Years ago, we had an older brother, Eric Smith, over for dinner. He had faithfully served the Lord in Bolivia for many years. As we were talking, he mentioned that his prayer and his desire for our prayers was to “finish well”. He did! Many of us are also getting up in years. May our prayer also be to finish well. So many in the Bible started out well, but in the final lap of the race they stumbled and fell. We will not automatically finish well. Satan ‘s desire for young and old is to turn us aside from following the Lord. His age-old scheme starting with Adam and Eve has been the attraction of the world. “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:16,17). None of us are immune from Satan’s attacks. As the great philosopher Yogi Berra said, “It ain’t over till it’s over”. Our life on earth will come to an end, but eternity lies ahead. Eternity is a long time; it’s never over. May our life show eternal consequences that glorify the Lord. “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown” (1 Cor. 9:24).
The apostle Paul did not start off well. He was a murderer and persecutor of the Church, but he finished well. In Acts 20:23,24 after being warned of what would befall him in returning to Jerusalem, he said, “Chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Near the end of his life, in prison and waiting to be executed he said, “The time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:7,8).
In Ezekiel 14:14 three godly men are mentioned: “‘Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,’ says the Lord God. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord…Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:8,9). “Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him” (Genesis 6:22). “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Hebrews 11:7). Following the flood, “Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard. Then he drankf the wine and was drunk and became uncovered in his tent” (Gen. 9:20,21). Noah stumbled, and worse led his son Ham to stumble. I believe Noah was restored and ended well, but Ham’s descendants through Canaan and the Canaanite tribes continued in evil and were constant enemies of the Children of Israel in the Land. Children often suffer for the sins of their fathers.
Daniel was a man of God from his youth. “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself” (Daniel 1:8). It was said of Daniel, “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God” (Daniel 6:5). “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days” (Daniel 6:10). Daniel was a man of prayer. Daniel found favor with four kings, Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius, and Cyrus.
The Lord blessed him and gave him a vision of the end times. “But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days” (Daniel 12:13). I know of no reference to sin or failure with Daniel. He finished well.
“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil “(Job 1:1). “In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong” (Job 1:22). Job suffered the loss of possessions, health and family yet he stayed faithful. “Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy” (James 5:11). After God revealed his majesty and grandeur and Job’s frailty, Job proclaimed, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore, I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42, 5,6). “Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning” (Job 42:12). He finished well.
Two other godly men are mentioned in Jeremiah. “Then the Lord said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My mind would not be favorable toward this people” (Jeremiah 15:1). Moses is mentioned almost 800 times in the scripture. The Lord said or spoke to Moses 150 times. He is spoken as “the man of God” six times. “At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God” (Acts 7:20). The Lord allowed Moses to be raised in Pharoah’s house for 40 years learning the wisdom of the Egyptians, then took him to the desert for 40 years to learn the wisdom of God, then used him to lead the Children of Israel 40 years in the wilderness. Moses realized he could not run the race alone. Others came alongside to help and encourage him. Moses was willing to accept the support of Aaron and Hur as they lifted his hands to insure the victory over Amalek (a type of the flesh). In frustration and anger, he stumbled and sinned, “He said unto them, hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them” (Num. 20:10-12). The Lord prohibited him from entering the land, but after blessing the people, “Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And He (God) buried him in a valley in the land of Moab” (Deut. 34:5,6). “Since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face” (Deut. 34:10). Commended of God, he finished well.
Before Samuel was born his mother, Hannah, said, “I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life” (1 Sam. 1:11). “Samuel ministered before the Lord, even as a child” (1 Samuel 2:18). “And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the Lord and men” (1 Samuel 2:26). “Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli” (1 Samuel 3:1). “The Lord came and stood and called as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel answered, ‘Speak, for Your servant hears.’” (1 Samuel 3:10). “And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life” (1 Sam. 7:15). “Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel… But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice” (1 Sam. 8:1-3). He served the Lord all the days of his life, but his finish was marred by his sons’ failures.
Author – Ron Boettcher