Psalm 49:1-16: Nobody can buy his brother's redemption

From Psalms

Psalm 49
(For the director of music.  Of the Sons of Korah.  A psalm.)

¹Hear this, all ye people;
      give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:
²Both low and high,
      rich and poor, together.
³My mouth shall speak of wisdom;
      and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
⁴I will incline mine ear to a parable:
      I will open my dark saying upon the harp.

⁵Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil,
      when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?
⁶They that trust in their wealth,
      and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
⁷None of them can by any means redeem his brother,
      nor give to God a ransom for him:
⁸(For the redemption of their soul is precious,
      and it ceaseth for ever:)
⁹That he should still live for ever,
      and not see corruption.

¹⁰For he seeth that wise men die,
      likewise the fool and the brutish person perish,
      and leave their wealth to others.
¹¹Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever,
      and their dwelling places to all generations;
      they call their lands after their own names.

¹²Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not:
      he is like the beasts that perish.

¹³This their way is their folly:
      yet their posterity approve their sayings.                Selah.
¹⁴Like sheep they are laid in the grave;
      death shall feed on them;
and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning;
      and their beauty shall consume in the grave
      from their dwelling.
¹⁵But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave:
      for he shall receive me.                                   Selah.

¹⁶Be not thou afraid when one is made rich,
      when the glory of his house is increased;

Psalm 49 is in interesting in the truths and wisdom it brings.  In particular, verses 6 and 7, tell us the truth we know - that salvation and redemption cannot be bought.  In terms of an addict, salvation, which is truly sobriety, cannot be bought.  If it could be bought, either the form of a pill, or medication, or treatment - there would people lining up with their check books open.  No, of course we know that sobriety can only come from work - there is no easy solution to this problem we face.

To me psalm 49 is about the gifts God has given us - and he has given us all gifts, whether you believe it or not.  God gave me the gift of sobriety - but it is my responsibility to maintain it.  It was not for sale but it is through my commitment that I keep it.

I believe there is more still to psalm 49.  The psalmist demonstrates that people who boast themselves in riches is "their folly" (verse 13).  They will all die like everyone else and all of these riches will not mean anything.  However, we close today by saying do not fear becoming rich.  In itself is not a bad thing, the evil comes from boasting in the riches.  Using riches as false idol boosting ourselves up from our riches.  True strength, true power does not come from riches.  Rather it comes from the Lord and being able to serve God here during the time we have.  So we need to use that time, and those gifts, wisely.

Thanks for letting me share.