Everyone needs to hear

Let's look at the first four verses of Psalm 49:

Hear this, all peoples;
Listen, all inhabitants of the world,
2 Both low and high,
Rich and poor together.
3 My mouth will speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will express my riddle on the harp. (v. 1-4)

Wow, have you heard the expression "preaching to the choir"? Usually means that someone is speaking to a small group that already knows what he's talking about . . . the psalmist says, HEY! EVERYBODY LISTEN!!!

He is not just a poet. Not just a songwriter. He is preaching not just to the people of God, but to all people - all the inhabitants of the world!

The social "nobodies" may be tempted to just shrug and say, "his message is for the elites." They might think the message only applies to those who are high on the social ladder. But the psalmist says, no, this is for the "low" and "the high."

Poor people might be tempted to think that a song about the perils of trusting in material possessions only applies to the wealthy. But the psalmist says, no, this is for the rich and the poor. If we are poor, we can be just as materialistic as the rich, because materialism is a focus -- a desire of the heart -- not just a matter of owning lots of "stuff."

So, the psalmist begins by saying that his message is for all people in every culture.

He continues in verse three by telling us all that he's going to speak wisdom and give us understanding. I looked up this particular use of "wisdom," and it was also used of the skill of the craftsmen who constructed the beautiful tabernacle in Exodus. (Exodus 36:1-2)  It takes both wisdom and skill, given to us by our Father God, to live in such a way as to produce a beautiful life in God's sight.

So, has this songwriter experienced some things and is giving us "man's" wisdom? I don't think so . . . he is passing on to us wisdom that he has gained by inclining his ear to God.

For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. (Proverbs 2:6)

So, this will not be the wisdom of man, but wisdom from God. 

The next part seemed very interesting to me. I don't believe we have had in our studies of psalms, an instance where the psalmist said he would open up a "riddle." That got me to thinking and also to studying. The same word "riddle" is used of Samson's riddle of the lion and the honey:

Then Samson said to them, “Let me now propose a riddle for you; if you actually tell me the answer within the seven days of the feast, and solve it, then I will give you thirty linen wraps and thirty outfits of clothes. (Judges 14:12)

It's also used to describe the difficult questions that the Queen of Sheba asked Solomon, trying to "stump" him:

Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon in relation to the name of the Lord, she came to test him with riddles. (I Kings 10:1)

In this psalm, the riddle seems to be the age-old question: why are evil people rich and comfortable, while the godly are often poor and oppressed? The songwriter's answer is that no amount of money can purchase an escape from death and judgment. All of us must stand before God, Who in His holiness will either condemn us because we lived for this world, or redeem and receive us because we lived wisely in light of eternity.

I guess some people would think that this is not all that profound. Lots of worldly philosophers have pointed out that human life is short. They've said that it's foolish to put our confidence in "things." But I think the real wisdom of the psalm is to comfort us when we are suffering, by reminding us to trust God to right all wrongs. I think the psalmist wanted to remind us to be patient when it seems (to us) that God might not be paying attention -- we just need to realize that He will rectify ALL wrongs in His good time.

It's the message that we know, and that we need to think about often. We can know in our heads that life does not consist of possessions, it's easy for us to forget and then be tempted by greed or by peer pressure. We are all susceptible to this; young and old believers alike.

Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. (I Timothy 6:17-19, NASB)

"That which is truly life."  I think that's what the psalmist was trying to say . . . .