Animal

To live in pride is to live like a animal.




Psalm 49:12 (ESV) Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish.

The Psalmist calls us to examine life in the light of our brevity and purpose. Our purpose is to know God, yet some of us spend our whole lives trying to know riches and power. 
Psalm 49:10–11 (ESV) For he sees that even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others. 11 Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names.

There is a story of a man who was granted one wish. So he wished for a copy of the Wall Street Journal one year in advance. He was about to go to business with his new found insight and make a fortune, but he as he looked through the pages he saw his own name and picture in the Obituaries. They called him a successful financial tycoon, but for him it was all over before it started. 

We are surrounded and trained from childhood in this country to seek riches and wealth. It's amazing how much we don't even realize it. It is programmed into our guidance counselors from high school, our parents, our award ceremonies, and our scholarship applications. America trains its children to go after the gold. 

Yet are we better for doing so? 

This Psalm contains a Hebrew poetic device that gives us insight into it's ultimate meaning. The 12th verse is repeated in the last verse providing an "inclusio" which is meant to draw you in to that particular theme...

Psalm 49:20 (ESV) Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

The picture is of the Psalmist looking at the cattle growing fat in the fields. No one envies them, for their end is certain - they are being prepared for slaughter. This is what it looks like to pursue more things and money... to sacrifice the knowledge of God and your ultimate purpose in Him for the acquiring of things. Our world can fatten us up and eat us alive... if we let it.

But God is the one who ransoms us from it all:

Psalm 49:15 (ESV) But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah

He takes us from simply looking for more, to finding more in Him, the beauty of life knowing our creator and designer. He doesn't fatten us up, He receives us as we are and manifests His glory and wisdom in us. 

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