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July 22 Daily Devotional

Why Shouldest Thou Die?

Frans Bakker

Why shouldest thou die before thy time? —Ecclesiastes 7:17

Bible Reading

Ecclesiastes 7:13–18

Devotional

Crooked ways are a part of everyone’s life. These are the events that unexpectedly occur in our lives and which we do not necessarily desire. These are the ways of afflictions and hardships. Yet God sends these trials to draw us close to Him. Where have all your afflictions brought you in your life? Have you only asked, “Why did this happen to me?” And have you never asked, “For what purpose did this happen to me?” Would you want to push the crooked ways back into a straight line if you could? But who art thou, oh man, who would ask God, “What doest Thou?” What a blessing if you would learn to bow before God and recognize His love! In His love it is good to be under God’s hand, even if it is in the midst of sorrow.

If we, however, resist and rebel, then our text asks us, “Why shouldest thou die before thy time?” From God’s viewpoint, to die before our time is impossible. According to God’s plans no one dies too soon. From eternity God has determined the hour of each person’s death. But from our perspective, we can die too early. For when we die in our wickedness and foolishness, being unconverted and unprepared, then we always die too early.

Think of the rich fool. He possessed all the goods of the world. To store his goods he built huge barns and thought he would live many years from his provisions. He was prepared to live well but he was not prepared to die. Those who are not prepared to die always die too early. That is also the case with those who are “over much wicked” and foolish (verse 16). They want to have nothing to do with God. But God has not done away with them. The day will come when they will meet God and then God will ask them, “What have you done with all My callings and admonitions?”

In your foolishness you live as if there will be no end to life. But remember that one day you will live your last day. Even runaway people must appear before the God they neglected. You do not have to be so blatantly wicked or foolish that others can pick you out. It is equally possible that outwardly everything seems normal while in the depth of your heart there is hardness and bitterness. One day you will stand before God to give account of the way you have lived.

And still, oh wicked and foolish sinner, God comes to you with His warning of love, so that you would not die in your hardness of heart. “Why shouldest thou die before thy time?” To die unprepared is to die too early. Even if you live eighty or ninety years and in all that time you do not learn true submission to God, then you will die before your time. But you know not when death will come. You could die young. And if you have never learned to bow before God, then you will die before your time. When we die too early, it will be forever too late.

Be warned, and do not pretend to be wiser than God. Why would you destroy yourself, or why would you die before your time? Only one way remains. Let God be God. Worship Him as the God of heaven and earth who governs according to His wisdom and not according to our foolishness. Then God is exalted and we are nothing before Him.

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.

 

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