Lesson #07part2

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RETURN TO LIST OF LESSONS

PSALMS 49
LESSON #07/P2
INEQUALITIES EQUALIZED

• MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 49:15

• REMEMBER WE ARE IN THE SECOND SECTION OF THE PSALMS CALLED “EXODUS”. WE CAN RELATE THIS PSALM TO THE BOOK OF EXODUS WHERE THE ISRAELITES WERE POOR SLAVES IN EGYPT SURROUNDED BY WEALTHY EGYPTIANS. THE ISRAELITES LONGED FOR REDEMPTION AND AN EQUALIZING EFFECT AMONG MEN.

• PRIMARY INTERPRETATION:
• READ PSA 49:1-6 THE BIG QUESTION: MAN’S INEQUITIES
  • THE AUTHOR OF THIS PSALM BEGINS BY ANNOUNCING SOME GREAT WISDOM THAT IS COMING OUR WAY. (1,3)
    • WHAT WISDOM DOES THE PSALMIST SAY HE IS GIVING US IN THIS PSALM?
      • THIS WISDOM HAS TO DO WITH THE RICH AND THE POOR. THERE IS ONE BIG QUESTION THAT ALWAYS BOTHERS PEOPLE FOR WHICH THEY HAVE NO ANSWER. THE QUESTION USUALLY TAKES 2 FORMS:
        • =1= WHY ARE SOME PEOPLE SO OVERWHELMINGLY WEALTHY AND OTHERS ARE SO OVERWHELMINGLY POOR?
        • =2= WHAT IS IT ABOUT THAT QUESTION THAT MAKES ME SO OVERLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RICH AND THE POOR?
          • TO ANSWER THIS LAST QUESTION FIRST: PEOPLE ARE OVERLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE VAST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RICH AND THE POOR BECAUSE THEY SEE THE INEQUALITY OF WEALTH AS ONE OF LIFE’S ASPECTS THAT IS SO TOTALLY UNFAIR.
            • HOWEVER, GOD NEVER PROMISES US A FAIR DEAL IN LIFE.
            • AND WE OFTEN FORGET THAT GOD IS NOT CONCERNED ABOUT OUR “CREATURE COMFORTS”.
          • PEOPLE ARE OVERLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE IN RICH AND POOR BECAUSE OFTEN THEY SEE THEMSELVES AS POOR AND WONDER WHY THEY CAN’T HAVE WHAT OTHERS HAVE….TO PUT IT BLUNTLY, IT IS THEIR GREED THAT GETS IN THE WAY.
            • WHETHER RICH OR POOR OR IN BETWEEN, THE CHRISTIAN SHOULD DEVELOP PAUL’S ATTITUDE.
              • READ PHI 4:11-13
          • THE AUTHOR OF THIS PSALM WAS OVERLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RICH AND THE POOR.
            • HE SAYS HE MEDITATED LONG OVER THIS INEQUALITY OF LIFE IN HIS HEART (3)
            • HE SAYS HE LISTENED TO PEOPLE’S TEACHINGS AND SAYINGS ABOUT THE SUBJECT. (4)
            • HE SAYS HE EVEN WROTE A SONG ABOUT THE DEEP NATURE OF THE SUBJECT. (4)
              • THE PHRASE, “DARK SAYINGS” DOES NOT MEAN EVIL SAYINGS. IT MEANS DEEP AND PROFOUND SAYINGS LIKE A RIDDLE, THAT TAKE A LOT OF THOUGHT TO FIGURE THEM OUT.
      • THE AUTHOR’S MEDITATION LEADS HIM TO A CONCLUSION IN VERSE 5. HE ASKS HIMSELF, “WHY SHOULD HE FEAR IN THESE EVIL DAYS WHEN SIN IS ALL AROUND HIM?”
        • IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT BOTHERS THE PSALMIST THE MOST IS NOT SO MUCH THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE RICH AND OTHERS ARE POOR, BUT THAT MANY OF THE RICH PEOPLE ARE EVIL, WHILE MANY OF THE POOR ARE BELIEVERS IN GOD.
          • THE EVIL RICH “TRUST IN THEIR RICHES AND BOAST THEMSELVES”. (6)
            • CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EVIL RICH ARE GODLESS, EGOTISTIC, SELF-PROMOTING, AND SELF-ABSORBED.
          • THE CONSEQUENCES OF VERY WEALTHY EVIL PEOPLE IS THAT THEY USE THEIR WEALTH TO PROMOTE THEIR SIN AND EVIL.

• READ PSA 49:7-12 GOD’S EQUALITIES
  • IN WHAT SPECIFIC WAYS ARE THE POOR AND THE RICH EQUAL BEFORE GOD? (7-10)
    • NO PERSON, WHETHER POOR OR RICH, CAN BUY REDEMPTION EITHER FOR HIMSELF OR FOR ANOTHER PERSON. (7)
      • TO GOD, THE SOUL OF MAN IS THE MOST VALUABLE THING ON EARTH.
        • READ MAT 16:26-27
          • THERE IS NOT ENOUGH MONEY IN THIS WORLD TO PURCHASE REDEMPTION FOR EVEN ONE PERSON’S SOUL.
            • GOD IS THE ONLY ONE WEALTHY ENOUGH TO PURCHASE REDEMPTION, AND HE DID IT WITH THE BLOOD OF HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST. HE PAID THE PRICE OF REDEMPTION ON THE CROSS.
              • BECAUSE GOD LOVES US, HE FREELY GIVES THE PRECIOUS GIFT OF REDEMPTION TO ANYONE WHO WILL BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST AS HIS PERSONAL SAVIOR.
    • RICH OR POOR, EVERYONE IS SCHEDULED FOR DEATH (UNLESS THE RAPTURE OCCURS BEFORE YOU DIE!). (10) DEATH IS THE GREAT EQUALIZER.
      • WHETHER RICH OR POOR, WE ALL DIE THE SAME:
        • WE ALL DIE PHYSICALLY ALONE. NO OTHER PERSON CAN GO THROUGH IT WITH YOU.
      • WHETHER RICH OR POOR, WE ALL LEAVE EVERYTHING BEHIND. WE TAKE NO MATERIAL POSSESSION WITH US. (10-11)
      • WHETHER RICH OR POOR, ALL OUR MATERIAL POSSESSIONS ARE LEFT FOR OTHERS. (10)
      • WHETHER RICH OR POOR, ALL MORTAL BODIES END IN THE GRAVE. (14)
      • WHETHER RICH OR POOR, ALL MORTAL BODIES DISINTEGRATE TO DUST JUST LIKE THE BODIES OF ANIMALS. (12)

• READ PSA 49:13-15 THE END RESULT
  • “SELAH” (13)
    • THE WISDOM WE SHOULD STOP AND THINK ABOUT IS THIS:
      • THE WEALTHY PEOPLE MAY BE RICH, BUT THEY ARE VERY FOOLISH BECAUSE THEY PUT THEIR WHOLE CONFIDENCE IN TEMPORAL POSSESSIONS AND MONEY WHICH BUY YOU NOTHING AFTER DEATH. AND THE STRANGE THING ABOUT IT IS THAT GENERATION AFTER GENERATION NEVER LEARNS THIS WISDOM.
        • “LIKE SHEEP THEY ARE LAID IN THE GRAVE…” (14)
          • THE VISUAL PICTURE HERE IS A HERD OF SHEEP THAT REPRESENT GENERATION AFTER GENERATION BLINDLY FOLLOWING EACH OTHER AS THEY FALL INTO THE SAME PIT OF DEATH.
  • THE END RESULT FOR THE WICKED IS THE GRAVE: (14)
    • THIS PSALM DOES NOT TALK ABOUT THE FINAL JUDGMENT FOR THE NON-BELIEVING EVIL RICH. (REV 20:11-15) IT ONLY REFERS TO THE GRAVE.
    • “…DEATH SHALL FEED ON THEM…” (14)
      • THE PRIDE AND GLORY OF THE EVIL RICH WILL BE CONSUMED IN THE GRAVE.
      • THE DEATH PROCESS WILL DESTROY THE MORTAL BODY OF THE EVIL RICH ON WHICH THEY LAVISHED THEIR WORLDLY PLEASURES. (14)
      • THE GRAVE WILL END THE REIGN OF POWER AND PRESTIGE OF THE EVIL RICH, BECAUSE OTHERS WILL QUICKLY TAKE THEIR PLACE. (14)
  • THE END RESULT OF THE RIGHTEOUS POOR (15)
    • “SELAH”
      • IT’S WORTH IT TO STOP AND THINK ABOUT THIS, AND THEN REJOICE OVER IT:
        • “GOD WILL REDEEM MY SOUL FROM THE POWER OF THE GRAVE, FOR HE SHALL RECEIVE ME.” (15)
          • GOD’S PRECIOUS, FREE GIFT OF REDEMPTION IS MINE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. JESUS CHRIST PAID THE PRICE FOR MY SINS.
          • BECAUSE I HAVE JESUS CHRIST LIVING INSIDE OF ME AS A BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER, THE INDWELLING PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL RAISE ME FROM THE DEAD JUST AS HE RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD.
            • READ ROM 8:11
          • GOD WILL RECEIVE ME INTO HIS ETERNAL PRESENCE BECAUSE I AM ACCEPTABLE TO GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
            • READ 1JOH 3:1-2
  • READ LUK 16: 19-31
    • DISCUSSION: HOW DO YOU THINK JESUS’ STORY RELATES TO THIS PSALM?

• READ PSA 49:16-20 THE ANSWER TO THE BIG QUESTION
  • REMEMBER OUR BIG QUESTION THAT BEGAN OUR LESSON?
    • WHY ARE SOME PEOPLE SO OVERWHELMINGLY WEALTHY AND OTHERS ARE SO OVERWHELMINGLY POOR?
      • THE ANSWER TO THE BIG QUESTION THAT BOTHERS SO MANY PEOPLE IS THAT THIS IS THE WRONG QUESTION.
        • THE PSALMIST TELLS US NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT, WHY?
          • =1= BECAUSE WE SEE ONLY A SMALL SLICE OF THE BIG PICTURE.
          • =2= BECAUSE GOD WILL EQUALIZE EVERYTHING IN THE END.(17,19)
          • =3= BECAUSE IT IS BETTER TO JUDGE YOURSELF RATHER THAN OTHERS.(18)
            • IT IS BETTER TO PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR OWN LIFE VALUES AND WORK ON THEM.
        • THE PSALMIST TELLS US THAT IT IS BETTER TO GAIN THE WISDOM IN THIS PSALM THAN IT IS TO WORRY ABOUT WHO HAS WEALTH AND WHO DOES NOT. (20)
          • WHAT IS THE WISDOM WE DO WELL TO REMEMBER?
            • =1= MAN’S SOUL HAS GREAT ETERNAL VALUE. (20)
            • =2= THE PERSON WHO DOES NOT UNDERSTAND MAN’S VALUE TO GOD IS A FOOL AND NO MORE INTELLIGENT THAN THE ANIMALS. (20)

• PROPHETIC INTERPRETATION:
  • IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM OF CHRIST, ALL MAN’S INEQUALITIES WILL BE EQUALIZED BECAUSE CHRIST WILL REIGN WITH PERFECT JUSTICE.

• APPLICATION:
  • THE WISDOM IN THIS PSALM IS TIMELESS. IT IS AS RELEVANT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT AND TODAY AS IT WAS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.
    • READ 1TIM 6:8-12
      • THE KEY TO THE PROBLEM OF THE INEQUITIES OF MAN IN THIS LIFE IS TO BE CONTENT NO MATTER WHAT LIFE BRINGS YOU.

HOMEWORK
PSALMS 50
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF PSA 49:
  • HAS “THE BIG QUESTION” IN THIS LESSON EVER BOTHERED YOU?
  • EXAMINE YOUR “CONTENTMENT FACTOR”:
    • ARE YOU CONTENT WITH THE STANDARD OF LIVING AT WHICH YOU FIND YOURSELF TODAY?
  • READ MAT 6:19-21
    • WHAT CHANGES IN YOUR ATTITUDE DOES THIS SCRIPTURE REQUIRE THAT YOU MAKE?

• PREPARATION FOR PSA 50:
  • READ PSA 50:1-23
    • WHO IS BEING JUDGED?

• WHAT SPECIAL WISDOM SHOULD WE MEDITATE ON IN VERSE 6 THAT ENDS WITH SELAH? (READ JOH 5:22-30)

• GOD PRESENTS TWO CHARGES AGAINST HIS PEOPLE. WHAT ARE THEY? (8-15) (16-23) EXPLAIN.

• WHAT DO YOU THINK GOD LOOKS FOR IN WORSHIP?

• MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 50:7