parts of the wisdom of the world can be reduced to this, don't fret the small stuff, we're all going to die. Now exactly how much comfort you derive from that is another sort of question, isn't it? It is comforting in a way.

They're going to get theirs, but then too, we're going to get ours. So that's sort of the dilemma. But you see sort of the charm of this. How can you avoid sort of being drawn into this? Here's a kind of realist.

Here's a fellow who seems to know what he's talking about. Man in his pomp will not remain. He's like the beasts that perish.

You may dress up all you want, but you still die like a dog. That's the new translation. And yeah, is this comforting? Well, not entirely, but it's a springboard then to move on to at least challenge the wisdom of the world with the wisdom of God.

Is there more to be said? Verse 13, this is the path of those who have foolish confidence, yet after them people will prove of their boasts. This is the path of the rich and the powerful. They think they're going to live forever, but they're not, even though people are around them all the time telling them how wonderful they are. One of the great ironies of history is how monarchs are always surrounded in the Bible and in history by people shouting, O King, live forever. Well, how is that anything other than a reminder of mortality?

Because that's exactly what's not going to happen, that the king is going to live forever. But that's the lie the world tells itself, and who are these people really? Verse 14 is so powerful in the picture it paints. Like sheep, they are appointed for Sheol, and death shall be their shepherd. Wow. Wow. Who is your shepherd? If you just share in the wisdom of the world, death is your shepherd.

That's a pretty arresting image, isn't it? Their form shall be consumed in Sheol with no place to dwell. Even their graves can't be regarded as a lasting, resting place. Regularly in Europe now, apparently, you get buried for ten years, and then up you come, running out of room. So you go in for ten years, and then they dig up the bones and put them someplace respectable, apparently. But even your own grave isn't yours. See, the Psalms are always ahead of everybody else.

That as a matter of social policy was already anticipated. And there's this terrible picture that death is where we're all going, and even the grave won't be our own. So is there anything more to say? Well, I'm glad to say there is more to say. We don't have to end there. But that's the wisdom of the world.

That's what it boils down to. But verse 15, but God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for He will receive me. Now, there's eternal life, you know, we talked about last time. Is there eternal life in the Old Testament? Yeah, here's eternal life. It's interesting, the wisdom of the world must recognize that even the rich don't have enough money to ransom their own souls.

They can't keep themselves alive, but God can ransom the soul. And in Psalm 49, but also in the Old Testament generally, the theme of ransom is a very important one. We can see how He goes on to really celebrate that. Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. For when he dies, he will carry nothing away. His glory will not go down after him. For though while he lives, he counts himself blessed. And though you get praise when you do well for yourself, yet his soul will go to the generation of his fathers who will never see light again.

And boy, there's another arresting statement, isn't it? Who will never see light again. Even if you get a good burial, what do they do with you? They put you in a box and they close the lid, and you never see light again, if that's all there is. Awful isn't it?

Awful. And what is the implication here? It is that we will see light as those ransomed by God.

This is not the last word. Verse 14 again, if death is the shepherd of the wicked, the upright shall rule over them in the morning. In the morning. Morning is very important in the Psalter. That wonderful verse in Psalm 30, weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. And that's not just, you know, I can remember so often when my wife and I were newlyweds, and she was teaching school, and I was in school, and life seemed kind of overwhelming. And often coming home from school, she'd be a little weepy at night, and I would say, things will look better in the morning. And she'd say, stop saying that.

And then in the morning, she'd say, things do look better. So there's a sort of universal truth about that. Things often, when you're tired and worn out, it's dark, they look worse, and there's weeping at night, and then joy comes in the morning.

That's universally true. But in the Psalms, it's more than just a kind of everyday truth. It's a truth about the future. It's a truth about hope. It's a truth about resurrection. It's a truth about life beyond death, and that's what's true here. The wicked will not see light, but the upright will see the morning.

That's the promise. They will see the morning because God will ransom them. God will ransom them. Do you know how many laws there are in the Old Testament about ransoming?

There are all sorts of laws about ransoming. This was a principle God wanted His people to learn. And the principle of ransoming is that there are circumstances in which something has to be paid for to atone for an action.

If I kill an animal accidentally that belongs to my neighbor, I have to ransom that animal by making a payment. And God wanted to deeply implant that principle in the minds of His people because it was essential to God's work of redemption, because God had said when He came to rescue His people from Egypt, He said, Israel is My firstborn, and I will ransom him from Egypt. And when Pharaoh wouldn't let them go, what did Pharaoh have to pay?

He had to pay the death of his firstborn so that God could ransom his firstborn from Egypt. The ransom principle is deeply rooted in the Bible and here is appealed to by Psalm 49 to say, God will ransom my soul. As God brought Israel out of Egypt to a land of promise, to a land of hope, to a land of life, so God will ransom my soul so that I will not go down with the world to death the great equalizer, but I will live. You see what a wonderful Psalm this is as it unfolds? I mean the truth is very simple.

The truth is very basic. We could summarize this Psalm, you know, the wicked are going to die and the righteous are going to live. But the poetic expression is so arresting, so challenging, so helpful. And so what's the conclusion of this Psalm? Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, is like the beast that perish. Does that verse sound familiar? It should if you're paying attention.

I know you've been paying attention a long time. I don't mean to be critical, but look at verse 12. Man in his pomp will not remain. He is like the beast that perish. That's the sort of concluding comment on the wisdom of the world. Now the concluding comment on the wisdom of God is similar, but radically different at the same time.

Verse 20, man in his pomp, just like the beginning of verse 12, yet without understanding is like the beast that perish. What's the difference between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God? The difference is understanding.

Understanding what? Understanding the ways of God. If you're content just to know that we're all going to die and that equalizes everything out, then you can stop at verse 12. But the Psalm says, don't be content with that. Don't be content with that.

That's not all there is. If you have understanding, you don't have to die like a dog because God ransoms your soul and makes you His child so that joy comes in the morning. It all fits together in a wonderful declaration about what God is doing, who God is, and how He provides for His people. And so from this wisdom psalm, we could go on then to Psalm 50 because now having moved from the particularity of Psalm 48 with an anticipation of universality for the whole world and now having had this sort of universal psalm in Psalm 49 that talks about what all mankind must think about, then it seems like Psalm 50 is really continuing that same theme. How does Psalm 50 begin? The Mighty One, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth.

Okay, this sounds kind of solemn, doesn't it? We had this kind of beautiful, thoughtful, reflective psalm of wisdom. And now Psalm 50 starts with a kind of shout, with an awesome dimension.

The first words in Hebrew are El, Elohim, Yahweh, three words for God, a kind of drum beat to get attention. And He speaks, but doesn't just speak, but He summons the world. This is already a judgment scene. He speaks and summons the world from the rising of the sun to its setting. Here's the whole world being addressed. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. Our God comes. He does not keep silence. Before Him is a devouring fire. Before Him a mighty tempest. He calls to the heavens above and to the earth beneath that He may judge. And then the surprise, the people, not the peoples. He summons all the earth not to a judgment of the whole earth, but He summons the whole earth to watch His judgment of His own people.

You see, you have to stay on your toes. The psalmist is a little tricky. And what's going on here then? This is not the great final judgment, but this is really a sermon, kind of disappointing after that big buildup. God is coming to His own people with a message so important that He calls the whole world as witness to what God has to say to His people. And it's very striking because this is a psalm really about worship. God is passionate about His worship.

If you wanted to summarize the whole Old Testament in a handful of statements, that would have to be one of them. God is passionate about His worship. And this should really alarm contemporary Christians because we tend to think God's perfectly happy with whatever we happen to offer, and it is not true. John Calvin said the number one thing the Protestant Reformation was about was the Reformation of worship because that's where we meet with God. And God is coming to His people to complain about their attitudes in worship.

We don't have a lot of time to look at this, but it shows again some of the power of the Psalter and the varied ways in which it approaches things. And this psalm as a sermon addressing God's own people is addressing two kinds of people. And God says right at the outset, verse 7 and 8, Hear, O people, and I will speak. O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God. Not for your sacrifice as do I rebuke you.

Your burnt offerings are continually before Me. And what He's really saying here is, you're doing all the right things. I'm not coming to complain about what you're doing. If you were doing the wrong things, I'd come and complain about that.

But that's not what I'm complaining about. I'm complaining about your hearts in worship. And He complains about two kinds of people in Israel relative to His worship, and the first are the kind of heedless, the casual, the uninvolved, the thoughtless, just going through the motions. And He says to those people, what do you think you're doing when you worship Me?

He says, it's obvious what you think you're doing. What you think you're doing is doing Me a big favor, as if I'm hungry and you have to bring Me food to eat. Let me tell you, you're not doing Me a favor. Worship is Me doing you a favor. That's the first part of this psalm, and then the last part of the psalm where God really gets upset is to the wicked who said, you think I'm just like you. You think I say one thing and do another.

You think I'm a hypocrite, that I won't care about your going through the motions but living despicable lives. I want you to know I care. And it's another powerful psalm as God returns to the theme of His people, His worship, His temple, His capital, and whether people are living for Him or living for themselves. And so we come to a close realizing how powerfully in the Psalter God continues to address His people as well as to give His people words to speak to Him and to praise Him and to lead them to repentance. That was the chairman of Ligonier Ministries, W. Robert Godfrey, beginning a three-day study with us in the book of Psalms. You're listening to Renewing Your Mind, and I'm your host, Nathan W. Bingham. Dr. Godfrey recorded this series, Learning to Love the Psalms, on the Ligonier campus, but he also wrote a companion book.

And although they share a name, they both cover different psalms. So you'll want to add the series and the book to your library. You can request digital access to the series and the study guide and a hardcover edition of the companion book when you give a gift of any amount at renewingyourmind.org. These resources are a great introduction to the Psalter, plus they're a wonderful Bible study tool for any student of God's Word. So I encourage you to call us at 800-435-4343 or give your donation at renewingyourmind.org. As you think of the Psalms, certain names likely come up, perhaps David. But what about Doag the Edomite? Tomorrow, Dr. Godfrey will be back to show us how important it is to understand the historical context of a psalm. Join us tomorrow here on Renewing Your Mind.