The New Bereans

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.

-Psalm 90:12

Psalm ninety is likely to bring out the dispensationalist in most of us, and how can it not with statements like, “For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told…”₁ This psalm is arguably unique in that it was written by Moses.  It asks open ended questions like, “Who knows the power of thine anger?”  Moses states in verse ten “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.”  The first eleven verses are somewhat gritty to the grace-oriented mind.  Yet without them, the conclusion of the Psalm makes no sense.

In learning to number our days, we must first be told our years, as Moses does.  For emphasis on establishing a need for numbered days he articulates the importance of the meaning of life, contingent upon the wrathful aspect of Gods divine nature. Arthur W. Pink in his book on the Attributes of God says, “It is sad indeed that many professing Christians who appear to regard the wrath of God as something for which they need to make an apology, or who at least wish there were no such thing.”  (Page 82)  We cannot disconnect this important concept of numbering our days from a healthy fear of God, a fear for which I am learning more and more to embrace.   Without a firm solid understanding of the wrath of God, there can be no thorough understanding of His grace.

Chuck Missler made a comment on this concept of numbering days, which compelled me to write out an excel spreadsheet to help me in a very practical way.  I am thirty-one years of age so these numbers apply to me were I to live to the age Moses describes, eighty.  I have 2,557 weekends left.  I have 5,114 days on weekends left.  If I live for God three days out of each week I have 7,670 days left.  If I serve Him four out of seven days each week I have 10,227 days left.  If I serve Him every day during the work-week only I have 12,784 days remaining.  If I dedicate myself to the penultimate and give every day of my remainder to this God I serve I have 17,897 days remaining.  Now in your mind place a dollar sign in front of each of those numbers and think about how quickly you could spend that money if someone just gave it to you contingent upon you spending it all.

“Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men: but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.”₂ The wrath of God was something that motivated Paul heavily in his evangelism.  May a combination of knowing His wrath and a numbering of our days persuade us to evaluate our lives this day.   Just remember, Gods attributes are not bound by dispensations, he is the same yesterday today and forever…wait I think that was a biblical statement!

We need to simply recognize the brevity of life.  We get only one shot.  We are only one bullet leaving the chamber of the womb.  Our vector is unrelentingly directed toward death.  A healthy recognition of this fact may help us consider how then we ought to live.

1. Psalm 90:11

2. II Corinthians 5:11

Days Well Numbered

The above link is the Excel Spreadsheet I used to calculate the remainder of my days.  To use just input your age into the appropriate cell and you will quickly learn how much time you have left to serve the Lord.