Seventy years

The Bible says in Psalm 90:10, “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off and we fly away.”

Psalm 90 is the only Psalm in the Book of Psalms written by Moses. Moses wrote this Psalm at the end of the 40 years in the wilderness. Moses probably saw more death than anyone, for he saw a whole generation of Jews die in the wilderness. God allowed this to happen because he would not allow them to enter the promised land.

We all know Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible beginning with Genesis. In Genesis, he told us Adam lived 930 years. From Adam to the flood, the average age of a man’s life was 800 years. After the flood, the average age of a man’s life was cut in half to 400 years. From after the flood to the birth of Abraham, the average age of a man’s life was cut in half again to 200 years, Abraham died when he was 175 years old. The average age of a man’s life continued to decline over time. We read in scripture that Abraham’s great grandson, Joseph lived to be 100 years old.

After all the death that took place in the wilderness, God revealed to Moses that now, the average age of a man’s life was 70 years. But by the strength of God a man could live to 80 years old. We now know that a person, with the strength of God, could live well beyond 80. For example, my grandfather died when he was 105 years old. All of this clearly suggests our time here is very short.

On May 12, by the grace of God, I will hit that 70 year mark. As TobyMac says in the song, “Faithfully.” I may not be the man I was but I still believe. I still believe God is God and besides Him, there is no other. I still believe Jesus is the Son of God and He died for the sins of the world. I still believe God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day. I still believe He has never left me or forsaken me. I still believe. He wants the best for me and that the best is yet to come. And I still believe that one day, whether I’m dead or alive, He’s coming back to get me and take me to heaven.

God has prepared a great day for me when I hit that mark. For the first time in my life, I will be under the same roof with my children and grandchildren. We will close out the day with all of us together, taking Holy Communion. Time will be spent before Holy Communion, with me telling them how good God is, and how good God has been to me. I will share with them the ways of the Lord so they will have a better understanding that God’s ways are not our ways.

Over the years, I have often wondered why God picked Abraham to be the Father of our faith. Why did God pick Abraham to be the father of many nations and to make his name great? God in scripture answered my question when He said, “I know him. I know he will teach his children the ways of the Lord.”