Did God Really Say?

My last posting on Ps 90:10 attracted a number of interesting comments.

Firstly, I must thank those who reacted and responded (only my dear friend and brother Liat posted his comments online - thank you Liat). I am in total agreement with his teaching that the teaching of Ps 90:7-12 is for each of us to live our life usefully for God, regardless of whether we live to 70,80 or 120 years old.

However, my main aim for my last post was that living till 70 or 80 years old as written in Ps 90:10 is not a blessing but a curse for disobedience.

Those who want to quote this verse must quote it in the context that it was written, which is found between verses 7-12. Let's read that again,

⁷ We are consumed by your anger
    and terrified by your indignation.
⁸ You have set our iniquities before you,
    our secret sins in the light of your presence.
⁹ All our days pass away under your wrath;
    we finish our years with a moan.
¹⁰ 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.
¹¹ If only we knew the power of your anger!
    Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due.
¹² Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Moses was lamenting the consequences that the Israelites had to carry as a result of their disobedience and was thus praying for God's mercy for them. In verses 7-11, Moses spoke about the resulting punishment on the people, and in with verse 12, pleaded to God to teach them to live carefully so as not to sin against God again.

Therefore once again, I ask you not to quote Ps 90:10 in your exhortation, encouragement to people who are sick or even claim it for yourself as though living to 80 years old is God's blessing.

But you say, "Hey, what about the official statistics on the lifespan of humans?"

Yes, according to the statistics of life expectancy (CIA fact book), the average human lifespan across the world is just short of 70, about 90 for those living in Monaco and around 82 in Japan and Singapore. These facts are facts. However, we, who have been redeemed, need not conform to the statistics the world, which include the ages of those who are considered in the same category as the disobedient Israelites.

Let's look at biblical statistics instead. Moses lived till 120 years. Joshua died at 110. They were from that generation who left Egypt. The difference was that they trusted and believed God. They were not subjected to the curse of a short life. God gave them days beyond 80 years.

For those who still disagree with my views about Ps 90:10, I would ask that, when you next claim or want to use this verse to encourage a sick person, try doing it with the whole verse (not just the front part). Try to tell them that they will live till 80 year old, but "yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away."  Tell it straight into their eyes and say that this is God's blessing for them!

Did God really say .... ? Pray for revelation from Abba Father.

Steven

God gives His children long life

In the last six months, I heard two reverend men of God quoting Psalm 90:10, as though to live to eighty years old was a blessing from God.

"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





 

Drifting away?

We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. ² For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, ³ how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?   Hebrews 2:1-3a (NIV)

While seeking for God's directions on what to say in this post, the warning in Hebrews appeared twice to me this week. Fundamentally, I believe that when God shows me His words more than once, it is a strong message.

And what is stronger than a warning against drifting away from His truth?

The question that I mediated upon was what have I heard that God warns me not to drift away from? 

My learning is, it is the Gospel of salvation, given through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the heart of our Abba Father; that all men may be reconciled to Him and the only way is by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

The author of Hebrews calls us to "pay the most careful attention to the truth that we have heard so that we would not drift away". It was written to warn the second generation Hebrew believers against returning to Judaism. It is written to us to warn us of believing in false teachings and becoming religious.

And why and how could I, who already believed and accepted the Lord, drift away?

Firstly, I am conscious that paying attention is hard work. It requires deliberate effort pay attention. In today's context, the world offers so many distractions and so many diverse/false teachings. 

I consider the Internet as the new Tower of Babel - in it is knowledge infinite. The easy reference to the vast amount of knowledge is extremely dangerous. No matter how much collective wisdom are in it, this repository vies to be the greatest distraction for God's children.

Distractus, the Latin root word for distract simply means "to draw apart". The dictionary describes it as "to draw away the attention of a person from something."

So, if the pursuit of knowledge draws the our attention from God's truth, I will drift away!

I ask the Holy Spirit to help me heed Abba Father's warning; to help me to keep focus upon His truth by spending time reading and understanding His word. I ask for help to redeem my time so that I can grow deep in Him. I ask that He will also help other believers to do the same.

God bless.

Steven

Be transformed by keeping His word in our heart

While we are forgiven of all sins by the grace of God, we do not want to continue in sin. Sin does not please our Abba Father. Sin does not please us too and in the long run, we all will come to the realization that sin only causes pain.

So how can we keep ourself from sinning? The psalmist said in Ps 119:11, " Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you." So, it is clear then, that keeping God's word in our hearts is so very important."

Clearly, to stop sinning, we need to have God's word in our heart. So, how can we keep God's words in our hearts constantly then?

The apostle Paul in Roman 12 : 1-8 gave clear instructions. The first two verses say, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Indeed, if we will (and God helps us to do it) keep His word in our heart constantly, we will be transformed by His power. And when that happens, sin has not power against us. Jesus overcame Satan's 3 temptations in the desert by quoting (and not just quoting, but knowing it deeply) God's word (read Matthew 4:1-11). And so can we! When we know and keep God's word in our heart, we can surely resist the devil and he will flee from us. Praise the Lord.

To encourage myself and my readers to do this, I will continue to share my learnings of His word. Next week, I shall be starting to discuss the book of Judges as a continuation of our journey looking at the Israelites after Joshua's death. Watch for it on 7th May..... tell your friends about it too.