“For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others.”
~ Psalm 49:10
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you like to have choices? Why do you choose the choices that you make? Do you like to make decisions? Why do you make the decisions that you make? Do you base the choices that you choose or decisions that you make on what the costs are of what it is that you want to buy? Do you base the choices that you choose or decisions that you make on what the feasibilities are of what it is that you want to do? Do you base the choices that you choose or decisions that you make on what you know about what it is that you want to pursue? Your grandpaa is hoping that you will seriously wrestle with two different approaches for making the life choices and decisions that you will make. One way that you may choose a choice or make a decision is to let money dictate the choice or decision that you will make. You can choose or decide to have ‘cash cows’ dominate your life choices and/or decisions that you make. Another way that you may choose choices or make decisions is to let knowledge dictate the choices that you choose and/or decisions that you make. You can let practicing ‘open ears’ dominate the life choices that you choose and decisions that you make. Would you rather have your pockets be always filled with money or would your rather have your minds be always filled with knowledge? Would you rather be guaranteed of being able to placate your self-indulging worldly ego or would you rather be guaranteed of being able to please God? Would you rather be assured of having plenty of food to eat three times a day or would you rather be assured of having an eternal home that is ready for you to go to at the end of your last day of living on planet Earth? Do you think that you are on planet Earth to esteem yourself or do you think that you have been put on planet Earth by God – as God the Father, to glory in Him? Do you think that you can do both self-appeasing and self-sacrificing?
The author of Psalm 49 has a name for guys, gals and kids who think that having a lot of money is what will guarantee them having a happy and hope filled life. Rich fools are what this song psalm writer refers to guys, gals and kids who rely on accumulating wealth as their security for procuring an endless life on planet Earth. This song psalm writer emphatically reminds every guy and gal who is reading his psalm song that they are going to die just as every animal will sooner or later die. This song psalm writer reminds the poor who are listening to his psalm song be sung by the temple choir as they are singing it in a temple – probably a postexilic temple and temple choir, that no matter how much wealth a guy or gal accrues that death is the fate for all guys, gals and kids. This means that death is inescapable. Why do you think that guys and gals sometimes amass and hoard millions and millions of dollars? A news items yesterday was a report that the accrued personal wealth of Russia’s President – who is Vladimir Putin, is somewhere around forty billion dollars. Ask your dad if he would like to have forty billion dollars. What would you do with forty billion dollars? Do you feel jealous that Russia’s President has more money than your dad has? Your grandpaa wonders how many Russian guys and gals have only enough money to be able to buy one meal a day for themselves and for their kids. To pursue wealth in order to be seen as being a rich guy or gal to your grandpaa is a horribly misguided pursuit. The psalm song author makes in clear in verse 10 “For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others.” the folly of pursuing wealth. Your grandpaa sometimes wonders what it would be like if a guy and/or gal left him and your grandmaa a lot of money. Your grandpaa sometimes does wonder what it would be like if he could decide each day between going fishing, making trips, reading books and . . . or anything else that your grandpaa really likes to do. What do you think would happen if your grandpaa made serving other guys and gals the same kind of priority that God has for helping your grandpaa?
What would you like the memories of you to be after you die? Would you like to know that you have had a street named after you? Would you like to know that there is a nice sounding epitaph engraved on your tombstone? Would you like to know that your kids when they ended up with the assets that you spent your lifetime stockpiling are wisely using their inheritance that you left them? What do you think a guy, gal or kid can do while he or she is lying entombed in a casket? Do you value the praise gifts that you get from your dad, ma, grandpaa, grandmaa, teachers, friends, . . . do praise gifts have the ability to save you from dying one day? This psalm song writer knew that there was only one way to escape death and that is to have God redeem him from his sins. This psalm song writer lived in hope because he had chosen the choice or made the decision to listen to and faithfully heed the voice of God – as God the Father, telling him that mounted up assets could not be trusted in to give him eternal hope. This psalm song writer lived in hope because he had chosen the choice or made the decision to listen to and faithfully heed God – as God the Father, telling him to claim hope as a gift – that he could trust in God to give him eternal life. You are just a few days away from again celebrating the day that has been assigned to Jesus Christ’s humble birth in a dark, dirty, dank grotto outside the town of Bethlehem that was used to stable sheep, cows and donkeys. Even though Jesus’ birth was set in appalling, humble surroundings, Jesus’ birth, life and death forever radically changed history. The choice or decision that you have – which you cannot escape from having to choose or make, is to either claim Jesus’ sacrificial death sufficient for you or that living self-reliant lives on planet Earth is sufficient for you.
Psalm 49 (877)