Reading 'Verbatim', the Books of the Old Testament - 'the Psalms' - Chapter 49; Bi-Monthly, SMWF, August 8, 2021

​Welcome back my friends,

Welcome back to the 'continuing' study of Psalms audio-bible.com/bible/bible.html. 

Our Summary – The book of psalms is not narrative (story). It is poetry and so there are few connections between the psalms. One of the ways in which the book is divided up is into 5 'general' sections:
Part 1: 1-41 audio-bible.com/bible/bible.html 
Reading 'Verbatim', the Books of the Old Testament - 'the Psalms' - 'Cumulative Review' - Psalms 1-41, June 30, 2021.
Now, let us continue with our next section of the 'book of Psalms'; 
Part 2: 42-72 audio-bible.com/bible/bible.html Began July, 2021 until all is posted.
Part 3: 73-89 audio-bible.com/bible/bible.html  
Part 4: 90-106 audio-bible.com/bible/bible.html 
Part 5: 107-150audio-bible.com/bible/bible.html 
 
Let us continue this week, August 8-9-11-13, 2021 to get down to the review of the verbatim posts of each Psalm, including Psalms 49-50-51-52 this week with notes from Matthew Henry, 1710 for more edification. We began and continued from:
Reading 'Verbatim', the Books of the Old Testament - 'the Psalms' - Introduction; Bi-Monthly, SMWF, March 7, 2021​; and ongoing.

Psalm 49 audio-bible.com/bible/bible.html  HEARKEN, EVER SO CAREFULLY, MY FRIENDS!
A call for attention. (1-5) Folly of worldlings. (6-14) Against fear of death. (15-20)
​
​1 (To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.) Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:
2Both low and high, rich and poor, together.
3My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
4I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.
5Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?'

A call for attention. (1-5) audio-bible.com/bible/bible.html
Notes:1-5 'We seldom meet with a more solemn introduction: there is no truth of greater importance. Let all hear this with application to ourselves. The poor are in danger from undue desire toward the wealth of the world, as rich people from undue delight in it. The psalmist begins with applying it to himself, and that is the right method in which to treat of Divine things. Before he sets down the folly of carnal security, he lays down, from his own experience, the benefit and comfort of a holy, gracious security, which they enjoy who trust in God, and not in their worldly wealth. In the day of judgment, the iniquity of our heels, or of our steps, our past sins, will compass us. In those days, worldly, wicked people will be afraid; but wherefore should a man fear death who has God with him?  Amen. Amen. ​

​Folly of worldlings. (6-14) audio-bible.com/bible/bible.html​
6 'They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
7None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:
8(For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)
9That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.
10For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.
11Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.
12Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.
13This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.
14Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.'

Folly of worldlings. (6-14) audio-bible.com/bible/bible.html
​Notes: 6-14 'Here is a description of the spirit and way of worldly people. A man may have wealth, and may have his heart enlarged in love, thankfulness, and obedience, and may do good with it. Therefore it is not men's having riches that proves them to be worldly, but their setting their hearts upon them as the best things. Worldly men have only some floating thoughts of the things of God, while their fixed thoughts, their inward thoughts, are about the world; that lies nearest the heart. But with all their wealth they cannot save the life of the dearest friend they have. This looks further, to the eternal redemption to be wrought out by the Messiah. The redemption of the soul shall cost very dear; but, being once wrought, it shall never need to be repeated. And he, the Redeemer, shall rise again before he sees corruption, and then shall live for evermore, Revelation 1:18.
​This likewise shows the folly of worldly people, who sell their souls for that which will never buy them. With all their wealth they cannot secure themselves from the stroke of death. Yet one generation after another applaud their maxims; and the character of a fool, as drawn by heavenly Wisdom itself, Luke 12:16-21, continues to be followed even among professed Christians. Death will ask the proud sinner, Where is thy wealth, thy pomp? And in the morning of the resurrection, when all that sleep in the dust shall awake, the upright shall be advanced to the highest honour, when the wicked shall be filled with everlasting shame and contempt, Daniel 12:|. Let us now judge of things as they will appear in that day. The beauty of holiness is that alone which the grave cannot touch, or damage.'

Against fear of death. (15-20)audio-bible.com/bible/bible.html 
​15But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.
16Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;
17For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.
18Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.
19He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.
20Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

Against fear of death. (15-20) audio-bible.com/bible/bible.html
Notes: 15-20 'Believers should not fear death. The distinction of men's outward conditions, how great so ever in life, makes no distinction at death; but the difference of men's spiritual states, though in this life it may seem of small account, yet at and after death is very great. The soul is often put for the life. The God of life, who was its Creator at first, can and will be its Redeemer at last. It includes the salvation of the soul from eternal ruin.

​Believers will be under strong temptation to envy the prosperity of sinners. Men will praise thee, and cry thee up, as having done well for thyself in raising an estate and family. But what will it avail or profit to be approved of men, if God condemn us? ['Yield not to any 'temptation'!! James 1:12-15. Use, the 'word'; the 'sword of the Spirit'! Ephesians 6:17. See further such as Matthew 26:41; Romans 6:13; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 10:13; 2 Timothy 2:22; James 4:7;  1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:11] audio-bible.com/bible/bible.html

Those that are rich in the graces and comforts of the Spirit, have something of which death cannot strip them, nay, which death will improve; but as for worldly possessions, as we brought nothing into the world, so it is certain that we shall carry nothing out; we must leave all to others.

The sum of the whole matter is, that it can profit a man nothing to gain the whole world, to become possessed of all its wealth and all its power, if he lose his own soul, and is cast away for want of that holy and heavenly wisdom which distinguishes man from the brutes, in his life and at his death. 
[Matthew 16:26; Luke 9:25; Mark 8:36] ​ audio-bible.com/bible/bible.html

And are there men who can prefer the lot of the rich sinner to that of poor Lazarus, in life and death, and to eternity? Assuredly there are. What need then we have of the teaching of the Holy Ghost; when, with all our boasted powers, we are prone to such folly in the most important of all concerns!' Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.  Amen. Amen. 

My friends, now, a time for 'personal honesty'.  With this 'knowledge', where are YOU, Adam, Eve???  Is it 'repentance; confession;  and -  prayer time, personally - with the Lord'????  I leave you to it, as I enter my prayer closet with the Lord!!  Amen. Amen.  ​