A String of Selah Pearls - Psalm 49:14-15

Positioned gracefully across the Book of Psalms is a string of seventy-one pearls, lovely beads of wisdom followed by the admonition SELAH which means, “Pause, think on these things, meditate.”

Psalm 49:14-15 “Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. But God will redeem my soul from the grave; he will surely take me to himself. Selah.”

Meditation:

This pearl repeats the futility of focusing on temporal things. Those “mansions” are all-too-soon enjoyed by other princes, the former residents rotting in the grave, like beasts of the field.

Aunt Virginia lived a modest life, but died a peaceful death. Having placed her faith in a trustworthy God, she had complete confidence in her eternal living arrangements. Yes, she suffered. Yes, we wept. But we endured our night of weeping knowing that joy was just around the bend.

A new day dawns for those who die in Christ. The King will say to them, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”

What a day of rejoicing that will be . . . for some people. I can almost see Auntie, passing through the gates, eyes wide with amazement. “Oh, my! Oh, my!”

SELAH

Look up: Psalm 110; 30:5; 130:5-6; 2 Corinthians 5:8;

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Luke 19:12-26; Matthew 25:31-34