In this prayer Moses shares with us how he learned to deal
with the difficult challenges of life. In verses 1-2, he reminds us that we are
pilgrims traveling through this world and that God Himself is our eternal home.
In verses 3-12, his prayer teaches us that we should be learners
and life Is our school. Moses was "educated in all the learning of the
Egyptians" (Acts 7:22), but the lessons he learned walking with God
were far more important. In the school of life (v. 12), we need to learn two
important lessons. First life is brief and passes swiftly (vv. 4-6), and so we
should make the most of it. Secondly, that life is difficult and at times seems
futile (vv. 7-11), but this is the only way to mature. Were there no sin in the
world, there would be no suffering and death; but people made of dust defy the
God of the universe and try to repeal the inexorable law of sin and death, "For
dust you are, and to dust you shall return" (Gen. 3:19). While we all
thank God for modern science and the ministry of skilled medical personnel, we
cannot successfully deny the reality of death or delay it when our time comes.
The school of life is preparation for an eternity with God, and without Him, we
cannot learn our lessons, pass our tests, and make progress from kindergarten
to graduate school!
The older we get, the better we understand that life is
brief and moves past very swiftly. God dwells in eternity (Isa. 57:15) and is
not limited by time. He can cram many years of experience and work into one
person's lifetime or make the centuries flash past like the days of the week (2
Peter 3:8). Compared with eternity, even a long life is like yesterday when it
is past or like the changing of the guards while we are sleeping (a
"watch" was four hours). Only God is eternal, and we humans are like
objects suddenly swept away by a flash flood (Matt. 7:24-27) or grass that
comes and goes. In the east, the grass often grows on very thin soil and has no
deep roots (Matt. 13:20-21). A field will be lush and green in the morning but
become withered before nightfall because of the hot sun. God is the one whose
command "turns us back" (v. 3), and we need to fear and honor Him and
use our lives for His glory. In the school of life, those students learn the
most who realize that the dismissal bell rings when they least expect it!
In verses 7-11, Moses reflected on Israel's sad experience
at Kedesh Barnea (Num. 13-14), when the nation refused to obey God and enter
the Promised Land. This foolish decision led to four decades of trials and
testings in the wilderness while the older generation died off, except for
Joshua and Caleb. God is "slow to anger" (Ex. 34:6), but the repeated
complaints and rebellions of His people tested even His longsuffering. God saw
what Israel did and God knew what Israel intended to do! No secrets are hidden
from Him. The twenty-year-olds would be close to sixty when the nation returned
to Kadesh Barnea, and Moses saw eighty years as the limit for humans. He died
at 120 and Joshua at 110, but King David was only 70 when he died.
Sin takes its toll on the human race, and we no longer see
lifespans recorded like those in Genesis 5. We don't like to think about the
wrath of God, but every obituary in the newspaper is a reminder that "the
wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). We finish our years "like a
sigh" (v. 9) and marvel that it all went by so fast! So, now is the time
to ask God for wisdom to become better students and stewards of our time and
opportunities (v. 12; Deut. 32:29).
We number our years, not our days, but all of us have to
live a day at a time, and we do not know how many days we have left. A
successful life is composed of successful days that honor the Lord. “So
teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom”.
God bless!
