Chapter 49
Still Book 2, still the Sons of Korah.
This seems to be about devotion and trust in God despite the troubles of the world. This verse:
7 Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, 8 for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, 9 that he should live on forever and never see the pit. [Psa 49:7-9 ESV]
...once to die...and no way out of that. And no man can be good enough to pay us out of this fate. Only Jesus can give eternal life.
11 Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names. 12 Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish. [Psa 49:11-12 ESV]
The transience of man in the world. Reminds me of Ecclesiastes. Nothing we do remains, our wealth accumulates for others, our lands take on new names with the passage of time.
15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah [Psa 49:15 ESV]
In God, we can live on. This is the only solution. So this is saying first that we all must die a physical death. There is no immortality in this body. This one must die, and others will come after us. What we do on this earth is ultimately meaningless. But in God, in Christ in fact, our souls can be ransomed from Sheol, we can be bought out of hell. But only God can do this.
2021 - Both good men and evil men must die, it is the price of sin. Evil men die and have nothing, and their works on earth soon die with them. But good men, godly men, are ransomed from hell not with money but with blood. See vs 15. God himself ransoms us - with His own son - and saves us from hell.
2024 - This is about perspective. We ought not spend much time worrying about the evil rich, the foolish rich, even the stupid rich. With all their money, they too will die, and from the same causes that we do. No amount of money keeps this body from dying. But God can redeem us, and raise us to eternal life. Not because of our money, but because of our faith.