everything... and eternity

 

Truly no man can ransom another,

or give to God the price of his life,

for the ransom of their life is costly

and can never suffice,

that he should live on forever

and never see the pit.

Psalm 49:7-9

So... these disturbing words were in a worship song that Israel sang. Not the kind of stuff we put in song bridges these days to sing over and over raising our hands and closing our eyes. This is not a happy thought for mutual encouragement. It does not make for positive, encouraging, feel-good spirituality. But it is the truth. And sometimes the truth has painful, sharp edges that cut us with necessary surgery. After all, there is no good news for the gospel without first there being some bad news. And this is the really bad news: death awaits us all as the proper end to our sinful existence and we are completely powerless to stop that from happening.

Most of Psalm 49 is a morose meditation on this grim fact. It is an exposition on humanity's vain attempts at cheating death by wealth accumulation, seeking knowledge, or searching for human fame. All these fall desperately short of stopping the yawning grave from swallowing us all. But there is a vivid hope expressed for those who will trust God as their rescue.

The hope is expressed in verse 15: "But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me." And with that fact of faith firmly claimed, Psalm 49 ends with life affirming perspective. The righteous need not envy or fear the rich and powerful, for their end is death and all they gained comes to nothing. In the end they are like dead beasts. But not so the righteous. Those who know that God has ransomed them will be received into God's presence, losing nothing and gaining everything and eternity with the Lord. Amen!