Let us not trust in wealth.

“Those who trust in their riches and boast of their wealth cannot redeem their brother, nor give to God a ransom for him, for the redemption of their soul is costly, and it is never enough to pay the price” (Psalm 49:6-8).

Yesterday, I finished reading the book Freedom from Financial Fear by Pastor James Kennedy. I bought the book not only because the title caught my attention, but also because the author, Pastor James Kennedy, is someone I respect. After finishing the book, I summarized several challenging points. One of them is that "tithing to God is not a financial problem, but a faith problem." The issue of faith is that people fail to believe in the promise God gave us in Malachi 3:10: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” The result of not believing in God's promise is that we not only miss out on the blessings of God, but we also do not experience freedom from financial fear. Instead, we live in constant worry and anxiety about our finances.

However, an even more serious issue is that people, despite not believing in God's promises or offering their full tithe, sometimes find themselves prospering. Why is this a more serious issue? Because, in doing so, their natural instinct is to rely on the abundance of wealth. The real problem is not relying on God as our strength (Psalm 52:7).

In today’s scripture, Psalm 49, we see that the psalmist was “surrounded by evil enemies” (v. 5), and these enemies were people who relied on their wealth and boasted about their riches (v. 6). These were foolish people who did not trust in God but relied on themselves (v. 13). Their foolishness came from not understanding that no matter how much money they had, they could not save the life of another or pay a ransom to God for their own life (v. 7). They failed to realize that the price of redeeming a life is so great that it cannot be paid (v. 8). They did not understand that no matter how much money they had, they could not prevent death or grant eternal life to anyone (vv. 8-9). Their foolishness was also seen in their belief that their houses would last forever (v. 11). They did not understand that when they died, they could not take anything with them to the grave (v. 17). They did not realize that they would leave their wealth behind for others (v. 10). They failed to see that no matter how satisfied they felt in this world or how much praise they received from others for their success, they would die like their ancestors and never again see the light of life (vv. 18-19). What good is living in glory in this world? (v. 20) People may enjoy wealth and fame, but they cannot live forever (v. 12). Ultimately, they are destined to die (v. 14), their beauty will perish (v. 14), and their graves will be their eternal home, where they will stay forever (v. 11). Those who fail to understand these truths are like beasts that perish (vv. 12, 20).

However, the psalmist understood all of this. The reason was that he had wisdom and understanding (v. 3). He also knew that God would receive him and save his soul from the power of death (v. 15). Therefore, he urges all of us to listen carefully (vv. 1-2). He says to us: “Do not be discouraged when you see others accumulating wealth and their family name becoming more renowned” (v. 16).

We must not become foolish ones who rely on wealth. We must not become like animals who do not understand. We must understand. We must realize that God paid an immense price to save our soul from the power of death. What price did He pay for our redemption? It was the price of His only Son, Jesus Christ, who became cursed for us and redeemed us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13). God redeemed all our sins through the death of His only Son on the cross (Hebrews 2:17, Psalm 130:8). We have obtained redemption, the forgiveness of sins, in the Son of God (Colossians 1:14). We have been justified freely by God's grace through Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24), and we have also received the right to be called sons of God (Galatians 4:5). Thus, we have been redeemed without money (Isaiah 52:3). God redeemed us through the death of His only Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross, and saved our souls from the power of death (Psalm 49:15).

Therefore, we must trust in God. We must make God our strength for salvation (Psalm 52:7).

“Do not set your heart on wealth, even if it increases” (Psalm 62:10). Instead, let us devote our hearts to the Lord and trust only in Him.

James Kim, Pastor
(Yearning more and more for God's wisdom and understanding)