Devotional
Why Wicked Prosper But Death Levels All – Eternal Wisdom for the Righteous
“Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him” (Psalm 49:16—17).
By Paulson Pulikottil
This teaching Psalm focuses on essential aspects of a godly life, unlike Psalms that pray to or praise God. It highlights a paradox in life: when the pious encounter troubles, the unfaithful seem to prosper. Popular wisdom teaches the righteous that God favours those faithful to him; if true, why do the ungodly prosper? Psalms 37 and 73 also probe this question from a similar angle.
The answer is simple: though the ungodly may prosper and the godly may suffer, what matters is the distinction that becomes evident when they die.
Though all may amass wealth during their lifetime, the godly and the ungodly have the same outcome: we all die. The Psalmist affirms that death never takes a bribe! Nobody can avoid dying or postpone death for another day. “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, that he should live on forever and never see the pit” (Psalm 49:7—9).
The wise die, as do the fools. The rich die, and so do the poor. Death is a leveller.
The psalmist drives home the point in the last line: “Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish” (Psalm 49:20). The ungodly dies without understanding that all he has is only for his lifetime. Still, the poor person has the divine wisdom that life’s struggles are not forever.
When we do not have as much as others, what brings solace is the realisation that we have nothing in this world and will take nothing from it. In Saint Paul’s words, “for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world” (1 Timothy 6:7).
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