Does Anyone Die Before Their Time?
The Bible makes it clear that everyone has an appointment
with death. Hebrews 9:27 tells us that we are appointed once to die and after
this the judgment. Ecclesiastes 3:2 tells us there is a time to be born and a
time to die. David in Psalm 139:16 said that all the days ordained for me are
written in your book before one of them came to be. Job 14:5 says that man days
are determined, the number of his months is with you. And you have appointed
his bounds that He cannot pass. What are these verses revealing to us? Our life
and times were pre-ordained and determined by God.
Our days are interwoven with the providence of God and every decision
we will ever make our entire lives. God knew our lives before our conception.
This is what God said to Jeremiah when He commissioned him to be a prophet, “Before
I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born, I set you apart;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). God mapped out
Jeremiah’s life before he was conceived by his mother. Once Jeremiah’s service
to God and nation of Israel was complete, he died. His days and times were predetermined
by the Lord.
God through the prophet Isaiah said this, “Declaring the end
from the beginning and from ancient time the things which have not been done,
saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will do all that please Me, and
fulfills my purpose’’’ (Isaiah 46:10, AMP).
Admittedly it is difficult to believe and accept that many people die
early. There is sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). There are babies that die in
utero (still born). Millions of people die of disease and starvation while they
are very young. Many very healthy people die every day. Thousand die in car accidents and deadly shootings. Didn’t they die before
their time?
We from a human point of view we would say yes, but the Bible is clear that no one dies before their time. No one enters heaven or hell early.
Wait a minute! Please explain Ecclesiastes 7:17
Wise King Solomon is giving practical common sense counsel to
his readers in Ecclesiastes 7:17. He says, “Do not be overly wicked, and do not
be a fool – why die before your time?”
So, here is a case where many would say the Bible is
contradicting itself, again! Not so. The phrase, “Why die before your
time is a colloquialism – it means one dies younger than we would expect from a human point of view. A colloquialism is defined
as informal, unfancy, everyday language. You can liken it to the phrase, “When
it rains it pours!” When we use that phrase, we are not talking about literal
rain. Rather we are talking about problems in our lives that are increasing way
more than we would like them to. We are frustrated with all the trials currently
in our lives.
So, when we say He or She died before their time, from the human perspective, they died too soon. We’re looking at it strictly from an age and an emotional perspective. That is an understandable and natural reaction for us. But, when we view life from a divine perspective knowing that God has our years in His hands, and knows every decision (which are not predetermined, we make them ourselves), we will ever make, then we understand that NO life no matter how mysterious, tragic and unexplainable its twists and turns is no accident, with God.
God’s ways are indeed higher than ours and His thoughts
higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). The Apostle Paul said it perfectly:
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and decisions and how unfathomable and untraceable are His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord (emphasis added), or who has been His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it would be paid back to Him? For from Him (all things originate), and through Him (all things live and exist) and to Him are all things (directed). To Him be glory and honor forever! Amen (Romans 11:33-36, AMP).
God has never been like us. We need to be more like
Him (Psalm 50:21b).
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