Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of Psalms Chapter 49
Metaphysically Interpreting Psalms 49:1-20
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
49:1Hear this, all ye peoples;
Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world,49:2Both low and high,
Rich and poor together.49:3My mouth shall speak wisdom;
And the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.49:4I will incline mine ear to a parable:
I will open my dark saying upon the harp.49:5Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil,
When iniquity at my heels compasseth me about?49:6They that trust in their wealth,
And boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;49:7None of them can by any means redeem his brother,
Nor give to God a ransom for him;49:8(For the redemption of their life is costly,
And it faileth for ever;)49:9That he should still live alway,
That he should not see corruption.49:10For he shall see it. Wise men die;
The fool and the brutish alike perish,
And leave their wealth to others.49:11Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever,
And their dwelling-places to all generations;
They call their lands after their own names.49:12But man being in honor abideth not:
He is like the beasts that perish.49:13This their way is their folly:
Yet after them men approve their sayings.49:14They are appointed as a flock for Sheol;
Death shall be their shepherd;
And the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning;
And their beauty shall be for Sheol to consume,
That there be no habitation for it.49:15But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol;
For he will receive me.49:16Be not thou afraid when one is made rich,
When the glory of his house is increased.49:17For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away;
His glory shall not descend after him.49:18Though while he lived he blessed his soul
(And men praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself,)49:19He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They shall never see the light.49:20Man that is in honor, and understandeth not,
Is like the beasts that perish.
September 4, 1949: Psa. 49:1-7
What truth is worthy of being broadcast to the whole world? The truth that divine wisdom and understanding are available to all alike, to high and low, rich and poor.
How do these faculties become quickened in us? Chiefly through meditation, after that through observation and study.
Do we gain increased understanding by the study of the metaphysical interpretation of the Bible? Yes. Metaphysics and symbology are both aids to understanding. “I will incline mine ear to a parable.”
Is music of value in self-development? It is, inasmuch as it appeals to the emotional nature, and, when well chosen, it induces exaltation of thought and feeling. Such exaltation quickens the intuitive faculties, of which understanding is the chief one. “I will open my dark saying upon the harp.”
Is fear of threatened evil justifiable? No. We need courage when evil threatens, and fear dissipates courage, besides dulling the mental perceptions. “Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil?” When faced with danger we need all our presence of mind.
Is material wealth a reliable help in times of spiritual crises? Material wealth is of no help in spiritual crises, for it is not a medium of spiritual things. The latter are appropriated by each individual directly. “None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him.”
Transcribed by Lloyd Kinder on 11-28-2013
