August 24, 2026

Psalm 49

15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.

Before this verse, David describes the power of the grave and how it feeds on the dead and consumes their beauty. I enjoy how he sets the stage, the awful reality of death, so that we may more greatly appreciate the redemption and resurrection our Savior gives to all. Remember, anywhere you see "selah" it means to ponder more deeply what has just been said.

In Psalm 50 Asaph, a Levite musician and prophet, shows how covenants relate to the second coming.

5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.

16 But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?

17 Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee.

Those who enter and keep sacred covenants with the Lord will be gathered with Him. The covenants are made by sacrifice, both the sacrifice of a broken heart and obedience to the law of sacrifice and more.

The footnote in verse 16 referames the question to "what authority do you have to declare my statutes?". This scripture brings to mind Matthew 7:23 "ye never knew me; depart yet workers of iniquity". We see here that proper priesthood authority is needed to administer the ordinances and covenants of the gospel, and that these covenants are necessary to truly know God (yada).

This leads right into the beauty and instruction of David's repentance Psalm. After Nathan confronted him about Bathsheba, David write Psalm 51 to include verses such as:

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

I've talked about this before; our hearts can be considered a tablet that start out shaped by God and unhewn by the world. As we make mistakes, sin, and choose to worship and prioritize anything other than God, we slowly chip away at our heart, hewing it after the manner of man and the vanity of pride. Only through contrition and sacrifice can we relinquish the heart we have shaped and through the mercy and grace of our Savior He will restore our heart and realign our will with His.

The heart is easily chipped through choosing another path, but the Lord is mighty to save. Only He can restore what we have hewn. And He will if we let him.