Today's Word
Do not be afraid when a person becomes rich, when the splendor of his house is increased; For when he dies, he will take nothing with him; his wealth will not descend after him. Psalm 49:16-17 NASB Do not be afraid – Does this seem odd to you? We would have expected “Do not be envious” or “Do not…
Read MoreBut God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for He will receive me. Selah Psalm 49:15 NASB Receive – If the Tanakh really doesn’t have a clear concept of Heaven, then what can this verse mean? Doesn’t it imply that there is redemption from Sheol? Doesn’t it suggest that God “saves” us from the eternity…
Read MoreLike sheep they sink down to Sheol; Death will be their shepherd; and the upright will rule over them in the morning, and their form shall be for Sheol to consume, so that they have no lofty home. Psalm 49:14 NASB Death will be their shepherd – Could there be any more chilling fate of the foolish? Psalm 23…
Read MoreThis is the way of those who are foolish, and of those after them who approve their words. Selah Psalm 49:13 NASB Approve – When is agreement an obvious mistake? According to this psalm, when it aligns with the choices of the foolish. Ah, but Hebrew has three words translated “fool,” and they don’t all mean the same…
Read MoreBut man in his splendor will not endure; he is like the animals that perish. Psalm 49:12 NASB Animals – Do dogs go to heaven? What about cats? Do animals have a “soul”? At one point in human history, such questions caused considerable debate. However, it seems that the Bible makes a significant distinction between animals and humans—except…
Read MoreTheir inner thought is that their houses are forever and their dwelling places to all generations; they have named their lands after their own names. Psalm 49:11 NASB Houses/ dwelling places – Okay, so we know that all the habitations here on earth aren’t permanent. Just like everything else, they will pass away. The Roman Colosseum was meant to last…
Read MoreFor he sees that even wise people die; the foolish and the stupid alike perish and leave their wealth to others. Psalm 49:10 NASB Alike – “because the wise man, just like the fool, is not remembered forever; for, as the succeeding days roll by, both are forgotten. Alas, the wise man dies, just like the fool” (Ecclesiastes 2:16…
Read MoreFor the redemption of his soul is priceless, and he should cease imagining forever—That he might live on eternally, that he might not undergo decay. Psalm 49:8-9 NASB Priceless – What does a priceless work of art cost? More than you have, that’s for sure. But the question itself is nonsense. What is priceless can’t be bought! That’s the point…
Read MoreNo one can by any means redeem another or give God a ransom for him— Psalm 49:7 NASB By any means – We looked at this verse some time ago.[1] On the surface, it completely overturns the penal theory of atonement, a theory that was articulated by Reformation theology and is typical of evangelical thinking today. “Jesus paid it all” is a…
Read MoreThose who trust in their wealth and boast in the abundance of their riches? Psalm 49:6 NASB Boast – If you read this verse in Hebrew, you’ll discover that “boast” is the last word in the text. You’ll also discover that “those who trust” is the first word. The verse creates a kind of verbal envelope. First these people trust in wealth, then in the abundance…
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