Psalms 39:10-13
“Surely Every Man Is Vanity”
Psalms 39:10, “Remove thy
stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand. When thou with
rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away
like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah.” One of the dominate
philosophies in the world is the teaching of humanism which says that man is
naturally good and which emphasizes the greatness of man: his abilities, his
strengths, his accomplishments. The problem with this false teaching is that it
denies the truth that man is a sinner. Yes man has strengths, yes man has
abilities, and yes man has beauty. But the Bible says in Romans 3:23, “For all have
sinned and come short of the glory of God.” The strengths, abilities, and even
beauty of man is something that God created and gave to man. Therefore who
should be praised is God not man.
Here in Psalms chapter 39 what is
emphasized about man is not man’s strengths, abilities, intelligence or
accomplishments but what is emphasized is the temporariness of human life.
Every one grows old. And everyone dies. Now why does this happen? Why does man
grow old and die? Man has a desire within himself to want to be young, and
beautiful, and strong, and to live forever. Because of sin men grow old and
die. Romans 5:12-15 says, “Wherefore,
as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed
upon all men, for that all have sinned: For until the law sin was in the world:
but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from
Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of
Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the
offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be
dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man,
Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.”
In talking about the temporariness of
human life the Bible says here in Psalms 39:11, “thou makest his beauty to
consume away like a moth.” A moth is a creature which lives for about 2 weeks. 2 weeks is
not a long life span. The life span of man is compared to the life span of a
moth. 100 years is not a long time compared to eternity. Thousands of years,
hundreds of thousands of years is not a long time compared to eternity.
Here in Psalms 39 the Bible emphasizes
the temporariness of human life because God is trying to get men to think about
their eternal destiny. The temporariness of human life is not a judgment from
God nor is it even a punishment for sin but it is a consequence for sin, a
rebuke for sin. If man lived for ever, in this world which is corrupted by sin,
how horrible that would be for those who have repented of their sins and turned
to Christ. How horrible a destiny it would be for those still lost in sin to
stay lost in sin because of a lack of a fear of not having to die and face the
judgment of God. Many times it is the
fear of death and the judgment which comes after death which leads men to turn
to Christ. Oh how important it is to think about the truth that one day you
will die. Hebrews 9:27 says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but
after this the judgment.” Psalms 37:28 says, “For the LORD loveth judgment, and
forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the
wicked shall be cut off.”
God loves judgment. Judgment means
punishment for sin. Judgment also means discerning between right and wrong and
doing what is right. Judgment means handing out reward for a person’s actions.
Judgment also means mercy for those who repent of their sins and turn to
Christ. It is the wisdom and the judgment of God to make physical life
temporary as a consequence to sin so that men might repent of their sins and
turn to Jesus for salvation. Psalms
39:11 says, “When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou
makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity.
Selah.” The word rebuke used here is a word that means to correct, to
argue, to chastise. The word rebuke used here literally means, “To be in the
sunshine.” God uses the truth to rebuke men of their sins. The light of the
word of God allows a man to see the consequences for sin and his own
sinfulness. This in turn, by the grace of God, might lead a man to repent of
his sins and turn to Christ for salvation.
The word of God says that physical
life is temporary. All men die. Life is short. A short work will the LORD make
upon the earth. Is life short? Do men die? Yes. The Word of God is true. And
the things it teaches are true. Just this one teaching which is emphasized here
in Psalms 39 shows how true the Bible is. It is appointed unto men once to die
but after this the judgment. In thinking about this truth there are only two
responses a human being can give. The first response is to ignore the truth of
the judgment of God and the consequences for sin and the temporariness of human
life. But the other response, the right response is given in the last verses of
Psalms chapter 39:12-13 which says, “Hear my prayer,
O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a
stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. O spare me, that I
may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.”
The right response is to realize that
human life is temporary on this earth and after this life ends all must stand
before the judgment of Christ. The right response is to pray to Christ for
salvation, to pray to Christ to forgive you of your sins and to save you so
that you can have enteral life, so that when you die and stand before the
judgment seat of Christ you will stand in the righteousness of Christ and not
your righteousness which is as filthy rags.
Psalms 39:12-13 says, “Hear my
prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I
am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. O spare me,
that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.” In thinking
about the temporariness of human life what a person should think about, especially
a Christian, is: you only live once so live for Christ. That is what these
verses in Psalms 39:12-13 say when they say, “I am a stranger with thee,
and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. O spare me, that I may recover
strength, before I go hence, and be no more.” The words stranger and sojourner in
the Old Testament equivalent to saying the Church. The
Psalms 39:12-13 says, “I am a
stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. O spare me, that I
may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.” 1 John 3:17 says, “And the
world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God
abideth forever.” To turn to Christ, to repent of sins and accept the gift of
Christ’s judgment on the cross, to give up the things of the world and seek to
live by faith in the promises of God in the Bible is the greatest opportunity
of life. If you have never turned form your sins to Jesus Christ of Nazareth then
do so today. Christ died, was buried, and rose again the 3rd day. Whosoever
shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved. Man at his best state is
vanity. But the righteousness of God endures forever.
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Copyright; 2012 by Charles
F. (Rick) Creech
All Rights Reserved