“Do not speak in the hearing of a fool.
He will only despise
The wisdom of your words.”
Don’t waste your time with fools. They will only despise the wisdom of your words. Just move on.
waste
How long will Yahweh wait? (Ps 79:5-79:7)
“How long?
Yahweh?
Will you be angry forever?
Will your jealous wrath burn like fire?
Pour out your anger on the nations
That do not know you!
Pour out your anger on the kingdoms
That do not call on your name!
They have devoured Jacob.
They have laid waste his habitation.”
How long will Yahweh wait? Will he be angry forever? Will the wrath of his jealous anger burn like a fire? Rather, the psalmist wants Yahweh to pour out his anger on the nations and kingdoms that do not know him or do not call on his name. They are the ones who devoured Jacob or Israel as they laid waste to their living spaces.
Sheol for all (Ps 49:14-49:15)
“Like sheep
They are appointed for Sheol.
Death shall be their shepherd.
Straight to the grave they descend.
Their form shall waste away.
Sheol shall be their home.
But God will ransom my soul
From the power of Sheol,
He will receive me.”
Selah
Once again we have the theme of the shepherd. This time death, not Yahweh, is the shepherd. Death leads all of us sheep directly to the grave, where we waste away. Our homes will be Sheol, the ill-defined underground afterlife. However, we do have an exception. The psalmist believes that God will rescue him from the eternal power of Sheol. God will ransom his soul with his belief in an eternal afterlife with God. With that, it is time for another musical interlude pause of Selah.
