Psalms 49:20 (ESV)
Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.
In Psalm 49 we are reading about the wealth of mankind and how futile it is in rescuing us from death and peril. The writer finds solace in death because he knows he is redeemed by God and is NOT trusting in his riches. He has come to learn the truth that it is not what he possesses that gives him hope but by who possesses him. As he draws the psalm to a close we read the above verse. This is the Big Idea of the song he has just composed. He is stating that you can have all the pomp and circumstance of the world and, yet, without really know the meaning of life with God, you have nothing. The world does not think this way. They think that if they have a great life full of riches and belongings than that is the meaning of life. But, the author spend the first 19 verses demonstrating the fallacy of that thought. In the New Testament God warns the rich through the pen of Paul in this way:
1 Timothy 6:17-19 (ESV)
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
God does not condemn riches. After Solomon chose wisdom over riches, God gave him both. Wealthy people have done much for the Kingdom of God. However, if they trust in their riches and don’t have understanding about God’s power and God’s grace, they have nothing. They are like the beasts of the field that perish.
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