Understanding Judgment Day

"Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish." (Psa. 49:20).

Psalm 49 is full of good ol' fashion common sense. 

But first, let's understand the way the Bible uses "understand". "Man that ... understandeth not...." What does "understandeth" mean? Today the way we use the verb "to understand" has a specific object. We understand something specific. I understand astronomy. I understand prophecy. But the Bible's use of "understand" is open ended.  In Psalm 49:20, what exactly should the wealthy man have understood? David doesn't say.

The same happens in Proverbs 14:6, "A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth."

And Daniel 12:10, "And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand."

What will the wise understand? I can see why people get frustrated when they need God's help and get a Bible, but find it incomprehensible. I have gotten frustrated myself many times. But I've also been greatly benefited many times too. So, I keep coming back to it. And to its Author. The Bible is the most challenging book in the world because its Author is very wise.

Maybe the principle is to go by the context. So, in Daniel the wicked will not understand the prophecies that Daniel saw, while the righteous will understand them. Or, the oppressive wicked at the end won't understand that Judgment Day is right upon them, but the oppressed righteous will be encouraged to know that deliverance is on the way.

Judgment Day is what I see in the verse we began with in Psalm 49. Understanding the reality of Judgment Day. 

Psalm 49 is all about the powerful and wealthy who boast their status in life. Nowadays, among the elite it seems to be a growing sentiment that they are the only ones that deserve to live. Everybody else are useless eaters, cockroaches to be exterminated. They  name bridges and skyscrapers and other great landmarks after their name. And their children and grandchildren and great grandchildren perpetuate their policies and praise their place in world history. They even get the commoners to drule over their lives of riches and fame. This world, this life, is all that matters. To them there will be no Judgment Day or eternal reward.

But they die, just like brute beasts. They might be buried in a costly coffin and sepulchre or mausoleum. They might even be mummified. But they are still dead, just like everyone else and the animals  that die.

They never had the power to keep themselves alive forever, or to keep anyone else alive. Death takes away their breath and their breath leaves them forever. Not a priest, or even a pope, can stop death from laying its claims. No matter what trickery or doctrinal slight of hand the devil uses on people, rich or poor, when God says, "Thou shalt surely die", you are going to die. There aren't enough masses said, or preachers at funerals looking up at the ceiling crying, "Verle, we know you are looking down at us!", to change God's mind. Their soul ceases forever.

But, the rich and famous often die without the hope that the Spirit of God wanted to put, and could have put, in their heart.

"He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.

20 Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish." (Psa. 49:19,20).

"While he lived he blessed his soul." (Vs. 18). Selfishness ruled his character, which is the basis of lawlessness.  Anomos "iniquity", "lawlessness" is the opposite of nomos "the law of mercy". "For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment." (Jas. 2:13).

They lived their three score years and ten or more, with no reference to eternity. Life was good. But Judgment Day is going to be bad. Real bad. 

There's not much more time to turn around.