This psalm is not particularly written for Jews only, nor is it to promote praise. This is a psalm for instruction for people of all ages everywhere. The principles and challenges are universal because the desire for wealth and immortality is common to mankind. Two times, the writer speaks about God but does not address God, indicating that this is a meditation on life with a message for us all to consider. How do we regard wealth as individuals and as nations?
The psalm begins with an address to everyone. It is for the rich and the poor, the small and the great. This is a call to pay attention. These are the same words with which the song of Moses begins. To “hear” means to listen with an awareness that what is about to be spoken of is important. When one speaks of “wisdom,” this is not some casual comment that can be ignored. “Understanding” implies that this subject has been thought through carefully and has weight to which we should heed. “A parable” illustrates a subject so that hearers can apply what they learn to themselves, and “dark sayings” are mysteries that defy clear explanations unless someone wiser can clarify what is meant.
Wealth and life are the subjects of verses five through twelve. Poor people often question why God allows rich people to have so much. Because they are so well off financially, they get elected to run the country. They tell us how “wonderful” they are and why we should have them rule the nation. The psalmist is making the point that we should not worry about the prosperity of the wicked. They are going to die like all of us and they will leave it all behind. To trust in riches implies that wealth brings happiness. But the pursuit of wealth is vanity, and the end of the wealthy is death, the same as with all people – and animals.
No matter how wealthy a person may be, they cannot buy salvation. Rich and poor are alike in that neither has anything in themselves to merit redemption. More than that, when it comes time to die, money cannot buy a longer life. No one can redeem himself or any other person. All the money a person has cannot save their brother from the claim of death because not one person has the means to purchase life. All a person has worked for in life is valueless at death. Man dies like an animal, but after death, a man’s body goes to the grave, but his soul and spirit do not perish. Man is an endless being. This is one of the ways he is distinct from all other creatures. No amount of wealth will keep us happy or keep us from dying.
A person’s name on a building does not mean he is immortal. It doesn’t mean very much, only that he paid for it, or some other people wanted it as a memorial to that person, hoping that in some way it would give honor to them for some particular reason. But buildings don’t last forever, and even the name on it will be forgotten. “Life is fleeting, life is earnest, and the grave is not the goal. Dust thou art, to dust returneth, was not written of the soul.” Some wealthy people have spent a lot of money on a casket for their body or a building to remind others of their reputation, but the psalmist is saying there is no need to stand in awe of the rich.
For those who trust in riches, death is their shepherd and can only guide them to the grave. How great is the contrast to those who know “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” Instead of the shepherd feeding the sheep in verse fourteen, the shepherd is feeding on the sheep. Wealth and death are the subjects of verses thirteen through twenty, reminding us that to have treasure in heaven, we must put our faith in God now, obey Him in our lives, and use what we have for His kingdom. We need to place our investments where they really count.
Only God can redeem the soul. That raises the question, “How can God receive me? What redemption price is acceptable if I can neither redeem myself nor anyone else? We are grateful that those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior are redeemed “Not with corruptible things such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ.” There is no need for us to worry about the rich who are elected to public office because they are rich or those who are immoral or get away with murder. The righteous Judge will deal with all those cases for the rich and poor. He judges in fairness and equity.
Because of sin, man has devolved downward, not evolved upward. Mankind’s natural inclination is to go downward so that he can live life apart from God. The moral law of gravitation is basically immorality. So, the point of this psalm is a warning that those who live for their wealth and this present life will soon leave it all behind at death. Those who are righteous because they have accepted what Christ has done on their behalf will also die, but their eternal reward is an infinite wealth of a different kind that lasts forever. The resurrection is taught in verse fifteen, so those Old Testament believers who didn’t have a lot of teaching about the resurrection would still be confident that the grave is not the goal. To trust in riches instead of God is condemned. The love of money is condemned. To hoard wealth is condemned. To gain wealth through dishonesty or the oppression of others is condemned.
May we learn the lesson of the fleeting benefits of wealth and the lasting benefits of faith in God, who is The “Blesser” gives us eternal hope, endless faith, everlasting joy, and enduring peace.