Ransom
Psalm 49
This psalm can be taken from the Exodus account of Israel. The first ransom for Israel was paid through the first born Egyptians and the 1st passover for Israel (see Exodus 12-13). The focus of this psalm is to show what really matters, not wealth or riches because a rich person leaves all of his possessions when he dies. He can not take them with him. The point of this psalm is to point one to God who saves souls.
Ransom
In verses 7-8 the sons of Korah write, “Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice. A good definition I saw of a ransom was, the redemption of a prisoner, slave, or a captured person, for a price. The psalmist wrote that a man could not ransom the soul of another man, it is too costly, and our payment can never suffice or add up. This is the look of us and sin. Because of sin, we are a prisoner, a slave, and one that has been captured to sin and the devil. Hebrews 12:1 talks about how sin easily entangles us. In Romans 6 we see that we are slaves to sin. We need to understand that we were captured through the seed of Adam to sin. There was no hope, we were in a pit and we could not get out. Mankind could try to please God on their own, to try to pay the cost of sin, but it was too costly and mankind could never pay it off or set themselves free. There needed to be a permanent payment for that debt and that was Christ.
The first passover was a shadow of the ultimate passover. The first ransom that these psalmist were talking about was for freedom in a land, the 2nd passover was for freedom from sin. Christ died as payment for the ransom to sin. In him is our only hope, in him is our strength. In verse 15 we see that this was true, “God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol (death), for he will receive me.” God did ransom our soul from the power of death, and that was Christ. God in flesh dying on a wooden cross, being buried but conquering death and sin and the grave, and rising again in 3 days.
I pray Lord that we all would realize that price for our soul which mankind no matter how rich could never pay, it had to be you. Thank you!
