New Year’s Eve

SERMON - Moses’ Final Words of Counsel

INI

Text: Psalm 90:10-12

The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath. So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

In Christ Jesus, whose guidance we receive as we listen to His Word, dear fellow redeemed:

Psalm 90, the Scriptural basis for our service this evening, is a special psalm. To our knowledge, it is the first of the psalms to be written. In fact, it was written nearly 400 years before any of the others. It is also the only psalm written by Moses, a man the Scriptures describe as a “friend” of God (cf. Exodus 33:11). It would appear that Moses wrote this psalm near the end of his life when he was 120 years old. In it he looks back over a lifetime of experiences and shares his observations and insights. He did so initially to provide counsel for the children of Israel—a people whom he loved and whom he had led through forty grueling years of wandering in the wilderness to the brink of the Promised Land. But the Spirit of God has preserved this Psalm as counsel for us as well. Though separated by 3,500 years, these words remain both powerful and true. Let us this evening listen to MOSES’ FINAL WORDS OF COUNSEL. As we close our present calendar year and look forward to another, listen carefully as Moses counsels you, first of all to…

I.

…live each day as if it were your last! Moses counsels: “The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” If Moses sounds a bit pessimistic here, it is because over the course of his 120 years he had come to understand both the brevity and difficulty of life. Moses knew the devastating effects of sin. He had led nearly 2,000,000 people out of Egypt and had witnessed the death of nearly two-thirds of them—the direct result of their rebellion against God! As he led Israel through a stark and inhospitable wilderness, he could bear personal witness to the truth that Job had once uttered: “Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1), and he would have given his assent to Paul’s stark observation: “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). He had experienced both of these truths time and time and time again! That is why it was so important, in Moses’ mind, that the children of Israel develop an appropriate attitude towards the life God had given them. God the Holy Spirit wants you to do the same—live each day as if it were your last!

Why is this so important? It is important because you and I do not know how long we have to live. While most of us hope to live at least to the age of 70, we still today view someone who has reached the age of 80 as having lived a rather long life. My four grandparents all lived into their late eighties, but my mother passed away at age 70, while my father’s life was shorter than those of both his father and mother. Many people do not live to see old age. Heart attacks, cancer, strokes, any variety of diseases, along with accidents of every kind cut short the time of grace that people enjoy on this earth. When we are born, we are not guaranteed a long and healthy life. Consequently, no matter who you are, it is possible that today will be the last day of your earthly life!

In addition, Moses’ observation that “labor and sorrow” all too often characterize human life in this world remains accurate today. Life is often very, very difficult, which can be spiritually challenging! At times, as we face the difficulties of this life, we can begin to question God’s faithfulness. At other times, we can become so focused on dealing with the many issues of life, that we ignore our relationship with God and others as we become consumed by the details of this life. Such questions and such pre-occupation with the here and now can easily strip us of the joy, the hope, and the confidence that God would have us possess within our hearts and lives. That joy, hope, and confidence, however, are maintained and will be increased if you live each day as if it were your last!

How can you do that? You can do that when you keep the basic truths of your Christian faith in mind at all times. Remember—you are a unique creation of God, placed on this earth, at this time—but only temporarily before your God calls you home to heaven! You are the object of His grace—a sinner, but also a saint in view of the merits of Jesus Christ! You are by faith God’s redeemed and adopted child, whose life is filled with purpose as you represent your heavenly Father in this world. Consequently, begin each day by thanking God for giving you at least one more opportunity to do just that—to represent Him in this world. Pray that He would lead you to do everything He has planned for you to do each day. Remember that when you part from someone—it may be the last time you do so! Leave that person with a message that will inspire and uplift them. Do not waste your time pursuing that which in the end will prove meaningless, but use it to do those things that are truly important and which will bring blessing to those around you. Do not take the attitude that “there will always be tomorrow,” for that is not necessarily true! Have you been meaning to call that relative or friend to express your love, your support, or your congratulations—do so today! By living each day as if it were your last—your days will have fewer regrets and become more productive, more satisfying, and of greater blessing to others and yourself! Indeed, MOSES’ FINAL WORDS OF COUNSEL are to live each day as if it were your last, and…

II.

…always choose to do what is right! Initially, this bit of counsel may seem rather obvious—one of those, “Well, duh…” moments. Yet, it must be stressed, for choosing that which is right is seldom choosing that which is easy! Consequently, you and I will often have to fight our natural tendency to simply slide by doing that which is the least painful!

Why, however, bother doing what is right, if it many times is the more difficult thing to do? Moses hints at the answer when he asks: “Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.” Moses knew better than any other man the power of God’s wrath and anger. He had witnessed the walls of the Red Sea caving in upon Pharoah’s charioteers. He had seen and entered the smoke on Mount Sinai and experienced the ground tremble under his feet. He had called upon the LORD to crack open the ground and swallow up Korah and his followers alive, when they rebelled against God and defied Moses and Aaron’s right to leadership. Yet, Moses’ point is that no one really knows entirely the wrath and anger of God over against sin with the exception of one—Jesus! Jesus alone has faced the wrath of God over against sin. He did so upon the cross, when He endured separation from God and bore the punishment of hell in our place. Yes, we can read about the flood waters of Noah and ponder the wrath of God that destroyed His original creation; we can read about God raining down fire and brimstone upon Sodom, still we cannot fully understand the wrath of God over sin. Yet, with the help of God the Holy Spirit we can develop a proper “fear” of God, which will move us to strive always to choose to do what is right!

But is that not impossible—to always choose to do what is right? Why bother trying, if it cannot be done? It is important to try because as God’s children we do not want to give Him reason to be angry with us, especially not after all that He has done for us. He has by His grace loved us, sent His Son for us, and in view of Jesus’ work has adopted us into His family. Consequently, we want to serve Him with joy and faithfulness given our status as His children and in view of all of the blessings with which He has showered us. Beyond that, when we do what is right we honor God, we bless others, and we can walk before God with a clean conscience and a confident spirit. This is, after all, God’s gracious good will for us. By fulfilling His will, we cause Him joy and cause others to rejoice! Yes, MOSES’ FINAL WORDS OF COUNSEL are always choose to do what is right!

III.

Finally, Moses would counsel us to strive to gain a heart of wisdom! Moses writes, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Solomon would later write: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10). True wisdom begins and ends not with man, but rather with God. Wisdom begins with God, because He is our Creator. Look around you! Behold the magnificence of God! Whether you are interested in astronomy, or geology, or biology, or anthropology; whether you are fishing, hiking, star-gazing, gardening, or reading a book about anything in this world—you cannot but be amazed by the power, intelligence, and kindness of your God. Such studies can and should move you to want to know more about Him and be nearer to Him. Wisdom ends with God, because He is the Preserver not only of our lives, but of the entire universe. The survival of everything and everyone depends upon His Word. Were He to withdraw His support, we would simply cease to exist. That being the case, we ought reasonably stand in awe of Him and devote ourselves to Him!

As we then seek to grow in wisdom, what is to be the source of that wisdom? God is very clear that while we can learn about Him in a limited way by observing His creation, we can draw near to Him and more fully understand Him as we study His Word—the Holy Scriptures. Oh, that is not very fashionable today, and in their ignorance many people both misquote and misunderstand the Bible, as they so often attempt to use it for their own purposes. But, my dear friends, as we conclude 2008 and look forward to 2009 commit yourselves to a thorough study of God’s Word. Set up a program to read your Bibles regularly. Consider purchasing, if you have not already, the Book of Concord which we were advertising before Christmas. I have begun reading through mine to reacquaint myself with the Lutheran Confessions and am finding it both spiritually profitable and enjoyable. The Book of Concord is considered by many to be one of the best explanations of Scriptural teaching ever written.

Are you seeking wisdom to enhance your marriage or your family—read the book of Proverbs to secure Spirit-revealed truths, which if practiced will strengthen the bonds that tie you together as husbands and wives and as parents and children. Are you seeking guidance for how God would have you live your daily lives? Read the epistles of Peter, Paul, James, and John. Not only do they provide clear and common expressions of God’s will, but they also provide the proper motivation—the love and forgiveness of our Savior God!

Yes, dear friends, as we close out this calendar year, let us listen to MOSES’ FINAL WORDS OF COUNSEL! Live each day as if it were your last; always choose to do what is right; and strive to gain a heart of wisdom! Amen.

—Pastor Paul D. Nolting
To God alone be the glory!