133. What man can live and never see death?

1 Kings 2:1  When David’s time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, “I am about to go the way of all the earth.

Joshua 23:14    “And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed.

Job 16:22    For when a few years have come I shall go the way from which I shall not return.

Job 30:23   For I know that you will bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living.

Psalms 89:48     What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol

Hebrews 9:27   And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

All of us, sooner or later, must keep a personal, unavoidable, appointment with death.  Most people live their lives as if they were exceptions to the rule of death! You don’t get a second chance at life and death. When people say, “You only die once!” they usually mean that you might as well be reckless. But surely, since we live and die but once, we should make of our life what we were meant to make of it. Surely we should not waste our one life recklessly.  When Hebrews 9:27 says, “after this” it puts life and death into perspective. Judgment.  It is appointed for men once to die and after this the judgment. Death is appointed, and you are no exception. You only die once, and death is not the end; it is your destiny’s door.  This destiny is either for heaven or hell for eternity.  Those who live for what this world has to offer will find their day of death as a day of regret with no chance of changing the outcome.  These are those who disregard what it means to believe in Jesus Christ for redemption and forgiveness of sin.  Or still others who look at their life and self-proclaim they are good enough to deserve heaven but there has been no change of heart and mind.  No rebirth.  No indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  No clinging to, relying on, or trusting fully in the blood that was shed for their lives by Christ on the cross.  They wrongly believe and will find their eternal destiny full of torment forever as stated in Luke.

Luke 16:19  “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.  And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,  who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.  The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried,  and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.  And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’  But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’  And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house—  for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’  But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’  And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’  He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

The time for salvation, redemption, forgiveness, and eternity in heaven is now.  No man knows the time of his death and every day delayed is an eternal gamble.

I will send an angel before you

Genesis 24:39  I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ But he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and prosper your way.

Genesis 24:54  And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.” Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go.” But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.”

Exodus 23:20    “Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared.

Psalms 91:11    For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

Exodus 33:2    I will send an angel before you

Daniel 3:28   Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.

Hebrews 1:14    Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?

Revelation 22:8    I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me,

Revelation 22:16    “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

It is good to notice God’s sovereignty and works in the common events of human life. Those events which to us seem the effect of choice, skill, or chance, are “appointed, directed, and purposed“ by God.

Satan will tell us to believe it is by our choice or by our skill which leads us down a path of pride and way from God.  He will tells us another lie, that it is by coincidence or chance which leads us down a path of complacency and neglect.

God tells us of His steadfast love, protection, plans and purpose for us.  He has told us of angels guarding our ways, preparing our destination, and bringing us safely through and to where and what God has planned.