Roadkill

All right, well this morning we come to our last psalm in our summer series through the psalms.

It's hard to believe already that summer's gone and we're heading into September here,

but we are looking at Psalm 49 today.

So if you have your Bible with you, you can open it up to Psalm 49.

And instead of reading it all through at the beginning here,

I'm going to kind of read through it bit by bit as we go.

So Psalm 49, let me just pray and then we'll jump in.

Father in heaven, thank you for your word.

Thank you for the power that is in your word.

And we ask that you would give us ears to hear in these moments.

We ask that you would speak directly to our hearts.

That you would convict us, that you would encourage us,

that you would reveal your truth to us,

and that we would be changed forever because of what we hear.

in your word.

We ask this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

So as you can see from the superscription at the top of the psalm,

it says,

For the director of music of the sons of Korah.

A psalm.

So this was written by the sons of Korah.

Korah was a descendant of Levi.

Levi was one of the 12 sons of Israel.

And way down the line,

some of Korah's descendants were installed by King David

as musical worship leaders at the tabernacle

and later at the temple.

This is all about a thousand years before Christ came.

And one of these guys,

or maybe one or two of them,

wrote this psalm

and gave it to the director of music.

So this was actually sung at the tabernacle

and probably later at the temple.

And if we look at verse 4 there on the screen,

we see that the writer was a harpist.

The actual word is lyre,

so you can imagine that little U-shaped harp

that you can almost hold in your lap.

That was the instrumentation of this song.

So as we work through this,

keep that in mind,

that this is music,

this is song lyrics all the way through.

The opening lyrics of this song

invite us to listen.

Verses 1 to 4.

Hear this, all you peoples.

Listen, all who live in this world,

both low and high,

rich and poor alike.

My mouth will speak words of wisdom.

The meditation of my heart

will give you understanding.

I will turn my ear to a proverb.

With the harp,

I will expound my riddle.

So the first thing that the songwriter does

is he asks for our attention.

He says,

Hear this.

Listen.

Give me your ear for a moment.

Now who is his intended audience?

Who is he talking to?

Who is this song for?

Hear this, all you peoples.

Listen.

All who live in this world,

both low and high,

rich and poor alike.

So right out of the gate,

he lets us know that this song is for everyone.

All peoples.

All who live in this world.

That's as broad as it gets.

Doesn't matter whether you're upper class,

famous,

influential,

popular,

or whether you're lower class.

Doesn't matter whether you're rich,

or you're well-to-do,

you've got the means,

or whether you're poor,

or whether you're struggling,

trying to get by.

This song is for you.

So this is how he starts.

Listen up, everybody.

This song is for you.

No matter who you are,

give me your ear for a moment.

Verse three,

I have some wisdom to speak to you.

There's something I've been meditating on in my heart.

And with this song,

I'd like to give you that same understanding.

I'd like to share that wisdom with you

so that you can be wise.

So we get a bit of a clue

about the kind of song that this is.

Even though it's going to be sung at the tabernacle,

it's not a song of praise.

It's not even addressed to God.

It's not a prayer.

This is a wisdom song.

And the purpose of it is to impart God's wisdom

to the hearer,

to make us wise.

If we look at verse four there,

we see that this is almost like Proverbs set to music.

It's the clever sayings of the wise

explained, revealed with an instrument.

So this is how the song begins.

He begins by asking for our attention

and offering words of wisdom.

And then immediately following this,

he introduces the main theme of the song.

He puts the theme in the form of a rhetorical question

in verses five and six.

Why should I fear when evil days come?

When wicked deceivers surround me,

those who trust in their wealth

and boast of their great riches.

So this song has one big question

and this is it.

And it's the big question

because it's the only question in the whole song.

It's the main question.

Everything that follows is the answer

to this question.

And it's a big question.

I mean, it's a long question.

It's got lots of phrases and parts to it.

But if we boil it down and simplify it,

the question is,

why should I fear when evil days come?

And then these lines which follow

kind of explain more about that.

What is it that makes these days evil?

And he puts words to this.

These are days when wicked deceivers surround me.

In particular,

those who trust in their wealth.

These are wealthy wicked deceivers.

They're people who are boasting

of their great riches.

So there's a lot here.

Notice that word surround.

All around me.

And the temptation

is to fear.

To be afraid.

To be anxious.

To be worried.

Because these are men of great power.

They're wealthy.

And with their wealth,

they're not known

for giving that money to charity.

And doing nice things

to help people in need.

They're known for their deceitfulness.

And their cruelty.

This was written in troubling days.

If you've been reading

through the Old Testament,

I'm not sure if you've got

to that point yet.

Hopefully.

In your Bible reading this year.

The book of Judges.

It was a time of great trouble

in the history of Israel.

There was war.

There was lawlessness.

There was tribalism.

There were enemy kings

and nations

and raiders

and armies.

And finally,

Israel did get their own king.

But then things didn't go

all too well with him.

There was more wars.

There was more battles.

There was corruption.

There was oppression.

Those things were normal.

Finally,

they did put King David

on the throne of Judah.

But even after that,

there was still a lot of turmoil

in those early years

of David's reign.

And so,

this is how things have been

for people

leading up to this song

being written.

Even within the land of Israel,

amongst ethnically related peoples,

there hasn't been stability.

There often hasn't been justice.

The strong and the wealthy

and the powerful

often trampled the weak

and the poor.

And so,

we have to know

that this question

in verse 5

probably struck a chord

in the hearts of the people

in these days.

They knew

what it was like

to live with fear

and anxiety,

with insecurity.

They'd seen some evil days,

either witnessed it

or some of them

even been victims.

The wealthy

and the powerful,

they were those people

who bullied,

who oppressed,

who stole,

and often there was no justice

and nobody

to stand up

to those guys.

So there's a sense

in which this question

may feel a little bit

far away

to us today,

a little bit irrelevant

because,

if we're honest,

we all enjoy

a good measure

of peace and safety

here in these days,

in this place.

We don't feel

imminently threatened

by the wicked

or by wealthy people

all around us.

But, you know,

as I thought about

this some more,

I realized

that maybe this is

a little more relevant

after all.

I mean,

it was just a couple

years back

when I watched

as the temperature,

even here in our own church,

changed

as we endured

the whole COVID thing.

Fear rose

in many of our hearts.

Anxiety,

stress.

We all struggled

as we talked

to different people

and heard different

things in the news

and online

and we struggled

to know

who's telling the truth

and who are those people

who are trying

to deceive us.

Many became

increasingly dissatisfied

with leaders

and politicians

in government

and rightly so

because we hear

about all kinds

of corruption.

We hear about

scandals.

We hear about lies.

We hear about

promises

that are not

being kept

and we know

that many in power

in our own country

are the wealthy.

We know

that they're

manipulating

and maneuvering

oftentimes

behind the scenes.

Now,

COVID is over.

At least,

that's my opinion.

But still today,

we're seeing

the prices of gas

and food

and groceries

increasing.

Then we look over

and we see others

around us

who somehow

are able to afford

a brand new car

or holiday trailer

or house

or whatever,

go on an expensive

vacation.

So are we immune

to this fear

that evil days

have come?

I don't think so.

Are we tempted

to fret

as we watch

some around us

prospering,

getting things easy

while we struggle

to pay the bills?

I think so.

This is the amazing

thing here.

He raises

all of this

with a question

but it's a rhetorical

question.

He's not asking it

because he doesn't

know the answer.

He does know

the answer.

He's actually

making a statement

like,

why should I fear

when evil days come?

When wicked deceivers

surround me,

those who trust

in their wealth

and boast

of their great riches.

It's a statement.

I'm not going

to fear

in evil days.

I'm not going

to worry

about the wicked

or what they

might do to me.

I'm not going

to envy the rich.

Those who take

such confidence

in their wealth

or boast

in their possessions,

their investment

holdings,

their bank accounts.

And why not?

Well, the rest

of the psalm

is the answer.

It's the reasons

and we're going

to look at

two main reasons.

We'll see

two main reasons

come out.

And the first one

we'll just lay it

out right up front

and then we'll see it.

I'm not going

to fear

in evil days

when the wicked,

when the wealthy

surround me,

when they're prospering.

And his answer

is basically this

because they're

all going to die

and lose everything.

They will get

what they deserve

and no amount

of wealth

will keep them

from that.

Let's see this

starting in verse 7.

He says,

he asked the question,

why should I fear

when evil days come?

No one,

verse 7,

can redeem

the life of another

or give a ransom

to God

for them.

The ransom

for a life

is costly.

No payment

is ever enough

so that they should

live on forever

and not see

decay.

So there's a great

leveler,

he says,

that's coming

for all of us

and that's death.

And no amount

of money,

no amount

of possessions,

no amount

of health care

coverage

can change the fact

that someday

you will die.

and in these verses

he makes it quite clear,

it doesn't matter

how much money

you have,

it's not enough.

You can't buy

an unending life

from God.

You can't stave off

death forever.

Death came to humanity

as a punishment

from God

for sin

and you can't

pay your own ransom

or the ransom

of another

to God

so that he's going

to somehow

grant you

to live forever.

Both low and high,

rich and poor

alike,

we all die

and our bodies

see decay.

They come to rot

in the ground.

Verse 10,

for all can see

that the wise

die,

that the foolish

and the senseless

also perish,

leaving their wealth

to others.

Money can do

a lot of good things

but there's one thing

that it cannot do.

It cannot keep us

from the punishment

that we all deserve

for our sins.

Sooner or later,

one way or another,

death will have

all of us

whether you are

a wise person

or a fool.

And on that day,

he says,

all the wealth

you have

will be left

for another.

Verse 11,

their tombs

will remain

their houses

forever.

Their dwellings

for endless generations

though they had

named lands

after themselves.

Now there's a bit

of a translation

variance here

depending on what

translation in English

you have.

It'll read a little

differently but in

either case,

it's about

the permanence

and finality

of death

despite the pride

and the presumption

of the wicked.

Even though they

lived in houses,

strong,

established dwelling

places that they

thought would last

forever.

They even named

land after

themselves,

laying claim to it.

This is my

territory.

Yet it's the tomb

over in the hillside

that will be their

house,

their dwelling

place forever.

as it says

in verse 12,

people

despite

their wealth

do not

endure.

They are like

the beasts

that perish.

Again,

the main point

here,

death

is inevitable.

It's coming.

It's coming

for you.

One way

or another,

sooner

or later,

wise or

foolish,

it doesn't

matter.

It doesn't

matter how

much money

you have,

doesn't matter

how many

possessions

you have

or what

quality they

are,

doesn't matter

how sturdily

you built

your house

or what

kind of

renovations

you did

to it,

none of

these things

will stop

your day

from coming.

Your net

worth,

the minute

after you

die,

will be the

same as

everybody

else's

net worth

the minute

after they

die.

That thing

you bought

or built

might have

been built

to last,

but what

does that

matter if

you aren't

here to

make use

of it?

It's going

to be

someone else's

soon.

People,

despite their

wealth,

do not

endure.

They are

like the

beasts that

perish.

How many

of you have

seen something

like this

in your

travels this

summer so

far?

After about

almost 5,000

kilometers to

Indianapolis

and back,

I saw quite

a lot of

roadkill

on the

side of

the road.

Got

thinking about

that.

The beasts

that perish,

that roadkill

on the side

of the road,

that's what

things will be

like for

you and

for me.

Soon

enough.

Now,

of course,

with roadkill,

the end of

that animal's

life was

sudden and

violent,

but regardless,

death was

coming for

that critter

at some

point.

We all

know that.

Animals

don't live

forever,

and the

truth is

that he's

saying here,

neither do

we.

We are

like them

in that

regard.

We,

too,

will

perish.

Our time

will come.

Verse

13,

this is the

fate of

those who

trust in

themselves,

and of

their followers

who approve

their sayings.

They are

like sheep

and are

destined to

die.

Death

will be

their

shepherd.

Their

forms will

decay in

the grave,

far from

their

princely

mansions.

That

contrasts

in verse

14 is

pretty

powerful.

Their

forms will

decay in

the grave,

far from

their

princely

mansions.

Think about

your house,

all that

you've put

into it,

but that's

not where

you will

end up.

You'll

end up

about a

mile west

of town

in the

Davidson

Cemetery,

unless,

of course,

you have

another

cemetery

picked out.

and there

he says,

your body

will

decay.

Far

from

your

house.

Again,

the point

that he's

making,

I'm not

going to

fear in

evil days

when the

wicked,

when the

wealthy

surround me,

when they

prosper,

because they're

all going

to die.

We're all

going to

die and

lose

everything,

and they

will get

what they

deserve,

and no

amount of

wealth

will keep

them from

it.

And there's

a lesson

here,

verse 16.

He says,

do not

be overawed

when others

grow rich,

when the

splendor of

their houses

increase.

That word

overawed is

maybe a little

bit misleading.

It almost

sounds like,

whoa,

but really

it means to

be greatly

afraid,

or overly

concerned,

or worried,

and it

just ties

right back

in with

the big

question.

Why should

I fear?

He says,

don't worry

about them.

Don't fear.

Don't get

bent out of

shape when

the wicked

around grow

rich,

when the

world prospers.

Why not?

Because,

verse 17,

for they

will take

nothing with

them when

they die.

Their

splendor

will not

descend

with

them.

Though

while they

live,

they count

themselves

blessed,

and people

praise you

when you

prosper,

they will

join those

who have

gone before

them,

who will

never again

see the

light of

life.

Again,

don't worry.

Don't be

overly concerned

in evil

days as the

wicked seem

to get

their way,

as they

prosper,

because they're

all going

to die

and lose

everything.

They'll get

what they

deserve,

which here

is described

as never

again see

the light

of life.

Think about

that.

That's eternal

darkness,

eternal

death.

They will

never again

see the

light of

life.

life.

Maybe you've

heard it

said,

there's no

U-Haul

behind the

hearse.

I think

Billy Graham

was known

for saying

that.

Apparently

Denzel

Washington

was too.

And how

this picture

came to be,

I have no

idea.

Maybe somebody

thought they'd

just do it

for a joke.

But I like

that saying,

there's no

U-Haul

behind the

hearse.

You can't

take your

possessions

with you

when you

die.

You can't

take your

money with

you.

Death

separates

you

permanently

from all

your stuff.

You leave

it all

behind.

And so

again,

he charges

us,

don't worry,

don't get

bent out of

shape.

When you

see other

people getting

ahead,

prospering,

getting rich,

getting into

those positions

of power and

influence all

around you,

they won't

have those

things for

long.

They're going

to lose it

all.

And he

ends in

verse 20

with a

similar

statement to

that in

verse 12.

People who

have wealth

but lack

understanding

are like

the beasts

that perish.

It's hard

to imagine

that as kind

of the

clincher

phrase of

the song.

Like the

beasts that

perish,

you know.

Just not a

pleasant feeling.

But this is

a wisdom

psalm.

And his

first answer

to this

big question,

don't worry.

Don't worry

when evil

days come.

The people

that make

those days

evil,

they're going

to lose

it all

when they

die.

And they

will get

what they

deserve.

And their

money can't

save them

from that.

Their

positions,

their power

can't save

them from

that.

What's the

big issue

here with

these people?

people.

It is a

problem that

they are

wicked.

It is a

problem that

they're deceitful.

It is a

problem in

verse 11 that

they're proud.

But probably

all of those

things are more

symptoms of a

deeper problem.

I think verse

6 highlights

what their

problem is.

They are

those who

trust in

their wealth.

They are

those who

boast of

their great

riches.

Money is

the thing

that they

put their

hope in.

Their

stuff.

Their

bank

accounts,

their cars,

their houses,

their properties.

Verse

16.

Beautifying

their houses,

making the

splendor of

their house

increase.

We're

talking

expensive

renovations,

luxurious

things,

fine

furniture.

lavish

comforts.

These are

the things

that matter

most to

these people.

And it's

not just

that they

trust in

it,

but they

boast in

it.

They love

it.

They celebrate

it.

And when

the days

become evil,

they look

at what

they have

as their

security,

their

protection.

In

verse 13,

they are

further

described as

those who

trust in

themselves.

They

foolishly put

confidence in

what they have

achieved for

themselves.

But according

to the

songwriter,

their confidence

is terribly

misplaced.

It's utterly

short-sighted.

Their confidence

is based on a

lie.

This lie

that they will

live on forever.

That they will

never face a

trouble that

their money

can't fix.

And so they

are fools.

they are

those who

lack

understanding.

In verse

20.

So I found

a question in

here that I

thought I'd

just ask this

morning.

As you think

about some of

these things that

we're hearing in

this psalm,

what would you

say is the

greater danger

for you

personally?

Is it being

overly concerned

about others

prospering all

around us?

Or is it

falling for the

same lie that

they do?

What's the

greater temptation

for you?

The greater

problem?

Is it being

overly concerned,

fearful,

worried about

those around us

who are prospering,

who are getting

ahead, who are

jockeying, who

are doing things

that are not

good?

Or is the

greater temptation

for you falling

for that same

lie that they

do?

I can get

that.

I'll be happy.

Then I'll

really have

life.

We've already

looked at the

answer, number

one, to this

big question.

But there's a

secondary answer

nestled within

this.

If this is

how it goes

at the end

of our lives,

then we

should also

know that we

shouldn't be

among those

who desire

wealth like

they do.

We shouldn't

be among those

who trust in

it, who look

to money and

stuff and

houses for

fulfillment.

their forms

will decay in

the grave, far

from their

princely

mansions.

But, verse

15, some

of you have

been waiting,

where's the

good news in

this?

But, here

it is, verse

15, God will

redeem me from

the realm of

the dead.

God, he

will surely

take me to

himself.

So, there is

hope.

There is an

alternative to

putting your

trust in wealth,

in your stuff,

in your

possessions.

You can put

your hope in

God.

You can put

your trust in

him.

And, here in

verse 15, the

singer tells us

that his

confidence is

that his fate is

going to be

totally different

from those who

trust in

themselves.

God will

redeem me from

the realm of

the dead.

He will

surely take me

to himself.

So, death is

still coming.

He's still

going to the

realm of the

dead.

He knows

this.

But, there's

a hope beyond

that.

Because, God

will redeem me.

He will buy me

back from

death.

This word

takes us back

to verse 7.

No one can

redeem the life

of another so

that they should

live on forever

and not see

decay.

But, wait.

There is

someone who

can pay

death's ransom.

There is

one who has

enough to

redeem us,

to ransom

us from the

eternal clutches

of death.

God will

redeem me.

Quite

literally.

God will

redeem my

soul, my

life, from

the hand

of Sheol.

Sheol.

Now, Sheol

was that

ancient Hebrew

proper name

for the

realm of

the dead.

And, here,

Sheol is

personified as

if it was

like a

powerful being

who's got

his hand

outstretched

to receive

you when

you die.

And, so,

it's beautiful

how he

phrases this.

God is

going to

pay the

ransom

to set me

free from

the grip

of death.

He's going

to receive

me.

Death's hand

is not

going to

receive me.

He's going

to receive

me.

He's going

to take

me to

himself.

So, the

psalmist has

this beautiful

confidence and

hope in God

that even

though he

will die,

just like

everybody else,

God is

able to

rescue him

from that.

Do you

hear this

contrast in

verses 14

and 15?

Their forms

will decay

in the grave

far from

their princely

mansions,

but God

will redeem

me from

the realm

of the

dead.

So, you

look at those

people over

in the

cemetery

there.

Because I

trust in

the Lord,

my fate

will not

be the

same as

theirs,

is what

he's saying.

The ultimate

end of my

life, my

story, will

not be that

my body

just rotted

away in

the grave.

I may go

into that

grave, but

I'm coming

out of it

because God

will ransom

me from

the hand

of Sheol

and receive

me to

himself.

We skipped

over a part

of verse 14

here in

parentheses.

He said,

they are like

sheep and are

destined to

die.

Death will

be their

shepherd, but

the upright

will prevail

over them

in the

morning.

I love

this statement.

So here's

the second

answer to

this big

question.

Why shouldn't

I fear when

evil days

come, when

the wicked

prosper all

around me?

Because we

who are

upright and

trust in

God will

prevail over

the wicked

in the

end.

This is

the long

view.

This is

the truth

of what's

coming.

In other

words, God

may allow

evil days

to come

here on

earth.

He may

allow wicked

deceivers to

afflict his

people, but

it's just

momentary for

a short

time, like

the darkness

of night.

But dawn is

coming.

Morning is

coming.

A new day

is coming for

this world.

And when it

comes, the

righteous, the

upright, those

who trust in

the Lord, they

will prevail over

the wicked.

I love that

language.

It speaks of

triumph.

It assures us

that no matter

what people do

here on this

earth, we

need not be

worried.

We don't need

to fret.

We don't need

to be anxious

or fearful

because in the

long scheme

of things,

justice is

coming.

And the

tables will be

turned.

That great

leveler, death

is coming.

for all of

us.

And at the

end, when the

sun rises, when

Jesus Christ

returns in

glory, God

will vindicate

his people.

He'll put us

on the

victor's throne.

So this song,

I mean, it

really drives us

to this most

important question.

Have you put

your trust

in the Lord?

Lord, is your

hope in him?

Is he your

treasure?

Are you

depending on

him?

Is he the one

that you're

living for?

A thousand

years later,

God sent his

son, Jesus.

And Jesus,

amazingly, not

really surprisingly,

preached the

same message.

on one

occasion, Mark

8, 36, he

asked this

question, what

good is it for

someone to gain

the whole world

yet forfeit

their soul?

Same kind of

idea in this

psalm.

He went on and

asked a follow-up

question.

What can anyone

give in exchange

for their soul?

Answer,

nothing.

No payment is

enough.

It's the same

message.

He said, do

not work for

food that

spoils, but

for food that

endures to

eternal life,

which the

Son of Man

will give

you.

One of my

favorite sayings

of Jesus to

Mary, I am

the resurrection

and the life,

he said.

The one who

believes in me

will live,

even though

they die,

and whoever

lives by

believing in

me will

never die.

He preached

the same

message.

As God in

the flesh, he

called people to

trust in him

and in the

Father.

He promised

eternal life,

resurrection,

raising him up

at the last

day, and then

he went on to

pay the ransom

for us that

God's penalty

of death

required.

He died on

the cross

to redeem

us, to

buy us back

for God.

He came

not to be

served, but

to serve and

to give his

life as a

ransom for

many.

Three days

after he

died, God

gave us the

ultimate sign

that the hope

of this songwriter

here in verse

15 was well

placed.

God raised

Jesus back

to life

from the

dead, and

his promise

is that he

will do the

same for

all who

trust in

the Lord,

who trust

in him.

Have you

put your

trust in

him?

It's the

most important

decision of

life.

There are

only two

fates to be

had.

Which do

you choose?

Once we've

got that

straight, and

I'll end

with this,

there are two

questions that

this song

leads us

to, and

I just

want to

leave these

with you

to think

about through

the week.

The first

question is

this, have

I got my

priorities

straight?

Have I

got my

priorities

straight?

Oh, this

song hits

us there about

this.

And two, am

I fretting

needlessly

about others?

We may

need to

confess some

things to

God today

or this

week, and

to repent.

We may need

to come back

to the

priorities that

he has for

us.

We may

need to

find the

peace that

he has for

us, for

our hearts

today.

Let's pray.

Let's

pray.

Father in

heaven, thank

you for this

sober reminder

that you've

given us in

this song, that

our lives are

short, and

that we can

waste our

lives going

after things

that we will

lose.

And I pray

that you would

do that work in

our hearts, that

you would put

that wisdom

inside of us,

convict us of

our sins, Lord,

set our priorities

straight.

Forgive us for

those times,

those moments

where we have

chased after the

stuff of this

world.

We ask for

that peace, that

security that

cannot be shaken

by anything.

Put our eyes

on Jesus and

on the life

that he gives.

We ask in his

name.

Amen.

Amen.