Psalm 49 - You Can't Afford It
- Chad Werkhoven
- May 16
- 4 min read
No matter how much you save, you'll never be able to buy yourself.
Psalm 49
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 Hear this, all you peoples;
listen, all who live in this world,
2 both low and high,
rich and poor alike:
3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom;
the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.
4 I will turn my ear to a proverb;
with the harp I will expound my riddle:
5 Why should I fear when evil days come,
when wicked deceivers surround me—
6 those who trust in their wealth
and boast of their great riches?
7 No one can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for them—
8 the ransom for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough—
9 so that they should live on forever
and not see decay.
10 For all can see that the wise die,
that the foolish and the senseless also perish,
leaving their wealth to others.
11 Their tombs will remain their houses forever,
their dwellings for endless generations,
though they had named lands after themselves.
12 People, despite their wealth, do not endure;
they are like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,
and of their followers, who approve their sayings.
14 They are like sheep and are destined to die;
death will be their shepherd
(but the upright will prevail over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave,
far from their princely mansions.
15 But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;
he will surely take me to himself.
16 Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
when the splendor of their houses increases;
17 for they will take nothing with them when they die,
their splendor will not descend with them.
18 Though while they live they count themselves blessed—
and people praise you when you prosper—
19 they will join those who have gone before them,
who will never again see the light of life.
20 People who have wealth but lack understanding
are like the beasts that perish.
Canons of Dordt
Point 2 - Limited Atonement
Article 3: The Infinite Value of Christ’s Death
This death of God’s Son is the
only
and entirely complete
sacrifice and satisfaction for sins;
it is of
infinite value and worth,
more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world.
Summary
Psalm 49 is different than other parts of the Bible. Many of the New Testament epistles, for example, are addressed to God's elect or saints (people like you, whom God has made holy), not to everyone in general. But Psalm 49 has something to say to all peoples - all who live in this world, both low and high, rich and poor alike.
The psalmist begins by showing the futility of those who trust in their wealth... so that they should live on forever and not see decay. Billionaires can buy nearly anything they want; they can even buy their way into space! But they can't buy their way out of death, for all can see that both the wise and the foolish die, leaving their wealth to others. As Ole wisely replied when Lena asked how much his rich uncle left behind when he died: "He left all of it."
Nobody, regardless of what else they can afford to buy here and now can afford to pay the price required to dodge death. No one, the Psalmist writes, can redeem (literally: buy out) the life of another or give to God the price of his life (ESV).
Psalm 49 has a refrain that has a slight variation as it's repeated:
It's bad enough that people who trust in their wealth will perish, but it's how they'll perish that is even sadder: they are like the beasts. In other words, they die devoid of the one attribute that separates mankind from the animals, having lost all aspects of the image of God they were created in. They are like sheep and are destined to die; death will be their shepherd.
Dig Deeper
The mood changes in third stanza (vss. 15-19) of Psalm 49. After warning all the peoples who live in the world that they can't dodge death despite their wealth and power, the psalmist proclaims good news for the people of God. It's not that they won't die - after all, the psalm has already noted that both the wise and the foolish will - but there remains hope after death for those who trust in the LORD.
This hope is made possible because although nobody can redeem themselves or be bought out by another, you can rest in the fact that God will redeem you from the realm of the dead; He will surely take you to Himself!
As the ancient Israelites sang of this hope they had no idea what it would cost or how it would be possible for this transaction to take place. But as one who is in Christ, you know that your redemption is only possible because, as the Canons put it, the death of God's Son is... of infinite value and worth.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who has redeemed you from the realm of the dead;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases; for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 2
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