Psalm 49: Have You Ever Seen a Hearse Towing a U-haul?

Psalm 49:10 "...even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others."

We turn our attention this week to the wisdom Psalms. The wisdom Psalms, as you might guess, are the Psalms that are focused on giving its reader a piece of wisdom, that is, a principle in life by which one should live by. These Psalms are often similar to the writings of Proverbs, Job, or Ecclesiastes. This morning, we are going to look at Psalm 49 and understand that its piece of wisdom for us is that we're all going to die.

We're all going to die. That's exaclty what you wanted to hear this morning? Is it not? Perhaps it isn't, but nevertheless, it's what this Psalm is communicating to us this morning. Verse 10 of this Psalm, quoted above, shows us that both the wise man and the fool will perish (that is, physically) and that they cannot take their wealth with them (that is, they "leave their wealth to others"). The realization of the Psalm this morning is this: All of us will perish, and we cannot take any of this world with us. I heard a pastor put it this way once: "You've never seen a hearse towing a U-haul." Surley we cannot take anything with us when we perish from this world.

So, where does that leave us this morning? We all are going to die. That's great. But what does it teach us? First and foremost, as this Psalm tells us, it teaches us that we do not have to fear in times of trouble (see verse 5). Why? Because the very people who will bring that trouble on us are not eternal. Only God is eternal, and the evil man who is triumphing over you will not last forever. Perhaps you are dealing with a fearful situation at work or school. Perhaps the people in that situation are overtaking you and causing you deep despair. Remember, my dear brother and sister in Christ, that those evildoers do not last forever. Does this mean that we should pray for them to die now? By no means! We ought to pray for their salvation. But it does mean that we ought not to be hopeless, because evil will not last forever, only God will. The very enemy that triumphs over us will perish forever if he does not turn to Christ. Therefore, there is no point of dispair. If our enemies turn to Christ, they are no longer our enemies. If they do not turn to Christ, they will perish eternally. Either way, Christ wins, and by your co-heirship with him, you win as well! There is always hope. Praise the Lord.

But what else does that mean for us? There may be great hope in the wicked perishing, but this Psalm tells us that we will perish too. Where's the hope in that? Well, this Psalm tells us that though the wise man (that is, the man who is saved, see Proverbs) may die, God will ransom his soul (verse 15). This is a wonderful Old Testament picture pointing to Christ. Although we deserve death, someone else paid the penalty and provided the means by which God may ransom our very lives. This therefore leaves us great hope, realizing that we will not be in this life forever! Futhermore, it encourages us to not hold on to possessions in this life too tightly, knowing that this place is not our eternal home.

So, how can you be comforted this morning by realizing that hearses don't tow U-hauls? Perhaps it brings you great encouragement this morning that the eternal God is over and above your temporal enemy, whetever that may be. Praise the Lord. Or perhaps it brings you great encouragement knowing that this life isn't your eternal home, and it causes you to take great comfort in the fact that there is a greater life beyond this one after you perish. Or perhaps it allows you to have an eternal perspective, allowing you to endure the overwhelming pressure of an upcoming midterm [or is that just me?]. Nevertheless, be encouraged this morning by the fact that all will perish. For it only means eternal death for our enemy and eternal life for us. Amen.