Concerning Life and Death

(Theme: Selections from the Psalms—Faith Set to Music)

“Those who trust in their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches, None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him…But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me. Selah.” –Psalm 49: 6-7, 15 (NKJV. Read Psalm 49).

Psalm 49 is another of the Wisdom Psalms. It seeks to probe the mysteries of death and the grave, and whether there is a difference between the poor and the rich in death. The conclusion reached is that human wealth cannot purchase human life. Someone has well stated, “Death is the great leveler.” Rich and poor alike must face the end of life. Any effort to preserve life, even great estates named for the wealthy landowner, cannot assuage death or purchase life.

In the Hebrew tradition, the Sadducees did not believe in life after death. The Pharisees believed in a future life and resurrection from the dead. Whether these sects of the Sanhedrin were operative when Psalm 49 was written is hard to tell. The psalmist would have known, no doubt, that some cultures of his day, notably the Egyptians, buried their wealthy and noble dead with great ceremony, and with some of their possessions which they supposedly would use in the after life. But the psalmist observed: “the ransom for life is costly, no payment is ever enough—that he should live on forever” (Psalm 49:8, NIV).

In the midst of this dark and depressing discussion on death and wealth, the psalmist makes an inspired statement: “But God will redeem my life from the grave; He will surely take me to himself. Selah” (Psalm 49:15, NIV). This is definitely a Messianic prophecy in the midst of the solemn discussion of death and the grave. Whether the Psalmist was referring to protection from his present danger or a time when Messiah would actually come, he touches on a great truth: “God will redeem my life from the grave.” What a statement of faith and anticipation! In the Psalmist’s day, it gave hope amidst despair, assurance amidst fear. And, in light of the amazing knowledge that Christ did come, did pay the ransom for us from the penalty of death, did conquer death and the grave that it should not be fearful for us, we can be amazed that so long before His coming a person, an unnamed author, who wrote “a song, a psalm of the Sons of Korah” could see that death is not the end but that there is hope beyond the grave. To God be the glory!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Saturday, May 22, 2010