Such Questions

Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions. (Ecclesiastes 7:8, NIV 1984).

My Musings – I must confess, that I’ve been asking myself this question for many years as I’ve watched the moral fabric of our culture continue to decline. As I’ve yearned for the return to a time where fewer shades of gray separated society’s grasp of right and wrong. When civility had a more prominent role in civilization.

Maybe you’ve been asking yourself the same thing. But I suppose that it is always unwise to ask questions that we already know the answers to. “Mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:1–5, NIV 1984).

How terrible? Perhaps another foolish question, because we know the answer. “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” (Matthew 24:36–37, NIV 1984). And what was that like? “The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.” (Genesis 6:5, NIV 1984). Every, only and all? Oh, my!

Despite all this, much of mankind will remain oblivious to the approach of its final reckoning. Like in Noah’s day, when “people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” Matthew 24:38–39, NIV 1984).

Despite all that is going on around them, “wars and rumors of war…nations [rising] against nations…famines and earthquakes in various places…[Christians] persecuted and put to death…many [turning] away from the faith…people [betraying] and [hating] each other…false prophets…increase of wickedness…the love of most [growing] cold…and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:6-14, NIV 1984). It almost makes one ask another unwise question: how can people “[know] nothing about what [will] happen?”

We know the answer to this as well. For we “understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘where is this coming He promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.’ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.” (2 Peter 3:3–4, 10, NIV 1984).

My Advice – At this point, you may be saying another foolish thing. “I wish none of this [was happening]. [Well], so, do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings).

We do not yet know if we are living in “such times” or if we are merely witnessing “the beginning of birth pains.” (Matthew 24:8, NIV 1984). Yet we still must decide “what to do with the time that is given to us.”

If you have not yet accepted Christ as Savior, “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2, NIV 1984). Later may be too late.

If you have already accepted Christ as Savior, “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19–20, NIV 1984). Because the birth pains are increasing in frequency and intensity.