Psalm 49:7-9/ God Gave What God Demanded
Psalm 49:7-9/ God Gave What God Demanded
7 Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life,
8 for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice,
9 that he should live on forever and never see the pit.
What is eternal life with God worth? What could we give to pay the ransom and live forever, avoiding the pit? The cost is too great according to this passage. Whatever we could give to God for the price of our lives "can never suffice" because "the ransom of [our lives] is costly."
So, what is the price tag for eternal life with God? The only thing acceptable to God is perfection (Matt. 5:48, Gal. 3:10, 1 Peter 1:15-16). If we fall short of that, which we all do, then we come up short when it comes to the cost of eternal life.
Fortunately, the Psalmist doesn't stop there. He goes on to write in this Psalm, "But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah" (Psalm 49:15).
Here's what these passages are saying: God will provide what God demands of us for eternal life. The ransom that is too costly for us to pay will be paid by God on our behalf somehow. And 2,000 years ago, we found out how exactly:
Look at what Jesus says in Mark 10:45, "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus was the payment that was too great for us to pay. The perfection needed to pay the ransom for our sins was provided on our behalf by Jesus Christ. Here's how Peter put it:
18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 1 Peter 1:18
The law was meant to reveal sin and how futile sacrifices of perishable things were to pay the great cost of sin. The cost was too great for gold or silver. God's law was always meant to foreshadow Jesus' sacrifice for the sins of the world. By His blood, He paid the ransom for our lives once and for all.
So, how do we respond to this reality? Does it have any bearing on our lives at all?
The bible says, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body" (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
The ransom paid by Jesus should change every single detail of our lives. If you believe in Him, you belong to Him. Your life is no longer your own.
So, here is a prayerful response:
Ask God to help you embrace a blood-bought view of your life that acknowledges He paid your costly ransom (1 Cor. 6:20).
Ask God to help you abandon any sense of autonomy with regard to your life (1 Cor. 6:20).
Ask God to help you offer up your life in return as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1).
Ask God to help you trust that His will for your life is better than your will for your life (Romans 12:2).
In Christ,
Pastor Kevin