EYES AND EARS TOWARDS GOD

Psalm 49
EYES AND EARS TOWARDS GOD
I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle.... (v.4)

Life is full of unsolved riddles. The psalmists face them head-on. They may not have all the answers, but they give us valuable clues. We may not reach the destination, but we are set in the right direction.

The psalmist here begins by calling for the attention of the whole world (w.1-2). The problem he wishes to address affects us all, "low and high, rich and poor alike": the age-old question of the prosperity of the wicked. Why do the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer?

The answer to the question lies, not in this world, but beyond. "Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; for he will take nothing with him when he dies...." (vv.16-17). The spell that the rich holds over us works only when we measure life within its life-span. Once we assess life from beyond the grave, everything is different.

When we were in Indonesia on a visit, some of us felt extremely rich. By its currency, the rupiah, we were all millionaires! Every dollar translates into thousands of rupiahs. Yet it was only an illusion: once we convert the money to the Singapore dollar, we were what we really were, ordinary folks. When we convert the riches of this world to the currency of heaven, millionaires will become penniless. We should have no illusion about that.

The psalmist recognizes that the wisdom of such insight does not originate with him. While he calls on people to hear him, he in turn inclines his ear to hear God. Thus, as his mouth speaks, his ear hears (vv.3-4). So should we. In all the human enigmas and mysteries, we find the answers only in God and His Word. Let us listen that we may understand. "He who has ears, let him hear" (Matt 13:43).

Everything finds its true value in the currency of eternity.