Seder 89: Psalm 49---The Wicked Do Not Prosper For Long

 Psalm 49 is both a wisdom psalm and a Korahite psalm.  It addresses the problem of the prosperity of the wicked from a distinctly "Korahite" perspective.

The psalmist begins by announcing that he'll be addressing an issue of universal relevance.  Everyone will want to pay attention (vv 1-4).  

He goes on to say that death is a great equalizer.  Both rich and poor experience it, and we can't buy our way out of it or take our material wealth with us.  So any advantage that the wealthy have is illusory and temporary.  

Death is not the end of the story, however, for the wise, those who fear God.  The psalmist declares in verse 15, "But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me.  Selah."

The psalmist's confidence may come from Korahite family history---their collective memory that while the (allegedly wealthy) Korah was swallowed up by the ground, his children, who did not go along with his rebellion, were miraculously rescued.  

Seder 86: Psalm 88---Prayer in a Time of Suffering

In Psalm 88, the psalmist cries out to "the God of my salvation."  He is suffering greatly, and his suffering shows no sign of ending, but he will continue in prayer. 

This is a Korahite psalm, and it speaks often of death and the grave, as is typical for these psalms (see especially verses 3-6).  When Korah was swallowed up by the ground (Num 16), his children were spared from death (Num 26:11).  After that his descendants seem to have been keenly aware of how God had rescued their ancestors, and the Korahite psalms say much about rescue from death and God's presence in times when death is near.

In Christian tradition this psalm has often been read on Good Friday.  The psalmist's experience has been seen as prefiguring that of Jesus on the cross.  For example, when verse 8 says, "You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a horror to them," we think about how many of Jesus' disciples fled when he was arrested, while those who stayed with him through the crucifixion could only watch from a distance (Luke 23:49).