(Read Psalm 49)
Our grandson told us that he likes our “schurch” (church) more than his. It could be because he gets a doughnut after church and another one when we go to Dunkin’ Donuts, it could be that he gets to be in the same class with his big sister in Sunday School, or it could be that he gets a huge welcome from all of our Life Group friends after the service. Our cadre gushes over these kids as if they’re their own. Most likely, it’s a combination of all the above. Last year, on the way home from church, we heard a thump on the road. I looked in the rearview mirror and realized I had left my Bible on the roof of the car in order to buckle one of the grandkids’ car seats. Cruising at 50mph surprisingly did little damage to it. No other cars were nearby and the ones that were behind us, didn’t touch it. A few pages were slightly frayed, some were dog-eared, and others torn. My Bible was poised for me to pick it up, proudly splayed midway in the middle of Psalms. Our granddaughter thought it was funny and amazing, and she had a few questions about the damaged pages. I taught her that the Christian Bible is divided into two parts: the Old and New Testament. The damaged pages were all in the Old Testament.
Then, on the way home from church last week, our sharper than a tack granddaughter was leafing through my Bible. She asked, “Pop Pop, what’s this red ribbon for?” I told her that it’s a bookmark. Troubled, she said, “Oh no, I lost your page.” I reassured her that it was ok — I remembered where I left off and pointed her to Psalms in the middle. Psalm 49. Then, she had a revelation, “Wait, is this part of the Old Testament? I’m so glad it’s ok.”
Reading Psalm 49 this week brought up waves of emotions from past events, and of course these memories with the kids. The Psalms cover an array of situations and God’s response to them in our lives. Even when feeling down and troubled, there’s rarely a time that I’m not lifted by the Psalter.
Why should I fear when evil days come,
when wicked deceivers surround me—
those who trust in their wealth
and boast of their great riches?
No one can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for them
Psalm 49:5-7
Psalm 49 was written by the sons of Korah, a Levitical family of musicians and temple leaders who served during the time of King David. This psalm is a wisdom song that explores the temporary nature of earthly wealth and the ultimate reality of death, which affects everyone, regardless of their riches. This highlight above is a powerful highlight about the hope, confidence, and faith we have in God’s power to pull us out of the grave of death. God promised to redeem those who trust in Him by His grace. — not by our wealth or works. The Psalm pits the seriousness of death with the greatness of God’s mercy. The human race has been dying for a long time which makes these principles as relevant today as they were some 3,000 years ago.
The sons of Korah wrote 11-12 Psalms and remained faithful worship leaders even centuries after David, serving as a powerful example of God’s mercy and legacy. All of this is remarkable, considering their ancestor Korah once rebelled against Moses, but his descendants became worshipers, not rebels. This could be another way of displaying God’s timeless grace and mercy.
While reading this Psalm, I’ve spent a good bit of time pondering death and dying. Every member of my family and all of my friends I expect to see in heaven. But, it’s not up to me. There’s a judge who decides this. People often will say, why can’t everyone go to heaven, or heaven is for “good people.” If people who don’t believe in Christ’s saving work were in heaven, then God’s word isn’t true. God would be kind, but not a righteous judge and Jesus would be a liar.
“When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”
“No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”
John 14:3-7
In teaching His disciples, Jesus was laying down one of the pillars of our faith. I would have been no more advanced in my position following Jesus at that time, than his apostles. We always look at things from an incorrect perspective. Upside down. Jesus wasn’t going to a place in the sense they were expecting. It wasn’t somewhere they could find on a map or by hoofing it to the next town.
The next part of Christ’s claim is unmistakable and simultaneously ignored. The Father, is God, so they’re equal parts of the same being. The only way to God or God’s kingdom is through Jesus — no matter what social engineers might claim. No good deeds will get us there. He then points out a simple truth that if you want to know more about God, know Jesus. They had the immense experience of seeing the living, breathing Christ, but we have the truth within us to know Him just the same.
Jesus doesn’t say He shows the way or teaches the way, but that He is the way. Nothing else will get you there. Jesus is the only God-given path to salvation. Jesus’ truth is not just truthful; it is truth. Tragically, we will all die a physical death, but Jesus is the source of eternal life, and apart from Him, there is only spiritual death. No other religion, ritual, or goodness can bring a person to God. Only faith in Jesus Christ can.
Jesus spoke these words as a defining statement, not as feel-good sentiment. He left no room for alternate paths—salvation is through Him alone.
But as for me, God will redeem my life.
He will snatch me from the power of the grave.
Psalm 49:15
The Hebrew word “redeem/ransom” (pādāh) carries the idea of deliverance or buying back. This verse suggests more than just rescue from danger; it’s being brought into fellowship with God beyond death. “Sheol” is the grave, the place of the dead. Unlike those who trust in wealth, the psalmist trusts God to preserve his life beyond the grave.
Victor Frankl, the Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, while imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps (Theresienstadt, Auschwitz, Kaufering, and Türkheim) he endured unimaginable suffering, loss, and hopelessness. Frankl observed that those who survived were often those who found meaning beyond their present circumstances. His own faith and conviction that life had purpose sustained him when despair could have crushed him.
In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, he writes, “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how.’” Though he could not control his suffering, he placed his hope in something beyond it. The dignity of life and the conviction that his soul was not defined by the camp. His story shows how faith — in God, in meaning, in the worth of life — can lift a person out of despair even in the shadow of death.
As Christ teaches us in the Gospels, God doesn’t accept ransoms for death. He foreknew this in His plan from the beginning and put Jesus here as payment for our fallen nature. Only He can deliver victory.
Upon the final day of a Men’s Christian retreat I attended, was an incredible feast. The bountiful offerings of food was spread around connected tables – illuminated by candelight. It was amazing and unforgettable. I get choked up thinking about it. The men running the event and all of my brothers attending were all present. It was as if we were in heaven being greeted by the saints who had gone before us.
So, maybe my grandson just loves the sugary doughnuts from our church, but I have to believe there’s a lot more.
Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
1 Corinthians 15:54-55
Life Application:
- Money, status, and human effort cannot secure us against death. We will eventually face the grave. Psalm 49:15 lifts us above despair: God alone has the power to redeem our souls and bring us into His presence.
- When feeling anxious about the future or weighed down by loss, remind yourself that God’s ransom has already been paid in Christ. Keep your hopes not in your bank account, reputation, or even your strength. Give it to the God who “receives” you.