Antidote to Vanity and Death (3)

Opening Prayer: Psalm 49.10-12
For he sees wise men die;
Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish,
And leave their wealth to others.
Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever,
Their dwelling places to all generations;
They call their lands after their own names.
Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not remain;
He is like the beasts that perish.

Sing Psalm 49.10-12, 15
(Sagina: And Can It Be, That I Should Gain)
See how the wise and senseless die, and leave to others all their gold.
Vainly forever they longed and hoped to have their names and glories told.
Man in his pomp will not endure; like any beast his end is sure.
Refrain v. 15
My God redeems my soul from hell!
His grace and mercy let me tell!

Read Psalm 49.10-13

Preparation
1. What do fools know about life?

2. What do they do to try to overcome that fate?

Meditation
“The wisdom of the prudent,” Solomon wrote, “is to understand his way.” On the other hand, “the folly of fools is deceit” (Prov. 14.8). Self-deception is a terrible way to live. It gives false hope without resolving underlying fears. The pagans whom the sons of Korah observed in Jerusalem knew full well that everybody dies – wise men and senseless people alike (v. 10). But they thought they could live on after death somehow through the monuments they erected for themselves, whether houses or lands or businesses or trust funds or stadiums bearing their names or whatever (v. 11).

Thus deceived, they strutted their pomp around the streets of Jerusalem, believing that by fleeting, finite means they could assure immortality for themselves. And then they died (v. 12). Just like beasts, having accomplished nothing of any lasting value. Who remembers the names of any of them today?

But they taught their children well (v. 13), because their children followed in the footsteps of their departed forebears, chasing vain dreams of happiness and immortality through material gain and personal prowess. Deceit, it seems, like bad genes, can be passed from one generation to another.

The lesson of history, Friedrich Hegel wrote, is that nobody ever learns anything from history. Knowing we all must die, people continue to seek happiness in material comforts, with but little regard for their neighbor or his needs. Having made happiness their god, they are destined for disappointment when they face the one true God Who blessed them so abundantly, but without any thanks in return. Will He receive them? He will not.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
God, in His gentleness and kindness, spoke about us, even in our foolishness, as those with honor (v. 12).
The sons of Korah were observing and writing about those behaving like brute beasts; and yet, God saw them with eyes of love and hope.

Solomon wrote about those in his kingdom who were behaving foolishly. He pointed out that “The foolishness of a man twists his way, and his heart frets against the LORD” (Prov. 19.3).

How like those folks we are. We do things contrary to God’s Law, and our minds, hearts, and lives get twisted all in a bunch. Everything is a mess. And what do we do? We rail against God. We fret. We blame.

But God expects a different approach from us. He expects the best of us. He has made us in His image (Gen. 1.26). He thinks of us as honorable.

But people. We tend to see ourselves and each other in a more beastly fashion:
“…he is like the beasts that perish” (Ps. 49.12).
“I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You” (Ps. 73.22).
“But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves” (Jude 1.10).

But we are not beasts. We are God’s image-bearers. He chose us to belong to Him. He loves us (Jn. 15.16). He demonstrated His love for us in that while we were still beastly sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5.8).

So let’s not live like the foolish, with twisted ways and beastly hearts. Let us live as God sees us. His children.
“Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Pet. 2. 11,12).

This is the way of the wise.

Reflection
1. Is it a good idea for people to think of themselves as merely some form of higher animal? Explain.

2. What’s wrong with believing that our best happiness will be found in things and comforts?

3. What are some ways we as Christians deceive ourselves about what God expects from and wants for us?

This likewise shows the folly of worldly people, who sell their souls for that which will never buy them. With all their wealth they cannot secure themselves from the stroke of death. Yet one generation after another applaud their maxims; and the character of a fool, as drawn by heavenly Wisdom itself, Luke 12:16-21, continues to be followed even among professed Christians. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on the Psalm 49.6-14

Closing Prayer: Psalm 49.13-15
Pray for the lost people in your Personal Mission Field, that God will open their eyes to the futility of trying to live without Him.

Sing Psalm 49.13-15
(Sagina: And Can It Be, That I Should Gain)
Thus go the foolish on their way, and all who approve their deceitful words.
Meekly like sheep to death they go, and meet destruction afterwards.
See how the righteous overrules the fleeting forms of dying fools!
Refrain v. 15
My God redeems my soul from hell!
His grace and mercy let me tell!

T. M. and Susie Moore

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (Williston: Waxed Tablet Publications, 2006), available by clicking here.