In the previous installment of our series, we embarked on a journey through Psalm 49, uncovering the wisdom woven into its verses. We learned that believing ourselves to be the exception—thinking that the rules don’t apply to us—is a perilous pitfall, likely to set us on a course towards life’s ruin. The cross of Christ proves that God sees fallen humanity in the same category. Today, we continue our exploration of this psalm’s timeless counsel with the next two steps that can lead us to ruin our lives.
#2 – Trying to Redeem Myself
“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.” Psalm 49:5-9
Redemption involves buying back or making up for what we’ve done wrong. Verse 8 drives home the point that it’s utterly foolish to attempt self-redemption, stating, “…for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice…” The cost of redemption is so steep that no one can bear it.
To truly grasp why this matters, we must explore redemption on two levels. The first level concerns the redemption we believe we need, while the second level addresses the redemption we genuinely require. Sometimes, we feel the need to redeem ourselves due to certain aspects of our lives. For example, someone might overwork, feeling the need to prove themselves, while a mother might believe her world hinges on her children’s perfection. A church member might serve and give out of guilt, thinking they must repay God. These attempts at self-redemption end up crushing us because the cost is impossibly high.
However, this only covers the first level. The second level reveals that we all need redemption. If we acknowledge that we’ve all sinned, it also means we all deserve death. We owe God an eternal price for our souls. This is why the psalmist asserts, “He should cease trying forever.” No matter how much we give to God, it will never suffice. Attempting to pay for our eternal life, as verse 9 notes, will lead to eternal death. Many of the reasons we feel burdened, stressed, and enslaved by work, family, or even church stem from our failure to grasp that the exorbitant cost of redemption is killing us, and what we are paying will never save us.
The Cross Of Christ
So, what does the cross say when I try to redeem myself? The cross speaks loudly about our need for Jesus. Verse 7 emphatically states, “Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life…” We all need Jesus because He was more than a mere man. Jesus is not less than human, but He is much more; He is divine. Jesus could pay the costly price of eternal ransom to God on our behalf because He was God Himself. His infinite life alone can compensate for our eternal deficit. It’s time for all of us to cease trying to redeem ourselves forever because trying to redeem ourselves will only ruin our life.
#3 – Avoiding Thinking About Death
“For he sees that even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others.”- Psalm 49:10
The psalmist transitions to another critical point. Instead of shying away from death, he urges us to contemplate it deeply. In essence, the psalmist encourages us to confront the reality of death and evaluate what it means. Death inevitably approaches, regardless of how skillfully or foolishly we navigate life.
On a recent visit to a cemetery, I observed that some individuals have already chosen their final resting place. Their birth date is displayed, but their death date remains blank. This practice is a wise way to approach life – acknowledging that we don’t know when death will arrive but we might as well prepare for it.
So, why is avoiding thoughts of death detrimental to us? Evading the contemplation of death stifles our growth, hinders emotional depth, leads to wasted time, and diminishes our sense of urgency in spreading the gospel. When we trivialize death, we inadvertently trivialize hell, leading to a lack of responsibility for the Great Commission – the mission to make disciples of all nations.
The Cross Of Christ
What does the cross say when I avoid thinking about death? The cross serves as a wake-up call. God desires us to confront and contemplate death, to grasp its gravity. Is it any surprise that Jesus instructed His church to remember Him until His return by partaking in communion, symbolizing His broken body and His covenant blood? If I avoid thinking about death, I will ultimately ruin my life.
In this installment of our series, we’ve explored two more ways to ruin our lives from Psalm 49. The cross of Christ calls us to recognize our need for Jesus, whose divine nature enabled Him to pay the price of eternal redemption. And the cross of Christ regularly places death before us in order to fill us with sobriety and with resilient hope. The wisdom of God is found in the foolishness of the cross.
