"Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away."
They were both genuine believers and are pastors. One of them asked his hearers to number their days since men can only live up to only seventy years. He is fifty eight years old and so he said that he was probably living in his last days.
I am so sad to hear this preaching, which to me, is not from God's heart although the words are found in the Scripture.
Let me explain by using various Scriptures that I found.
Firstly, it was Moses who said those words, as a prayer to God, in Psalm 90. In context, Moses confessed the sin of the Jews in disobeying God during the Exodus. And because of their faithlessness, God, in His anger, decreed that none of Jews who left Egypt who were above twenty years of age would be allowed to go into the promised land.
Numbers 14:22,23 (NIV) says,
".... not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times — not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors."
Numbers 14:29,30 (NIV),
"In this wilderness your bodies will fall — every one of you twenty years old or .... Not one of you will enter the land ... except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun."
Let's work the numbers from these passages.
The exodus lasted 40 years. The Jews count a generation as 40 years as well. So, the ages of those who left Egypt would comprise new born babies, to old men of 40 years or more.
God punished their disobedience by not allowing those above 20 years old to enter into the promised land. So, those just above 20 years old would die within 40 years, making them 60 years old. Those who were 30 years old would die when they reached 70 years old, and for the "old men" who were 40 years old when they left Egypt, they would live till 80 years old, if they had not already succumb to the harsh desert environment.
We can see that living to 70 or 80 years old is actually a curse for the disobedient Jews.
Now, let's see what Moses wrote to the new generation just before they crossed over to the promised land. (Deuteronomy was written by Moses just before he died and probably about a year before the Jews possessed the new land.) Deut 6:1,2 say,
"These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life."
It is obviously clear that the new generation who obey the Lord would "enjoy long life", much more that the 80 years.
We ARE the new generation who believe in Jesus Christ who "came that they (we) may have life and have it to the full." John 10:10(NIV)
Let's also look at Genesis 6:3 (NIV),
'Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”'
Most, if not all, commentators say that this verse does not refer to the life of an individual but that of the human race, and specifically to the time God allowed the people of Noah's day to repent, we can take it to mean that our life is more than 80 years and perhaps up to 120 year.
So, be assured that if we revere Abba Father and obey Him, He will keep His promise to let us enjoy long life. Let's stop claiming to live only to 70 or 80 years.
Hallelujah!
God bless.
Steven
I find it interesting that if Moses referred in Ps 90 if indeed the Moses of the ten commandments, who himself lived to be 120 years old, wrote a Ps that told people their life span is only 70-80 years old.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the chart http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Comparison_gender_life_expectancy_CIA_factbook.svg world average lifespan is about 70. It is about 80 for the US. Japan is higher around 85. Female is longer than male.
The real issue of the Ps 90 is about the shortness of life, whether 70,80 or 120, relative to eternality and that the live is under the wrath of God.
Secondly, it is about how to live this short life meaningfully. So we find the plead to God in Psa 90:12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom and Psa 90:17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!.
i.e. though our life may short, let us live well and leave behind a good legacy for our children and future generations.
What should our legacy be? What do we want to leave behind for our children?
Hi Liat
ReplyDeleteThank you of your comments and I totally concur with you that the main point of this Psalm is that we ought to live our life usefully for God.
Many commentators attribute this passage to Moses, the man of God. Please enlighten me if the bible has another Moses other than Moses of the ten commandments.
While he himself lived to 120 years but Moses wrote about the disobedient children who never made it pass 80 years old.
God bless.