7/21 Psalm 49:15

¹⁵ But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah

The psalmist declares that the ransom for a person's soul is precious, and no man has the wealth to pay such a price (Psalm 49:7-9). He realized that financial wealth does a person no eternal good. He also saw that no human has the assets to appease God for their sin. No one has enough good deeds. We don't have anything that God would accept as a payment for his or her sins.

The reality of heaven was not a clear concept in the days of the early kings of Israel. At that time many believed we simply died and would cease to exist or that we would be in some shadowy land of the dead. But in our verse today the psalmist says that is not true. He knew that somehow God would ransom his soul from the power of the grave. Man could not do it, but God could. And God did! It was the God-man Christ Jesus who gave the ransom of a perfect life and his blood shed for us that ransoms all who will come to Him by faith. What a precious ransom!

The psalmist declared that God would receive him. God cannot receive into His presence anything that is sinful. That means the work of sanctifying us for all eternity will be completed. The ransom was paid by our Savior, but that began the work of transformation which will be completed when we see Him face to face (1 John 3:2). It is at work even now, challenging us to change the way we think, speak, and act.

Consider: How succinctly this verse sums up what God is doing in and for us!