Introduction: It is certain that the Old Testament doesn’t speak a lot about what happens to people after death. I think that, in some ways, Evangelicals (and I class myself as one of them) do a disservice to God by emphasizing that what Jesus does is get us into heaven! Shocked? He does that and Praise God for the fact! BUT the main thing that the Gospel highlights and performs as a glorious truth is that Jesus makes possible a restored relationship between failed sinners and a Holy God! The whole sacrificial system of the OT exemplifies what Jesus did in His Once for all effective sacrifice! Those sacrifices were a foretaste of the restoration with God for sinners which Jesus’ Death and Resurrection accomplished on a permanent basis! I here quote three of many texts which strongly talk about life after death.
Psalm 71:20 -Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.
Isaiah 26:19 – But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead
Daniel 12:2 -Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.
So let’s read on to what Moses wrote in Psalm 90.
9 For all our days pass away under your wrath; – Is this saying that God is mean and nasty or infer that his emotions are weak, passing away quickly as just ‘for a time’ words and little more?
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
10 The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away. – Does ‘Fly away’ suggest a destination?
11 Who considers the power of your anger,
and your wrath according to the fear of you? – Are we honest when we deal with God?
12 So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom. – Moses condemns superficiality in our relationship with God!
13 Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children. – Moses says ,’please God, without Your other strong feelings towards us we are lost. Please call an end to Your disciplinary action. We are prepared to listen to You!’ I’m reading into Moses’ words possibly more than they say, but I sense the feeling! And this is made more real to me when Moses humbly prays that God will establish what the people act out; ‘and establish the work of our hands upon us;‘
17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!
My Challenge to you and myself: Let us, with restored relationships with God, act appropriately in the here and now and thank God that He will take care of what follows – the transition of death! This is our prayer, O God!