Well, I invite you to turn in your Bibles this morning to Psalm 49, Psalm 49. We're going to read and consider the entirety of Psalm 49. If you're using the Pew Bible, Psalm 49 can be found on page 558, 558. Psalm 49: "Hear this, all peoples. Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor together. My mouth shall speak wisdom. The meditation of my heart shall be understanding. I will incline my ear to a proverb. I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre. Why should I fear in times of trouble when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me? Those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches. 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. For he sees that even the wise die. The fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others. Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names. Man in his pomp will not remain. He's like the beast that perish. This is the path of those who have foolish confidence; yet after them people approve of their boasts. Like sheep they're appointed for Sheol. Death shall be their shepherd, and the upright shall rule over them in the morning. Their form shall be consumed in Sheol with no place to dwell, but God will ransom my soul from the power of Shao for he will receive me. Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him. For though while he lives he counts himself blessed, and though you get praises when you do well for yourself, his soul will go to the generation of his fathers who will never again see light. Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, is like the beasts that perish." Here ends the reading of God's Word. May he bless it to us.
Well, I'm sure at some point in our lives we can all remember our parents saying something to us like, "Son, daughter, life is not fair. Life is not fair, and the sooner you realize that, the better you will be for it." And the truth is, life is unfair. Life can be cruel. Life can be unjust. We may read stories, read books, watch movies that attempt to give us a break from that reality of life. But when we put down the books, when we turn off the films, we're all familiar with this reality: life is unfair.
Now, how equally life may be unfair. For God's people there is one group of people that life seems to be a bit more kind to, and that's the wicked. The wicked. The wicked who scheme, the wicked who plot ways to take advantage of others. For some reason, it seems at times like life can be more fair, more kind to them. And this reminds us of the age-old question, doesn't it? Why do the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer? Why do the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer?
I'm sure at some point in your life you have considered that question. It's a question that Scripture itself is familiar with. Jeremiah 12 says, "Righteous are you, oh Lord, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?" And then Psalm 73 says, "Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had almost, or nearly, slipped, for I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For they have no pains until death; their bodies are fat and sleek. They're not in trouble as others are; they're not stricken like the rest of mankind."
And of course, the Book of Job deals heavily with this subject matter. And so I think it's safe to say that this question of why do the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer is something of a universal question of human existence. It's a question that this Psalm before us this morning considers. In fact, the opening four verses of the of this Psalm assumes that in one way or another this question applies to everyone: "Hear this, all peoples. Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor together. My mouth shall speak wisdom. The meditation of my heart shall be understanding. I will incline my ear to a proverb. I will solve my riddle to the music of the liar."
In these verses, the Psalmist calls for a universal audience because he assumes that this question is a universal question of human existence. And so the Psalmist says he's going to consider it; he's going to examine it; he's going to incline his mind to this age-old question. And then for what comes what he comes to conclude in this Psalm is universally applicable. It applies not only to God's people, but it applies to those outside of God's covenant community. It applies to the rich. It applies to the poor. It applies to the high. It applies to the low. It applies to the righteous. It applies to the wicked. It applies to all of mankind.
And therefore, what this Psalm says here is something that everyone needs to hear, something that everyone needs to consider. And what we find in these verses is really the story of redemption a beautiful reminder of God's redeeming work for His people in Jesus Christ. Because what we come to see through these verses is although the wicked may at times prosper in this life, true prosperity is found only in Jesus Christ.
And so I want to consider with you this morning this Psalm, the riddle of this Psalm, by looking at two things: first, the perception of the wicked, the perception of the wicked and second the perspective of the righteous. the perspective of the righteous
Well, this Psalm is easy to outline. It essentially breaks into three parts: an intro, which we touched on, and then two main sections. The first main section covers verses 5 through 12, and the second main section covers verses 13 through 20. Both of those sections aim with some sense of the words, "Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, is like the beasts that perish."
And it's also not difficult to see that this is indeed a wisdom Psalm, and as such, it seeks to impart wisdom to the listener, wisdom to the reader wisdom on life wisdom on life in relationship with God.
Now, we don't have anything to indicate to us a kind of setting for this Psalm. But as a wisdom Psalm, this Psalm would have been thought as a deposit of wisdom that was to be handed down as a record to God's people. Remember, this is something of a universal question. Psalmist calls everyone to listen. And so it may have been the case that this question was posed so often that it was decided this question, this riddle, will will be contained in psalm 49 will will answer this question, and we'll have a record of it to pass down to the next generation and the next generation after them.
Now, the counselor here calls it his riddle. He makes it somewhat personal. And it is personal. This is a personal question that maybe all of us at some point in our lives have considered. And as such, it would have been used to encourage God's people, to give God's people an accurate perception or perspective on the wicked, on the unjustness or the unfairness that exists in life. It'll give God's people a perspective on human prosperity. It'll give them a perspective on the riches of the redemption that they have now.
As we turn our attention to the body of this Psalm, we come to see here that there's a certain perception of the wicked that's presented. And I i call this a perception of the wicked because a perception is not always accurate. It's It's one view It's one perception. it can be skewed It's only a perception it's not reality it's a perception that believes the wicked in their wealth and their pride and their prosperity is to be feared, is to be envied, is to be desired.
And so the question that the Psalm asks and begins with in verse 5 is, "Why should I fear in times of trouble when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me? Those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches."
I think from the perspective of the reader, it may be easy to answer this question too quickly, too hastily, what a a kind of false piety: "Why should we fear? We shouldn't fear. God is with us. God is on our side." And on one hand, that's true god is with us, and we don't have anything to fear when God is with us. And yet answering this question too quickly doesn't do justice to the the nuance and the complexity of this question.
This is a realistic question to be asked. And it's unrealistic to speak as if the wicked aren't a real threat to the righteous. Remember, Scripture records a whole history of the wicked being real threats to the righteous. Think of Cain and Abel. Think of Israel and Egypt. Think of Mordecai and Haman. Daniel and his accusers. Or in the New Testament, John the Baptist and Herod; Jesus and the religious leaders. Don't forget that all the apostles died at the hands of sinful men with the exception of the Apostle John.
So there is a real threat, a real fear that can be experienced by God's people. And so it's unrealistic doesn't do the question justice just to hastily answer. should be considered, work through.
Now, notice in the text here the kind of wicked person that is spoken of. These aren't just, you know, the the neighborhood drunk or the druggie on the corner. As much as those people can also be a threat to the righteous, who's being spoken here in the text are those in the upper echelons of society, the movers and shakers. This possible thread is from someone, as verse 6 says, who boasts of having an abundance of riches.
Now, when the text says here, "boasts of having an abundance of riches," it's not referring to people who present themselves as rich while they really, in reality, are not. These people are really rich. In fact, notice it says they have an abundance of riches. They are the wealthy of wealthy people. And not only are they rich, but their riches are symbolic of their power, their influence. Look at the last part of verse 11: it says lands are named after them. These are people of note. They have prestige, and therefore they have power.
Now, I don't know about you, but I don't have any lands named after me. I don't have anyone in my family who has lands named after them. But these people here in the Psalms, and this Psalm, would have had lands named after them. These would have been uh the founders of Escondido or the founders of San Diego County. It would have been politicians, again, the upper class of society. See, the people spoken here by the Psalmist are again the movers, the shakers of this society. And therefore, the text speaks of them as having influence. second half of verse 13 says, "Yet after them people approve of their boasts." People looked up to them. They look up to them. They quote their words. They're influential. These peoples have riches, power, prestige, influence.
Now, if you were someone who found yourself standing between a rich, powerful, influential person and something they wanted, let me ask you: do you think you would have reason to fear? Or at least be concerned? You certainly would. And maybe you've been in a position like this. Maybe not up against the Bill Gates of the world or the George soros is or the Elon Musk, but maybe someone with real power in your life. Maybe an unfair boss who you know climbed up the corporate ladder by unethical practices and now, given his position, he has a reputation of harassing others and putting people in their place. Or maybe you're a student and you have a professor who treats Christians unfairly and he or she just looks for any reason to give a Christian a failing grade. Or maybe it's just someone that you deal with in town, but they have power. They have influence. They're known well in the community. People look up to them.
Whoever we've had to deal with, we all know that in such situations we too can experience real fear, real concern. We don't want to lose our jobs. We don't want to receive a failing grade. We don't want our names dragged through the mud around town. And so what are we to do?
Well, what does this Psalm have to say to our very real concerns and real questions? Well, while this Psalm does present a perception of the wicked that gives reason for real concern, at the very same time this Psalm provides us with real wisdom. And for that we turn to our second point: the perspective of the righteous.
Well, the perception of the wicked can be one of fear and concern. There's another way of perceiving the wicked that this Psalm presents us with, and it's more sobering of a perspective. Because the wicked, however rich and powerful and influential they might be, they have some real and serious vulnerabilities. verse five and six essentially says, "Why should I fear when the wicked are those who trust in their wealth?" The quintessential difference between the righteous and the wicked is not that the wicked is wealthy and prosperous while the righteous are poor and needy. The quintessential difference is found in the two things that the righteous and wicked trust in. They trust in two entirely different things. The righteous trust in the Lord God, while the wicked trust in their wealth, they trust in their prosperity, they trust in their influence. And trusting in anything other than the Lord Jesus Christ and the salvation that he has earned is a serious, serious liability.
Remember, Jesus said, "For what good does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? What good does it profit him?" Or what about the parable where Jesus once told of a rich landowner whose land was plentiful so much so that he didn't have places to store all the abundance of what he had? So he built bigger barns to store his stuff in. Kind of sounds like some of the storage units that we might have. And yet, what does God say to that man after he says to his own soul, "You have ample goods laid up for you for many years. Relax, eat, drink, be merry"? But God said to him, "Fool, fool, this night your soul is required of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?"
The first way this Psalm answers the age-old question of this riddle of life is to say, "Look at what the wicked trust in, and look at who you trust in. The wicked trust in something that does not last. The wicked trust in something that fades, something that moths and rusts, destroys, something that can be taken away, stolen. And what this means is that what they trust in is really nothing at all nothing to be feared nothing to be envied nothing to be desired. It will eventually fade, perish. It is meaningless. Maybe in this life they gain some power and influence, but when life is over, what does it amount to? Nothing. Nothing.
We all know that the last words of someone's life can be quite telling. Listen to one of the last things the philosopher Thomas Hobbes once said. He said, "I say again, if I had the whole world to dispose of, I would give it to live one day more. I'm about to take a leap into the dark." Here's a man who his whole life built storehouses of worldly wisdom, and when it came to the end of his life, sadly, it all amounted to nothing. It is as Jesus says: "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?"
A person's wealth, a person's prosperity, a person's influence and success are meaningless when life comes to an end, when they're lying in their coffin six feet under the ground. What does all of that profit them? See, where is the philosopher? Where is the wise? Where is the influential? Where are the powerful when their time has passed away?
You see, brothers and sisters, death is the universal equalizer, isn't it? Death is a universal equalizer and universal leveler. Look at what verse 10 says: "For he sees that even the wise die. The fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others. Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling place to all generations, though they called lands by their own names."
And then again in verse 16: "Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him." Everything comes to an end. Everything. Human wealth, human prosperity, human influence and power, human life comes to an end. Prosperity might be passed on to the next generation, but what does that do for the one who has passed, who is dead? What does that have to do with them when they're in the grave? It makes no difference for them, does it?
And so when that end comes, the wicked will face it on their own without their wealth without their power without their prestige and influence. And God is no respecter of such things. It is as Job said: "Naked we have brought into this world, and naked we will depart."
Now, let me ask you: what is truly fearful? The rich with their wealth? The wicked in their prosperity? Or God himself? When one is stripped of all that they have, when they find themselves naked and needy before the all-powerful, almighty, everlasting God, that is truly something to be feared, is it not?
Forget about fearing the wicked in their prosperity. Fear God, right? Remember: "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." It's the fear of the Lord that should sure that should stir fear in the hearts of every man, especially the heart of the man that trust in his material possessions or the praise of his fellow men.
And it's here that I think we we come to what is the heart of this Psalm, and the reason that this is universally applicable. This is why the our Psalmist calls for a universal audience. This is why he calls both high and low, rich and poor. The reason is death. Death is the universal equalizer and leveler. Death is coming for us all. We will all face death one day. The mortality rate is a hundred percent. No one escapes not the righteous not the wicked not the rich not the poor not the influential not the needy.
And because of this, this Psalm tells us that the wicked may prosper in this life, but that prosperity is really a curse because it causes them to trust in something that cannot deliver them from death. And more importantly, more significantly, it cannot deliver them from the One who holds death and Sheol in His hands.
And so this Psalm ironically poses a dilemma for the wicked. It poses to them a question: "What will you trust in, oh man? oh wicked man, what will you trust in? Will it be your wealth? Will it be your prosperity? Will it be your influence in this life? If so, then your life will be characterized by the words of verse 12: man in his pomp will not remain. He is like the beasts that perish. This is the path of those who have foolish confidence. Yet after them people approve of their boasts. But like sheep they're appointed for shale
A passage like this simply reiterates Christ's words: "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world yet forfeit his soul?" So the wicked in this passage is called to forsake the trust they place in their wealth and their prosperity and their influence and acknowledge their poverty and their need of a Savior.
Friend, if this is you this morning, if you're trusting in anything other than Jesus Christ alone, I pray that you turn from that trust and you look to Christ alone.
Now, I know I realize that's a difficult move to make, because when one is prosperous, when one is influential, one gets used to getting their way. They get used to living for themselves. And that's why riches can be such a stumbling block to man. That's why the rich life isn't all it's cracked up to be. It can be a real curse. Jesus wasn't joking when he said, "It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."
But here's the thing: what is indeed impossible for man is possible for God. And so I say again, I pray that if that is you this morning if you are trusting in any kind of wealth, any kind of prestige, any kind of acknowledgement or success that you think you have turn from that and trust in Christ and His worthiness. Trust in Him alone.
Now, this Psalm doesn't just pose a question to the wicked. It also poses a couple of questions for God's people to consider. The first is this: Is the life of the wicked really something to be feared, something to be envied, something to be desired? And the answer is no, because in reality the wicked life is a tragic life. If it's a life that ends just like everyone else's life, and yet it ends with a kind of self-confidence that will not stand before God, and so it's characterized throughout Scripture as the tragic life, the meaningless life, the life without purpose, the life that was wasted.
Remember, Psalm 1 describes the blessed man, the happy man. It's a life that is known by God, and a life that seeks to know God: "The Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish." That Psalm ends with
Now, this Psalm poses another question to us this morning maybe not directly, but it's implied throughout these verses: How should the righteous feel about their own lives when they know that they will not face death as the wicked do?
You see, this Psalm speaks of death, but it does so in two ways. It speaks of the death of the wicked, and it speaks of the ransom of the righteous. Verse 7 "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."
And that's true. No man can ever have enough money to pay for his life. No man can never have enough prosperity, enough influence to ransom their life. The wicked cannot ransom their life no matter how wealthy they are, no matter how successful they are in this life. But the same is true for the righteous. They neither have what is necessary to ransom their life.
And yet what no man can purchase, no man can provide for himself, God provides. God provides.
Our Psalmist says, "But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me."
You see, we were dead in our sins and transgressions, but God, but God rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ. "For by grace you have been saved, and this not of yourself."
Here we see the death of the righteous is not like that of the wicked because God ransoms their life. Brothers and sisters, this passage brings us hope. It brings us comfort. It brings us good news for those who trust in Jesus Christ. And that good news is that in Christ, God's people have been ransomed. They've been redeemed. Although man cannot ransom himself, there is a price for God's people that has been paid: His Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Jesus says in Mark 10, "For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
We have hope today, brothers and sisters, because of Christ. We have hope today not because we are going to be as rich as the rich in the world; we have hope today not because we will always triumph over the wicked in this life. We have hope today because Christ, in his life and death, triumphed over sin and death.
And what this means is that we who by the world's standards are considered poor and needy are indeed abundantly rich in Jesus Christ, because in Christ all the promises of God are yes and amen to us.
We may not have been born into this world with wealth. We may not have even earned an abundance of wealth in our life. But we have Christ. We have Christ. And the truth is, Christ is more than enough. We have Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. He who was accounted with the unrighteous, who now grants to us His righteousness.
Remember, "They made His grave with the wicked and with the rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, there was no deceit in His mouth." Christ endured the curse of the wicked for us. Our curse that we would be considered by God, reckoned righteous.
Friends, yes, we live in an unjust world. Yes, we live in a world where the wicked seem to prosper. But knowing what Christ has done for us, should we complain about what the wicked gets in this life? Have we not prospered immensely, abundantly? Jesus has taken off our rags of our sinfulness, and He's clothed us with the riches of His righteousness.
If this doesn't make us feel rich, abundantly, this morning, I don't know what will.
We have Christ. We have Christ crucified. We are His. Let's thank Him for that.
Let's pray. Lord, we thank You this morning again for the way Your Word is so real and so raw, capturing the myriad of experiences that we have in this life, Lord, answering age-old questions that we have pondered among ourselves. We thank You, Lord, for granting us wisdom. Wisdom in Christ.
Help us, Lord, to realize that we indeed are abundantly rich in Jesus Christ because we have become Your people through Him. Strengthen us in the faith that we have received. Strengthen our faith. Continue to set the eyes of our hearts upon Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
We pray this in His name. Amen.