Insightful Musings on theScriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good evening, dear ones.

Yup!—I did it again! I abandoned the work and jumped in Bob Loucks’ car about 10am, along with his son, David, and we skied Mount Hood Meadows. We had a great exhausting time.

I may be checking out a job yet this evening—one that would involve dropping a big cedar tree, then milling it up to the specs the owner requires. We’ll see.

Have a good night.

Love, Dad/Ray.

The author of this prayer-psalm is presented as Moses. According to Deuteronomy 34, he was 120 years old when he died. Yet he makes this melancholy expression in this psalm: “The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10). If I just turned 72, that perspective does nothing to offer me encouragement. And, in view of the rest of the composition, the “fly away” part is more like disappearing than going somewhere better. In fact, I don’t see any indication of hope in this prayer beyond the grave.

Am I being too critical? All I know is that the general mood of this piece is less than up-beat. As an example, I’m trying to figure out what in the world Moses really means when he prays, “Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble” (v. 15). It seems on a par with telling a child, “You need to be glad about getting this whipping—even if you don’t know why.”

I guess one reason I’m struggling with this is that my main objective and motive in composing these little missives is to find and pass on encouragement from the Word—to be devotional. So far, I’m not doing very well. But wait—maybe we are indirectly being given reason to rejoice that we reside on this side of the cross—and this side of the Resurrection of Jesus. That’s where our hope lies—the hope of HEAVEN and ETERNAL LIFE. Moses was a good guy—a faithful servant of the Lord—but I have reason to believe that he saw the future through “a glass, darkly—even darker than our view that is enhanced and upgraded by means of the Work of Christ and the entire body of New Testament revelation. I think that’s what Paul was saying in 1 Corinthians 13:12: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (KJV).

Let me cite a couple verses from Hebrews in The Message translation: “Since the children are made of flesh and blood, it's logical that the Savior took on flesh and blood in order to rescue them by his death. By embracing death, taking it into himself, he destroyed the Devil's hold on death and freed all who cower through life, scared to death of death” (Hebrews 2:14-15, from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

One of my reasons for selecting the FOCUS VERSE is because the phrase, “secret sins,” stood out to me. Recently we have learned the sad news that “secret sins” have devastated the marriage and family of friends we had in the South Pacific. The husband/father was a talented guy, preacher, long term missionary—but now what was obviously concealed in secret has been obviously revealed publicly in the form of infidelity. In view of clear Biblical truth, how stupid is that?! The practical fear of the Lord is supposed to be a fear of violating His rules—motivating one toward doing right before Him even when no one else is looking—because He always is looking. After all…