Psalm 49

The Folly of Earthly Wealth
1 Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world,2 both low and high,
    rich and poor alike:  This statement includes every person, the whole of humanity.
3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the meditation of my heart will give you understanding. Like the writings of most wisdom writers, God is not addressed directly in this psalm; with the main purpose being, to present a meditation on the riddle of life.
The way this psalm is presented is not in the usual way with just words, but with music and a harp.
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? The psalmist is taking the optimistic approach to the idea that evil men prosper in this life.  Why worry!! Ya, they make a lot of money but really, what do they gain when it comes to the reality of life? STUFF
10 For all can see that the wise die, that the foolish and the senseless also perish,
    leaving their wealth to others.
Verse 11 states that people with wealth, think they are so important that they name lands after themselves. Despite their wealth they perish just like the beasts.
Verse 12 emphasizes that all of us will come to the end of life and all our earthly wealth will be left behind.
The end of verse 14 - Their forms will decay in the grave,
    far from their princely mansions.
Verse 15 has encouragement for the believer - Be encouraged; God will redeem us from the realm of the dead, he will surely take us to himself. Don’t be envious when others grow rich for they will take nothing with them when they die.  While alive and wealthy, they count themselves blessed, but they will go on to never see the light of life again.
And in closing once again the refrain is sung with music and harp.
20 People who have wealth but lack understanding
    are like the beasts that perish.
Proverbs 22:4 - By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.
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John

3 Month Reading Plan - Psalms 45-47