Praise God I’m Saved – Psalm 49

“To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.” Psalm 49:1

The sons of Korah were a guild of Levite musicians who served as worshippers and doorkeepers in the House of God. [1] Worship is vital to the mission of God on earth because as we worship the Lord, we are reminded that all we do is for God’s glory. Door keeping is also vital to the mission of God. Door keepers welcome and protect the worshippers, as well as the purity of the message that we proclaim.

In Psalm 49, God teaches us that earthly advantages are not reliable for permanent happiness, and that, however prosperous worldly men may be for a time, their ultimate destiny is ruin, while those who entrust themselves to God’s care have an eternally bright future. [2]

“Hear this, all peoples. Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich, and poor together. My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall give understanding.” Psalm 49:1-3

He demands the attention of all people of various economic classes. He has a word of wisdom from God. 1 Corinthians 12:8 says, “To one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit.” This meditation is coming from his heart of compassion rather than from an academic mindset. As he speaks it, it will bring forth understanding.

“I will incline my ear to a proverb. I will disclose my dark saying on the harp.” Psalm 49:4

His ears have been absorbing proverbs. Proverbs are typically short clever sayings that offer wisdom. Proverbs often have one thing laid by another to compare which one is better. [3]

The psalmist inclines his ear to this saying because God’s Spirit gave it to him. He begins with the application of it to himself. That is the right thing to do! We must first preach to ourselves before we undertake to admonish or instruct others. [4]

The Hebrew word for “dark saying” (חִידָה) refers to a difficult question, puzzle or riddle. The Psalmist sets his riddle to music. According to Edutopia, “Learning can be improved when set to music, as it helps activate both brain hemispheres, increases motivation, and reduces stress.” According to the Florida National University, “Tempo Matters: Music with a tempo of 50-80 beats per minute is ideal for boosting focus, whereas faster tempos can be distracting.”

“Why should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity at my heels surrounds me? Those who trust in their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him—for the redemption of their souls is costly, and it shall cease forever—that he should continue to live eternally, and not see the Pit.” Psalm 49:5-9

Why should I fear evil? I have confessed my sins to the Lord and He has forgiven me.

The riches of the wealthy cannot purge God’s record of their sins. Their riches cannot rescue their brothers from sin. Only God can do that! The rich need to hear the Gospel of God’s forgiveness every bit as much as the poorest people on earth do. All the riches of the world cannot pay the price it costs to redeem one soul from hell.

The Lord says in 1 Peter 1:18-19 “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

“For he sees wise men die. Likewise, the fool and the senseless person perish, and leave their wealth to others. Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever, their dwelling places to all generations. They call their lands after their own names. Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not remain. He is like the beasts that perish. This is the way of those who are foolish, and of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah! 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.” Psalm 49:10-14

The wise, the fool and the senseless person all have one thing in common... they die. After they die, their earthly property may still have their name on it, but they are no longer here. While alive, their achievements and possessions arrayed them with splendor, but after they die, their body is an empty shell and their soul has moved on to a very different realm. [5]

1 John 2:17 says, “The world is passing away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever.” The souls who do the will of God, namely believe in His Son Jesus Christ, are received into paradise to be with God forever.

While a saint can ask proud Death, “Where is your sting?” Death will ask the proud sinner, “Where is your wealth and glory now?” [6]

In 1 Timothy 6:16-18, Paul wrote to his disciple Timothy and said, “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Charge them to do good and be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate.”

“But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for He shall receive me. Selah!” Psalm 49:15

In John 5:24, Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”

In 1 Corinthians 15:35-49, Paul wrote about the transformation that takes place for believers in Christ when their earthly body dies. He compares the human body to a seed that after it dies, it becomes something totally new and better. “The body is sown in corruption. It is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor. It is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness. It is raised in power. It is sown a natural body. It is raised a spiritual body. As we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.”

Heaven is for real! The transfer of a human soul by God to a heavenly body after one’s death is well documented in Scripture.

“Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, when the glory of his house is increased, for when he dies, he shall carry nothing away. His glory shall not descend after him. Though while he lives, he blesses himself (for men will praise you when you do well for yourself), He shall go to the generation of his fathers. They shall never see light. A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, is like the beasts that perish.” Psalm 49:16-20

In Luke 6:26, Jesus said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets.” When everyone speaks well of us, we should ask the Lord, “Is this because I am seeking Your glory or my own?” We don’t want to perish as a beast and end up in darkness.

Job 1:21 says, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there” meaning in the same way I was born without possessions so shall I leave this world.

The Lord says not to be afraid of the rich in this world. His glory shall not go with him after he leaves this present life. If he did not believe in Christ, his circumstances during eternity will be worse than the poorest most afflicted person on earth.

He blessed himself. People praised him for doing well for himself. However, when death came to get him, he was no match for it. He could not bribe his way out of death. He could not lie his way out of it. No, he was no different than an animal, bird or fish carcass. A lifeless shell of himself was all that remained.

In Matthew 16:25-27, Jesus told His disciples, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.”

In John 6:28-29, a group of people asked Jesus, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’” And what kind of work is faith in Christ? Faith is receptivity! It receives Christ and all that He has done for us.

In Mark 1:14-15, when Jesus came to Galilee, He preached the Gospel of the kingdom of God, saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” Repent of what? Repent of not believing in God’s Messiah! Gospel means good news. According to John 3:16, the good news is that God sent His Son into the world that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.

Are you trusting in Christ to save your soul? Only Jesus Christ can save your soul. Acts 4:12 says that there is no other name by which we must be saved. Genuine faith and sincere profession of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is more valuable than all the riches and fame that this world has to offer you. Jesus Christ saves. He is the Savior!

In Romans 10:9-11, the Word of Lord to you is, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’”

Contrary to the common consensus of the world, denial of Jesus as Lord and Savior yields shame and loss, whereas profession of Him yields honor and eternal treasures with God in paradise.


[1] GotQuestions.Org
[2] Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary
[3] Bibleproject.com
[4] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[5] Ibid
[6] Ibid