DEALING WITH INJUSTICE - A MESSAGE FROM PSALM 49
GOD WILL REDEEM MY SOUL FROM THE POWER OF SHEOL
A MESSAGE FROM PSALM 49 - A SERIES ON THE SONS OF KORAH
Ron Ferguson 16 June 2019
Many of the Psalms numbered in the 40s and in the 80s were written by “The Sons of Korah”. We will look at these marvellous Psalms, God willing, over a period of time. When I mentioned this to a fellow Christian, he said, “Weren’t the sons of Korah destroyed for offering strange fire to the Lord.” Very valid point! That caused me to go and search out who the sons of Korah were. In 2 Chronicles 20 v 19 this is written, “Then the Levites from the sons of the Kohathites and the Korahites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel shouting with a loud voice.“ There we have it. There is a whole group of people known as the sons (or descendants) of Korah. Matthew Henry says of Psalm 49, “We seldom meet with a more solemn introduction: there is no truth of greater importance. Let all hear this with application to ourselves.” Turn to Psalm 49.
Psalm 49 For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
Psalm 49 v 1 Hear this, all peoples. Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, Psa 49:2 both low and high, rich and poor together. Psa 49:3 My mouth will speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart will be understanding. Psa 49:4 I will incline my ear to a proverb. I will express my riddle on the harp.
The psalmist has something to say. As this is God’s word, then he will say what the meditations are, that God has given him, and that is wisdom from God. This is different from us. We have meditations and thoughts, but they may be wrong, even though well intentioned. The Holy Spirit does lead us in wisdom and understanding, but we are not inspired to write scripture, so that what we write is not infallible and ultimate truth. That can only belong to those who wrote the scriptures. All peoples – and in verse 2 – all the low and high and rich and poor – are asked to hear. God wants the whole world to hear.
What we do have in common with the inspired writer is that God does give us messages to share. This is especially so in two areas of service I think. The first is for the preacher when he sets out the message God has given. In that regard, the man who has not waited on God for his help yet stands up and “gives a sermon” or “a lesson” or has taken messages from the internet and speaks those as his own, is just a pretense. The man who waits on God, meditates on God, meditates in God’s word, that is the man who will speak out the right message God has given.
The second area is in personal ministry. How often have you heard it said, “I don’t know what to say to him or her,” when you are to meet one who has suffered some tragedy in life. In that case you rely on the Holy Spirit to give you the words to say. The same applies to presenting the gospel to someone. Genuinely wait on God! Too many people think they have something to say, but they are full of hot air, and nothing more. Do you know what hot air was used for, and still is? In hot air balloons. Hot air makes them lightweights, and so too many in this world are puffed up like hot air balloons and are lightweights. Sadly some of those are found in pulpits also.
Psalm 49 v 5 Why should I fear in days of adversity, when the iniquity of my foes surrounds me, Psa 49:6 even those who trust in their wealth, and boast in the abundance of their riches? Psa 49:7 No man can by any means redeem his brother, or give to God a ransom for him - Psa 49:8 for the redemption of his soul is costly, and he should cease trying forever - Psa 49:9 That he should live on eternally; that he should not undergo decay.
I want you to place yourselves in the middle of those 5 verses. Look around and what do you see? You will see as did the writer of the Psalm. Adversity is all around you. You notice those who trust in wealth and then boast about how much they have. In our studies in the Minor Prophets we saw how riches bring about complacency, and superiority, and pride and greed, and injustice, especially injustice, and every prophet in the Old Testament decried injustice. That is what we see in the world we live in. Injustice through wars caused by greed and power and selfishness and hate.
We see some stupid laws from Governments to try to address injustice, but that only makes the divide worse. Unjust laws don’t advance the greater good. In 2019 the Queensland Government Government passed laws on cruelty. Here are two of them. If you throw a stick or stone at a dog (even in your self defence) it could result in a $4000 fine, but if you hit a crocodile with something, or cause it injury, in trying to chase it away for example, it is a $20 000 fine. It is amazing that a reptilian is of more worth than a canine. In one city we have had cases where members of a certain ethnic group have bashed up old people – case in point, an 82 year old woman was belted up with her jaw broken and will be disabled after that. The verdict? Let off on a good behavior bond! It is most assuring to know that a crocodile is of far more worth than an elderly human being. What have we come to?
Well in all of the adversity and injustice, how was the writer of this Psalm affected? He stated just one thing. He would not fear. When you look around at the increasing sin in the world, then increasing injustice, and the open display of hypocrisy and the greed and injustice of the wealthy, and of governments worldwide, what do you do? The Psalmist says only one thing – “I should not fear”. No matter what the circumstances are, this is your motto – “I should not fear”. Why is that so important? Well I would suggest it is because of this verse in Proverbs 29 v 25 “The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted.” Christians who have been terribly persecuted and demeaned, will be exalted. You will find yourself in one of two positions, that of “fear”, or the opposite of that, “trust”. If you fear what man is, or what man does, it will ensnare you, and bring you down or make you negative. Trusting in the Lord in every situation, is what God wants.
Verses 7 and 8 speak of a very serious fact. It concerns human redemption. There is not a thing one person can do to redeem another person from a lost, eternal destiny. You can not redeem your brother from hell, in other words. There is nothing you can do in way of payment or activity, etc. Of course you pray, you are sad, you witness and wait on the Lord, but physically, there in not a thing one person can do for another to redeem him. Why is that? The answer is in verse 8 which say, “for the redemption of his soul is costly, and he should cease trying forever”. Do you know how costly the redemption of the soul is? The value is nothing less than the very blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. No one can redeem himself or another person.
Verse 9 introduces another theme. That is, that those (the humanists) might live forever, but not in heaven, but on earth. To live on earth and not die – the words are “that he should not undergo decay” – that is the desire of some. Humanism has affected all the critical judgements of value and morality. Government legislation testifies to that. And what do you think cryogenics is all about? It is the desire of people with money to have their bodies frozen in the hope they can be revived when the technology is found to unfreeze them? Well, it won’t happen.
Psalm 49 v 10 He sees that even wise men die, the stupid and the senseless alike perish, and leave their wealth to others. Psa 49:11 Their inner thought is that their houses are forever, and their dwelling places to all generations. They have called their lands after their own names, Psa 49:12 but man in his pomp will not endure. He is like the beasts that perish.
What these verses say is that the obvious is the obvious. All people die and what they have accumulated materially is passed on to others. Not only the stupid and the senseless die, but also the rich and the powerful, Presidents and Prime Ministers. It is interesting that God identifies some as being stupid and senseless. It is not difficult for us to see that around us. The bible says, “It is appointed to man to die once, and after that the judgement.” You can’t come back, nor do you return to claim your belongings. When the Pharaohs died everything for the afterlife was packed in their tombs, even food, but behold, what was not stolen by grave robbers, is still intact. A waste of time, but such is the craving for man’s continuance, that men strive to reach it.
Verse 11 is so true of human existence. We build and multiply and store up as if we are going to continue with life. Our houses are forever, and my dynasty will last always. Look at the stately homes and manors in Britain. The Lord or the Count or the rich man built his mansion thinking to establish himself in the earth and to leave a name for himself so others will think on him and in a way, preserve his earthly existence. When I was 40 I moved to my present location and build paths and gardens around the house, built walls and shelves in a tool room. I had a long time ahead to use the stuff. Now 35 years later stuff is all over the shelves and I probably won’t use much of it any more. At 40, the 35 years ahead seemed like a century, but at 75, the last 35 years seem as but a year or two.
That verse says they call their lands after their own name. How true that is. We have so many estates and manors and halls, hospitals, schools named after the builders and founders as if their name will exist forever. Britain and the USA are full of them. Check out your city and you will find some. However, as verse 12 says, pompous man will not endure, for God has allotted 70 years and medical science may prolong it, but only by a few years. People who make their boast in this life will pass away like the most humble person does. The grave is no respecter of persons. Their pomp and importance is gone. The verse ends with a comparison with the beasts, or if you like, with animals. As animals die, so will human beings. There is a huge difference that this verse does not cover. Man has an immortal spirit; animals have only a soul. It is the spirit that is everlasting in one of two destinies.
Children and especially teenagers often ask a question in forums that are designed for them and it is this, “Can I be with my pet (or my pet dog) in heaven?” Or that question might be framed, “Are there pets in heaven?” Some of the administrators of those forums assure the kids that there are pets in heaven; and because the bible is silent about that, maybe we can’t be absolutely definitive, but I don’t think that can be the case, as animals do not have a living spirit. . . it’s just that kids don’t like losing their pets.
Psalm 49 v 13 This is the way of those who are foolish, and of those after them who approve their words. Selah. Psa 49:14 As sheep they are appointed for Sheol. Death shall be their shepherd and the upright shall rule over them in the morning and their form shall be for Sheol to consume so that they have no habitation, Psa 49:15 but God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol for He will receive me. Selah.
We come to a strong passage here and one that does not sit well with the unsaved, and I mean especially, those who hate the bible. They see these words as judgemental and harsh, but like the homosexuality and marriage laws of God, the verses state God’s eternal position on such matters. Verse 13 catches the foolish in the net. The fool says there is no God. The way of the fool is pointed in the direction of hell. Verse 14 is just so descriptive and a warning to all unsaved. What does verse 14 say? Firstly, it claims that like a great herd of sheep, the God-rejecters are appointed to hell. Then it states, secondly, death shall be the shepherd of the unsaved. What does that mean? Well it means that death will guide them along earth’s path to hell. Then it means that in hell, death will have full possession of them as a shepherd has possession of the flock. When Jesus lived among His people He also spoke to them truthfully about the same matters as in this part of the Sermon on the Mount - Matthew 7 v 13 Enter by the narrow gate for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction and many are those who enter by it, Matt 7:14 for the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life and few are those who find it.
The third fact from verse 14 is that the righteous shall rule over the lost in hell, but it does not mean that at face value. The Hebrew word for hell is “sheol” and the Greek is “hades”. The word means hell or the grave, even death. In the Old Testament times everyone went to sheol, down into the grave. There was a section for the righteous and one for the unsaved. Recall the case Jesus spoke of, about Lazarus and the rich man, the rich man being in hell, and Lazarus being in Abraham’s bosom. What it means by the upright reigning over them in the morning, is that in the resurrection morning the bodies of the saints will arise from the grave and the redeemed will reign with the Lord over everything. Now, fourthly – sadly, the unsaved remain in hell until the time of the great white throne. They have no habitation for they are captive in death.
Possibly the most wonderful verse, and the greatest truth in this whole Psalm is verse 14 - “but God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol for He will receive me. Selah.” This is a verse of victory, for the grave is unable to hold God’s redeemed. Death has no claim on the Christian because death had no claim on the Lord. Psalm 16 v 10 for You will not abandon my soul to Sheol. Neither will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.” Jesus rose triumphantly, and so shall we. The fact that we can be absent from the body and be present with the Lord, is all due to His salvation purchased at great cost on the cross. He will receive me. I am His and He is mine. That is why the foolish who reject Christ, commit a great sin. This Psalm contrasts the righteousness and the unrighteousness.
The final set of verses in this Psalm are addressed to the saints of God. They could be called “the upright” or “ones who walk in God’s way” as we would have from Psalm 1. When the righteous look around them, there is often discouragement and sadness, and a feeling of outrage at the injustice in the world. In Psalm 73 Asaph felt that way, and discouragement nearly overcame him UNTIL he entered the sanctuary of God and got it all in perspective. That is exactly what happens in verses 16-20. It is God’s perspective for us. Look at those closing verses -
Psalm 49 v 16 Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house is increased, Psa 49:17 for when he dies he will carry nothing away. His glory will not descend after him. Psa 49:18 Though while he lives he congratulates himself - and though men praise you when you do well for yourself - Psa 49:19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers. They shall never see the light. Psa 49:20 Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, is like the beasts that perish.
They are sad verses for they place before our sight, a man who has striven all his life for success, and has achieved it, but the reality is, that he ends with nothing. His life is a vapour, just a fleeting shadow. Now what are the salient points of this small passage –
(a). There must be no cause for fear or anxiety or concern when others are rich and the world flocks to them and they are popular, but you, as a Christian, seem to be set aside and rejected. Blessed are you in the sight of God. Eternal glory is not through riches or fame.
(b). Once we leave this earthly life we take not an atom of anything. That is why Jesus reminded His followers to store up treasure in heaven, not on earth. Even man’s glory will remain on earth. Hell must be a lonely place.
(c). Death is the path that leads us to our ancestors, for one follows another. However though there be one death for all, there are two destinies. We praise God for the destiny and expectation He has provided for us.
(d). If a person is unsaved, his understanding is no better than the beasts that wander aimlessly in the paddocks, for he is dark before God. Only the Holy Spirit can shed light in a person’s soul. The only light the unsaved dead will see will be at the great white throne.
What mercy God has shown to us.
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
