Dust to Dust - A Change Will Come

Job {12:10} In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.


Job {13:15} Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.


Job {14:7} For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.


Job {14:12} So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
{14:13} Oh that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! {14:14} If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

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In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?

Who brings to life all that there is? Who created the creatures of the earth? Who gave them breath? Was man even alive before God breathed into him the breath of life? No. Man was a mere shell formed of the dust of the ground. Man returns to dust upon death, the breath God gives goes back to Him.


Eccl. {12:7} Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.


We can witness this everytime someone or something dies. We can witness the decay of it and into what it eventually becomes. The process isn't instantaneous but it is inevitable if left untampered with by chemicals and processes and such created to keep the flesh from returning to dust. Was there hope in the Egyptians of defying death if their bodies weren't allowed to decay? That some how they lived on until they were actually dust once more? Did they seek to mummify their dead because it was a way to prolong life to them. Not life as we know it but not death as we are told we would be- dust to dust.


Eccl. {3:20} All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again


Gen. {18:27} And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes


Only by the grace of God do we have breath of life in us and when it is taken from us it goes back to Him that gave it and we become dust and ashes once more. There is no living on without the breath of life within us. The body can be preserved for thousands of years and it will be lifeless, a husk, and empty shell. And even so, a mummified body is only that way by extenuating circumstances- skill, nature of ice, tar and such. Once the breath is gone what gave man life is gone.


Job {14:12} So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.


The beauty of death lies in this passage. Job longing for this sleep, this rest to rid himself of the agony of life and yet he knew his life was in God's hand and he could not take the breath from himself and still claim to be God's. The breath of life is God's to give and to take and we can't presume to do His will for Him, to know God.


People talk about others on respirators keeping them alive, giving them breath and there is nothing wrong with that because it has been proven time and time again that eventually for one reason or another they will still stop living and the false breath that keeps their bodies taking in air can no more keep them alive. No one put on a respirator has lived forever. No one. They may have lived for years and years beyond what they normally would have, but they did not and have not, and will not ever live forever.


When the heavens are no more, then our change will come. In a moment, in a twinkling of an eye those who are dead in Christ will rise and be changed, those who are alive at this time will be lifted up and changed.

1 Cor. 15, 1 Thess. 4


A change will come to us then, but until that day we live by the will of God and we die by the will of God, and we trust that He knows all and while our understanding is very limited, His is all powerful and even without any understanding we believe and we say-- God's will be done.


All praise and glory to our Lord and Savior, by His grace and mercy we have hope, we have life.


Amen.



Job

{12:1} And Job answered and said,
{12:2} No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.
{12:3} But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?
{12:4} I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.
{12:5} He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.
{12:6} The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.
{12:7} But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:
{12:8} Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
{12:9} Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?

{12:10} In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

{12:11} Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?
{12:12} With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.
{12:13} With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.
{12:14} Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.
{12:15} Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
{12:16} With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.
{12:17} He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.
{12:18} He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.
{12:19} He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.
{12:20} He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.
{12:21} He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.
{12:22} He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.
{12:23} He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.
{12:24} He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.
{12:25} They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.
{13:1} Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it.
{13:2} What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.
{13:3} Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.
{13:4} But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.
{13:5} Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.
{13:6} Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.
{13:7} Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?
{13:8} Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?
{13:9} Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?
{13:10} He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.
{13:11} Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?
{13:12} Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.
{13:13} Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will.
{13:14} Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?

{13:15} Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

{13:16} He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.
{13:17} Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.
{13:18} Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.
{13:19} Who is he that will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.
{13:20} Only do not two things unto me: then will I not hide myself from thee.
{13:21} Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid.
{13:22} Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me.
{13:23} How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.
{13:24} Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?
{13:25} Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?
{13:26} For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.
{13:27} Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet. {13:28} And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.

{14:1} Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
{14:2} He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
{14:3} And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?
{14:4} Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
{14:5} Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
{14:6} Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.

{14:7} For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.

{14:8} Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
{14:9} Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
{14:10} But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
{14:11} As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:

{14:12} So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

{14:13} Oh that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!

{14:14} If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

{14:15} Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.
{14:16} For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?
{14:17} My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.
{14:18} And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place.
{14:19} The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.
{14:20} Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.
{14:21} His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.
{14:22} But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.