Book 2: Psalm 42-72 God’s presence going before us
Title: To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.
I. An introductory call to consider wisdom (1-5)
A. The Psalmist calls for all to hear him. (1-2)
B. The Psalmist declares a wise warning. (3-4)
C. The Psalmist stands in confidence. (5)II A solemn instruction to the self-reliant (6-13)
A. The identity of those being warned. (6)
B. It is vain to trust we are right before God. (7-9)
C. This evidence is clearly seen by all. (10)
D. Man is deceived in his prosperity. (11-13)III. A solemn reality to all mankind (14-15)
A. In death, the wicked are without hope. (14)
B. In death, the righteous have hope. (15)IV. The reality of death (16-20)
A. Riches hold no value in death. (16-17)
B. Riches hold fleeting value in life. (18)
C. Only a fool holds value in life’s riches. (19-20)Psalm 49 stands in stark contrast to the previous 3 Psalms. The theme of this Psalm is to call men to set their priorities in life. Jesus reveals the truths of this Psalm in Mark 8:36-37, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
All too often, men place far too much value on the temporal riches of this world. Once again Scripture does not condemn material wealth, only those who value it over the true riches of knowing and serving God.