1. Wealth Cannot Prevent Death (vv. 5-12). It isn’t a sin to be wealthy if we acknowledge God as the Giver and use what He gives to help others and glorify His name (1 Tim. 6:7-19; Matt. 6:33). But an increase in wealth often leads to an increase in evil. It’s good to have things that money can buy, if we don’t lose the things money can’t buy. It’s sad when people start to confuse prices with values. Jesus concluded a sermon on riches by saying, “For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:15 nkjv). The psalmist feared that the wealthy in the land would start to take advantage of poorer people. It was easy for the rich to bribe judges and rob the poor of their rights. (See James 2:1-9; 5:1-6; Amos 4:1-3; 5:10-15.)

Those who boast of their wealth have a false sense of security, because their wealth can’t protect them from “the last enemy”–death (1 Cor. 15:26). Jesus had this truth in mind when He spoke about the rich farmer in Luke 12:13-21. If a relative was poor, a Jew could redeem him by paying his debts (Lev. 25:23ff.), but if a relative was dying, no amount of money could come to the rescue–and to whom would you give the money? A murderer could not be redeemed (Num. 35:31), even if you could calculate the worth of a human life. So, money can’t rescue you on this side of the grave, nor can it rescue you on the other side of the grave, because you can’t take your money with you (vv. 10-12, 17; Eccl. 2:18, 21; 7:2; 9:5). Whether you are rich or poor, wise or foolish, you leave everything behind. Many wealthy people think they will go on forever and enjoy their houses and lands, only to discover that death is a great leveler. After death, the rich and the poor stand equal before God. The rich may call their lands after their own names, but the names engraved in stone will outlast the owners. The phrase “he is like the beasts that perish” (v. 12; see Eccl. 3:10, 19; 7:2) doesn’t suggest that humans are on the same level as brute beasts, but only that both face ultimate death and decay.