As believers, we know that this physical world is not our true home, that we are secure in God’s love and protection, and that no force on earth or of Hell can separate us from Him. We know this, of course, and yet… many times we question, doubt, become downcast or even despair; the world is full of things to distract us, sadden us, stress us out, all of which pull our focus away from God and His teachings and works. It’s easy, especially so with everything going on in the world today, to become anxious or afraid, and in the whirlwind of news and dramas and fears and noise, to lose sight of the simple fact that, regardless of circumstance, God is and will always be victorious, and that even when life takes turns we didn’t plan for or would ever want, He has this all in hand. And we can be so thankful, not only for His saving power but also for His grace and understanding of how short-sighted and weak we humans are, that wisdom for such times was placed in scripture: as Psalm 49’s title reminds us, “Why Should I Fear in Times of Trouble?”
The Psalm starts by declaring the message to all peoples of the world, regardless of status or standing: from the very start, this Psalm of encouragement emphasizes that it’s message is so important that it should be preached to every kind of person all over the world. This could be because no matter who, what, or where we are in our walk or on this earth, we’ll all face anxiety and fear and trouble in life. We will all, at some point, be in need of encouragement as we live and work in this fallen world, or a reminder of how God’s power, though unseen, is superior to any other. The Psalmist’s words of wisdom reflect the meditations of his heart and directs us as readers to those same sources: the proverbs, laws, and teachings of God.
So, educated and comforted by these teachings, we readers are then asked in verse five, “Why should I fear in times of trouble” (ESV) when worldly dishonesty and pride seem to be rewarded, or when braggarts extol their material wealth? We know that they cannot be used for any real reward, that no earthly thing can purchase or obtain for us what truly matters: verse seven speaks of this with “Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life” (ESV) because there is no possible price that we can value for our life or soul, nor is there any possible way that we can avoid our eventual death and accounting for the lives we’ve lived. There is no secret knowledge that can change our mortality; all are subject to death, and the things that we may have worked so hard to gain and hoard will not be our own to enjoy, but will pass out of our grasp and on to others. Verse 11 makes this clear, “Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations” (ESV) and shows that even the names we once called things will change with the inevitable march of time. Verse 12 ends the stanza by emphasizing this; that regardless of how proud or powerful we are in this world, none of us will remain, and we all are just as mortal as the animals we in our arrogance look down on.
The Psalmist clearly states that such ideas of our own power or strength are born from foolish overconfidence, but the proud are often affirmed and supported by those people who remain in the world around them; they themselves are either ignorant of, or rebelling against, God’s truth, and are compared to mere sheep, being led not by Christ to everlasting life, but instead by death itself. They are blindly going about their lives in whatever ways seem best to them, progressing only to their own destruction. This is contrasted by those who believe in Christ and have been redeemed by Him, His sacrifice ransomed the believers from captivity of sin and freed them from the second death, to be welcomed by God and received into the new life.
The Psalm continues by reminding us not to be afraid when the world rewards those who are trapped living in it, which we can also read as a warning against having anxiety or frustration when the world supports its own and seems to neglect or even push back against our own efforts, and also a warning to us that we should not covet their successes or become jealous if they are deemed superior- while they may have fame or riches now, it will be temporary and all will fade away. Psalm 49 concludes in verse 19 and 20 by lending the context of time: no matter how well someone seems to be doing on earth, if one is of the world and not in Christ they will die, and “will never again see light” (ESV) - without understanding (and responding to) God’s teachings, they will die like any other beast of the earth, and no amount of gold or glory will change that fact or is even capable of saving them then.
It’s important to clearly state that this should serve as both a warning to those who have not obeyed God’s commands that they should repent and return to Him, as well as a sober reminder for believers that not only were we once in their exact same position, but that many of our fellow man are placing their trust and faith in the wrong things - working towards empty material things that cannot love, teach, or save them. This fact should cause us pain or sadness; we should never selfishly guard access to the love of God that we so greatly enjoy, but live according to His ways so that we can reach out to those who are lost so they can see the source of true salvation and strength. The only way to God is through Jesus Christ, and the only true power on earth to fear in reverence is God - all else is powerless and empty in comparison.