ETERNITY OF MAN; HIS MORTALITY, THE BREVITY OF HIS LIFE AND HIS CHANCE OF FULFILMENT: A TREATISE ON PSALM 90.
Man is an eternal being. Though he may not be conscious of it, he has always been. When you consider that there was a time even in his earthly existence when he was in a womb surrounded by fluids, tied to a cord, a period of time that spanned at least two hundred days. An accommodation he could not remember now because he was not aware then. Even at his early age of childhood, he was not aware of who he was. He had to be named and then later told what he should answer to. He had to be told though man he was male or female. As he grew in awareness, man is tempted to think that this is all there is to his life; that his existence is limited to his awareness or his memory. He is quick to forget when he could not remember. Those times when he simply existed- his life for instance as a toddler he would never remember. But nevertheless he existed and lived full and free of worry. Memories carry along worries. When he did not remember, he worried less. Now that he wants to track everything, he worries sick. O man of worries, what a life!
I say man is eternal. He has always been and will always be. Eternity has no beginning really. And I know you are scared to equate man with God. For God is eternal but so is man. What God is and man is not - is immortal. Man is mortal. Man dies. Or something in man dies. Whether he was meant to die is not for this discourse. What we found is a part of man dies, and a part of him lives on. Nothing dies in God. He alone dwells in immortality. See that in this scripture; 1Ti 6:15 — 1Ti 6:16 "... He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen."
God alone is immortal. There comes the time when those who die or remain in Christ shall exchange mortality for immortality; let it be the final act of grace. Let no man see himself as immortal. For it is appointed for man to die... See another scripture. Hebrews 9:27
"And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment". For those who know we will change this garment, whether in the grave or mid air, it is death when mortality gives way in any form. Man is mortal, man must accept it. But he is eternal, let him know. Let man know he began in God- and not in dust. Let him know he ends in God. For that is eternity; whatever begins and ends in God. O glory. Hallelujah! Amen. Selah.
Moses - the man of God once sang a psalm. A solemn song he sang in his reflections. Inspired by God, he freed his thoughts. And poured out from the depth of a rich walk with God. See what he wrote in Psalm 90. Psa 90:1 — Psa 90:2 "Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God."
This is the man who wrote Genesis. To whom God revealed how it all began. He was transported beyond Eden - far into the times of null and void; when indeed nothing else existed but God alone. He saw when God was alone; the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. But inside God he found man. He found that man has always been on God's mind. Curled in God's mind, like a foetus in the womb is man. Indeed God's mind was full of the thoughts of, about and concerning man. Two scriptures I find to buttress this.
1. Psa 8:3 — Psa 8:4
"When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?"
2. Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."
He thinks about man. His mind is full of man. O What is man? What is man? What is man?
So Moses said God has been man's dwelling place in all generations far before the mountains were formed. So I say man is eternal. I say I say man is eternal. Check your heart and find it is true. Did Solomon not say God has put eternity in man's heart? That is why men really don't look forward to death. They may fear because of the unknown. But something in them don't expect to die. Now eternal is what the spirit is. Mortal is what the body is. Those who will gain immortality, will gain a body anew. I know the Scriptures talk of Heaven and Hell. Again this is not the discourse for that. Heaven is real. Real people are there. Hell too is real. Real people are there. But where I look forward to dwell is the womb of God. That which is my eternal dwelling place. For heaven and hell will pass away. God is the One who will always be. In him is where I want to be.
Moses, next address man's mortality. Compared to eternity, man's stay on earth is a brevity. Longevity is an act of mercy by Him. But how long really can a man live? One man once lived 969 years, a little below a thousand years. Yet he died. And that's many, many years ago. So Moses said this in that same Psalm. In that same Psalm, hear what he said;
Psa 90:3 — Psa 90:11
Thou turnest man to destruction;
and sayest, Return, ye children of men.
For a thousand years in thy sight
are but as yesterday when it is past,
and as a watch in the night.
Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep:
in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.
In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up;
in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
For we are consumed by thine anger,
and by thy wrath are we troubled.
Thou hast set our iniquities before thee,
our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
For all our days are passed away in thy wrath:
we spend our years as a tale that is told.
The days of our years are threescore years and ten;
and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years,
yet is their strength labour and sorrow;
for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Who knoweth the power of thine anger?
even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
So much to say on those verses of Scripture. But take note that Moses say man's average life span is between 70 and 80. So so correct. That is the brevity of man's life on earth. The sin of Adam was too strong and man must pay with his life. He would die. He would not remain on (this) earth for ever. That is why Moses said 'For all our days are passed away in thy wrath'. God looks at man and still remember Adam. Oh dear. What a shadow over every man's head.
But Moses prayed a prayer. If you are young you will find it very useful. And if you are old, there is a part for you in the prayer. Here is it. No, just before that. Hear this one.
Psalms 90:12
So teach us to number our days,
that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Teach us to understand our roles per time. If by 40 you should be here and you are still there, you are a fool. But no one is a fool for ever. The life of Moses is a Tale of 40s. He lived 40 years in Egypt as a stranger. An adopted child of royalty while his true kinsmen were in slavery. What a contradiction of a life. For 40 years he was that lost. The next 40 was better or maybe even worse. He was a fugitive in a stranger land. Far from both royalty and his kinsmen, he was a cattle rearer for a Midian priest. He lived in caves and arid places. He was a husband and father in a stranger culture. What a confusion. And that lasted 40 years. The next 40 was much better maybe. He found a purpose, a very great one. To lead his people away from slavery. Slavery of 400 years, he had the mandate of God to abolish. What a landmark assignment to undertake. And that was what he did. For another 40 years he led them round the wilderness. He supervised a generation that wasted in transit. A people full of complaints and murmur. He tried for them and tried he did, until they cornered him to offend his God. And even Moses did not enter- only saw- the Promised Land that God had planned. So maybe that 40 was the best of all. But I believe and I will confirm when I meet Moses; that he had another 40 he did not use. He was to take them into he land and be with them another 40 years. That unfortunately was not to be. That was given to Joshua to fulfil. So when a leader leaves a successor, let the successor be aware and know, that his life is borrowed his mandate was lent to him. Let him hurry to finish what his master could not fulfil.
So a fool at 40 can have another 40. And if he still is not wise enough, may even get another 40. But how beautiful, when we get it right once, and once for all. So hear that prayer I told you about. That one that both young and old can find a line.
Psa 90:14 — Psa 90:15
O satisfy us early with thy mercy;
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us,
and the years wherein we have seen evil.
If you are young, that is below 40. That first line is for you. That God should satisfy you early with his mercy. So you may live the next 40 or 80 or 120 years (depending on how much your faith can hold) in gladness and in joy. Why should you beat about the bush when all the while there is a path? Let God show you the way early in life that your journey may be a tale of delight.
If you are old and at least getting old. That is you are 40 and above. Just pray the second stanza above. That God should replace the wasted years. Any second outside His plan has no record in eternity. Heaven is unimpressed by the longevity of life. Heaven is impressed by a life fulfilled.
That is that about Psalm 90. But please take note of how it concludes.
Psa 90:16 — Psa 90:17
Let thy work appear unto thy servants,
and thy glory unto their children.
And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us:
and establish thou the work of our hands upon us;
yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
Let Your work appear to us O Lord. That means, Lord show me that which is your work for me. Let it be the work of my hands. That is what I call fulfilment.
Moses wrote the famous Psalm 91. There he showed we can live safe right in the midst of the dangers of life. That dwelling in God is one aspect. That dwelling in the secret place in God, is the key to being safe on earth. There we find longevity and fulfilment together. There will God show unto us all the fullness of His salvation. I leave you to read Psalm 91. I pray to God that you believe it. I trust that you will gain new meaning and seek to maximise your own chance at life- beginning from now till you step aside.
God bless the reader.
In Jesus' name I write.
Amen.
- Adeolu Olumodeji
