What Price Eternity?
Psalm 49: 1-11
|
A PRESBYTERIAN PSALTER - by Pastor Max A Forsythe |
Quite a few years ago in my first charge, someone remarked that my scheduled series were just a little too on mark. "It seems", she said, "like you've anticipated all of my troubles and our current events". Perhaps, she observed, I shouldn't print my sermon titles in advance, because she was really getting nervous about some upcoming titles. If you have ever had a sense that a particular message has applied directly to your personal situation, don't get nervous just give credit to the providential timing of our Father in heaven.
In the introductory notes to this particular psalm, Spurgeon could be writing his Treasury of David notes this decade instead in the last century. This is what Spurgeon says: "The poet musician sings, to the accompaniment of his harp, the despicable character of those who trust in their wealth, and so he consoles the oppressed believer." Now, Spurgeon's times were not too different from our own. A couple years ago I read a history of the 19th Century from 1815 to 1830. Those years appear to be very critical for setting up what the author calls The Birth of the Modern. In this history, there are a few chapters that could have been lifted from any Twentieth Century scandal sheet. The life of the wealthy was indeed interesting in those early years of the last century, and by the end of that century, things had not improved all that much either.
So, Spurgeon's theme is consistent with history, even as we see that the Sons of Korah understood the same problem in their century. The futility of the worldly noted in this psalm is similar to themes in Ecclesiastes and Proverbs. But, our present psalm reveals what Ecclesiastes leaves concealed. And the instruction revealed here in the whole psalm is the assurance of the victorious grace of our God in heaven.
In the first four verses our poet-prophet calls all of mankind to listen to his instruction. In verse two he addresses the two great traditional classes of mankind. Those who are allowed to rule and those who are ruled. Those who have prospered and those who live in poverty. Whenever I want to make certain that my whole class will listen to me in school I ordinarily call out: "Ladies, gentlemen and flunkies, what I'm about to say is important!"
Such is the call of the psalmist here. Then in verse three our psalmist encourages us to hear his words through the Spirit. "My mouth shall speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding." May these words of Scripture thus be especially understood as divine instruction for our consideration today. In the next verse, verse four, our understanding is teased with a allusion. This is the "pay close attention" part. Just as the minstrel leans his ear to his harp, so must we hold our ear close to the Word. The instruction here contained must be spiritually appraised. And with his music he will accompany the riddle.
Now, this sense here is very much like a writer I read some years ago who explained why even in the midst of humanistic, secularistic and pagan churches _ some still believe! The reason that I read, was the fact that the old hymnals with their orthodox psalms, hymns and spiritual songs still have an impact upon the common people to keep their hopes alive. And so, even as people may ignore the spoken word, perhaps the songs that are sung may reinforce or even supplant that spoken word.
How sad that the evangelical wing of the church has abandoned those orthodox psalms and hymns for frenzied chants meant only to sing themselves silly in pursuit of a false emotional high. No wonder, orthodoxy is in deep trouble across most of the church. There is either no spoken word or sung either to hold the spiritual anchor deep.
May we move from our psalmist's introduction to his musical instruction. In verses five and six, our psalmist asks us the essential question that lays heavy on the hearts of the common people who must pay tribute and taxes to their oppressors. "Why should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity at my heels surrounds me - those who trust in their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches?" We may take this question in both a material and a spiritual sense. And in some times and places the material and spiritual are even united.
A few years ago, I was very disappointed when I visited Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The Corporate sponsored secularism surrounded us even as we sensed the unlimited corporate purses that had been tapped to make their displays possible. Please be assured that the word's "Mickey Mouse" should not be used in the traditional sense of cheap and tawdry. At Disney World there was a whole section of the theme park set up to celebrate the birthday of the mouse whose corporation revels in profits galore. The self-same corporate structure that gives us Mickey Mouse, Coca-Cola and most of our everyday products is becoming as powerful and abusive as state socialism once was in Eastern Europe. Very many people today are caught between Corporate struggles for profits even as earlier peoples were caught between warring Nation states.
More and more the rich and powerful corporate Presidents and Vice-Presidents are becoming as greedy and abusive as any prince or ancient king. In our time, very many once prosperous occupations are being drained of essential salaries to fatten the wealth of management. I can remember in the early eighties when the grocery business was suddenly changed to the benefit of the few. Where many working people could once make an honest living, now millions eke out a minimal income. And so it goes in career after career, it is more than just a democratic party theme that the rich are getting richer and the poor are standing still in our own time. Sadly the only thing driving wages up now is the fact that the younger generation just coming into the work force was aborted by 25% to 30%.
Well does our psalmist understand the common experience of humanity across the millennia! What are we to really learn from our psalmist today? It is this that we find in verses seven through nine: the collected wealth of any person cannot affect his or her eternal destiny. Look at the harsh revelation in these three verses. To quote a popular proverb: "You" really "can't take it with you"!
Eternal life does not depend upon worldly success. The psalmist clearly points out in verses ten and eleven that every single person who has ever been born, all but two have died. Their wealth remains behind. In truth all of the world's fancy tombs, Egyptian, Chinese, Medieval and Modern house nothing but dust. Even if lands and properties are named in their honor - "man, though in honor, does not remain". Even the modern corporations which are by law designed to remain immortal can falter and fail because they are worldly beings like kingdoms and empires whose ruins clutter all of our history. Once people finally realize these facts, then perhaps we can begin to turn away from this world's vain glory and seek the wisdom given to us in God's revelation history laid out for us in the Scriptures.
In whom do you trust today? In what God do you believe in? Our paper money contains the controversial phrase: "In God we trust". I'm not certain why so many individuals are upset because there is no specification as to what God is in mind. The phrase is generic and far too much of the population worships the green more than any God to whom witness is given. May we in the hearing and singing of this psalm sense the One above all names who not only created the universe, but is revealed as the personal God who gives us knowledge of Himself in word and song so that we may serve Him forever and ever. Amen.
|
|
Resources Used: |
|
|
Johnson, Paul. |
The Birth of the Modern. | |
|
Kidner, Derek. |
Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries: Psalms. | |
|
Spurgeon, C.H. |
The Treasury of David. | |
|
The Holy
Bible, New King James
Version. | ||
|
049a |
02 August 92 & 28 November 99 | |