The costly ransom
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Psalm 49
1. Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, 2. both low and high, rich and poor together! 3. My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding. 4. I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre. 5. Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me, 6. men who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches? 7. Truly no man can ransom himself, or give to God the price of his life, 8. for the ransom of his life is costly, and can never suffice, 9. that he should continue to live on for ever, and never see the Pit. 10. Yea, he shall see that even the wise die, the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others. 11. Their graves are their homes for ever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they named lands their own. 12. Man cannot abide in his pomp, he is like the beasts that perish. 13. This is the fate of those who have foolish confidence, the end of those who are pleased with their portion. [Selah] 14. Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd; straight to the grave they descend, and their form shall waste away; Sheol shall be their home. 15. But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. [Selah] 16. Be not afraid when one becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. 17. For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him. 18. Though, while he lives, he counts himself happy, and though a man gets praise when he does well for himself, 19. he will go to the generation of his fathers, who will never more see the light. 20. Man cannot abide in his pomp, he is like the beasts that perish.
“7. Truly no man can ransom himself, or give to God the price of his life, 8. for the ransom of his life is costly, and can never suffice” Man just doesn’t haven it in him to sacrifice what Christ did. We say we want to, but we turn back to our sinful ways time and time again. And no matter how wealthy we become by worldly standards, we cannot buy grace. This psalmists trusts that our redemption may be purchased only on God’s terms.
No matter how much wealth we acquire, no matter how much power we wield, no matter how much we own, manage or achieve, it will not be enough. Only God can save us. We all share the same fate – eternal life or eternal damnation. The wise, the foolish, the wealthy and the poor. The old, the young, the humble and the proud. Only God saves. And faith in Him and His generous grace is the only path to salvation.
“The ransom of his life is costly.” You can’t afford it. Neither can I. But God already knew that and made arrangements long, long ago as He set the world in place. He knew He would need to give us one shining example; one final demonstration; one ultimate, undeniable word. So we have two choices – really – only two. Trust in God or trust in man. Seek the wealth of salvation or the wealth of the world. Seek God’s peace and His light and His Son, or seek after comfort and satisfaction and wisdom by earthly standards.
God loves us so much. How can we help but choose Him?
I hope you spend your day counting the cost of every decision you make. And consider each right choice a small deposit on the debt we can never repay.
Mary
