Psalm 90:5 You stop their lives; they sleep. They are like grass that grows in the morning – Psalm 90:6 in the morning it sprouts and grows; by evening it withers and dries up.
like grass
McEachern says that in this psalm “faith deals with the brevity of human life.” In the psalm, the “brevity of human life is compared to a flood, a dream, and (in the text above to) grass, which are short-lived” (113).
We need to keep our similarity to grass in mind because if we are not careful, we can waste time on inconsequential things. We don’t have the time to waste. The evening is coming when our lives will wither and dry up. We need to make hay while the sun shines.
McEachern, Alton H. Psalms. Nashville, Tenn: Broadman Press, 1981.
Psalm 90:3 You return mortal humankind to the dust, saying, “Return, children of Adam.” Psalm 90:4 Yes, in your sight a thousand years are like yesterday that passes by, like a watch of the night.
he bestows and withdraws
Rogerson & McKay comment on verse 3: “God both bestows and withdraws the life-force which makes man a living person as opposed to lifeless matter” (200).
He decides how much time each of us has, and he does not pass that information along. It, therefore, behooves us to use the time we have in the best possible way. Each day is a gift from him, and we do not know how many such gifts we will have.
Rogerson, J W, and J W. McKay. Psalms 101-150. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1977.
Psalm 90:1 Lord, you have been where we live generation after generation. Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the land and the world, from age to age, you are God.
from age to age
Mays points out that the theme of time “is woven through the whole (of the psalm) in a way that identifies time as the problem of faith with which the psalm’s theology is concerned (vv. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15)” (290).
It does us all good to stop and realize that God has preceded us in time, and will still be here long after we are sleeping in the dust. He is the permanent one. We are temporary — at least we are now. Those who put their faith in Christ are promised a permanent resurrection life, but we are not there yet. He is the only one who is from age to age.
Mays, James L. Psalms. Louisville: John Knox Press, 2011.
Titus 3:12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, put forth your best effort to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to spend the winter there. Titus 3:13 Put forth your best effort to support and send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos; so that neither of them lacks the resources to join me. Titus 3:14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good achievements, so they can bring relief in these urgent cases, and not be unproductive. Titus 3:15 The ones who are with me send greetings to you. Greet our friends in the faith. Favor be with you all.
best effort
We can’t always do all the things we want to do, but we can put forth our best effort. May God give us the courage and commitment to always do so.
Titus 3:1 Keep reminding them to be submissive to their priorities and authorities, to obey them, to be ready to do every good achievement, Titus 3:2 to insult no one, to be a non-combatant, to be gentle, and to demonstrate consideration of all humans. Titus 3:3 Because we ourselves were once stupid, disobedient, led astray, slaves to our lusts and various pleasures, spending our lives by being mean and envious, hateful, hating one another. Titus 3:4 But when the goodness and loving kindness appeared from our Savior God, Titus 3:5 it appeared, not because of achievements done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Sacred Breath, Titus 3:6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, Titus 3:7 so that having been declared not guilty by his favor we might become heirs, confident of inheriting permanent life. Titus 3:8 The word is trustworthy, and I intend for you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good achievements. These things are good and profitable for humans. Titus 3:9 But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, arguments, and fights about the law because they are unprofitable and useless. Titus 3:10 As for a human who causes division, after warning him once and twice, refuse to participate with him, Titus 3:11 since we know that such a person has been warped and is being sinful; he is self-condemned.
mercy triumphs over stupidity
Harvey summarizes the argument of Paul here: “If God showed such kindness and love to men as he has manifested in saving us, we also ought to show kindness and love to all men” (142). God’s mercy reached out to us, removing our spiritual stupidity. Now it is our turn to treat others with the same mercy.
Harvey, H. Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles, First and Second Timothy and Titus, and the Epistle to Philemon. Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 1890.
Titus 2:11 Because the favor of God has appeared, announcing salvation for all humans, Titus 2:12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly lusting, and to live self-controlled, fair, and godly lives in the present age, Titus 2:13 waiting for our blessed hope, the glorious appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Titus 2:14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are uniquely his — enthusiastic about doing good achievements. Titus 2:15 You should say these kinds of things; encourage and reprimand because you have every right to do so. Do not let anyone wonder about your right to teach them.
say these kinds of things
This passage gives advice to Titus about the kinds of things he should be saying as he goes about his task of managing the mission work on Crete. He should be telling people about the salvation God has announced in Christ. He should be telling the Cretan Christians to renounce ungodliness and live godly lives in this present age. He should be pointing them toward the next age, which will begin when Jesus appears gloriously at his second coming.
Titus 2:1 But you should say what fits in with healthy teaching. Titus 2:2 Teach older men to be balanced, dignified, self-controlled, healthy in the faith, in the care, and in the perseverance. Titus 2:3 In the same way, teach older women to be reverent in how they act, not slanderers or slaves to a lot of wine. They should be good teachers, Titus 2:4 so that they can train the young women to show love to their husbands and show love to their children, Titus 2:5 to be self-controlled, devout, hard workers for their families, good, and submissive to their own husbands, so that the word of God may not be accused of being useless. Titus 2:6 In the same way, encourage the younger men to be self-controlled. Titus 2:7 Offer yourself to be a model of these good achievements in every way, demonstrating in your teaching integrity, dignity, Titus 2:8 and a healthy message which is beyond criticism, so that anyone wanting to oppose you may be put to shame, finding nothing worthless to say about us. Titus 2:9 Teach bond-servants to be submissive to their own employers in all matters; they should be satisfactory, not argumentative, Titus 2:10 not embezzling, but demonstrating that they can be trusted to do all kinds of good so that in everything they make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
training in consistent living
Barnes paraphrases the text in 2:5 as “That the gospel may not be injuriously spoken of on account of the inconsistent lives of those who profess to be influenced by it” (343). Believers of all types need to be trained to live consistently with the gospel message we profess. For each of us, there might be a different temptation to overcome. But we all have the responsibility to demonstrate that the word we live by has made us trustworthy.
Barnes, Albert, and Ingram Cobbin. Notes on the Epistles to the Thessalonians, to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon: Explanatory and Practical. Edinburgh: Gall & Inglis, 1840.
Titus 1:10 Because there are also many rebellious people, full of empty talk and deception, especially those from the circumcision faction. Titus 1:11 It is necessary to silence them; they overthrow whole households by teaching what they shouldn’t in favor of getting money shamefully. Titus 1:12 One of their very own prophets said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons. Titus 1:13 This testimony is accurate. So, rebuke them sharply, so that they may be healthy in the faith Titus 1:14 and may not pay attention to Jewish myths and the commands of humans who turn away from the truth. Titus 1:15 To the pure, everything is pure, but to those who are stained and unbelieving nothing is pure; in fact, both their mind and conscience are stained. Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but they are denying Him by their achievements. They are detestable, disobedient, and disqualified for any good achievement.
detestable, disobedient, and disqualified
This passage explains “why candidates for the office of overseer must possess the doctrinal qualifications described in verse 9 in order to assume this office.” 1 Others who are not qualified will presume that they should be overseers. Titus needed to look at the candidates’ achievements, not just their profession.
Some people who claim to be good leaders are actually “detestable, disobedient, and disqualified” and these should not be appointed as leaders in Christian communities.
William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries: “Exegesis and Exposition of Titus 1:10,” 2014. p.1.
Titus 1:5 In favor of this, I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone and, like I directed you to, to appoint elders in every town: Titus 1:6 someone who is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of irresponsible living or rebellion. Titus 1:7 Because an overseer, as God’s administrator, must be blameless, not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not addicted to wine, not a bully, not greedy for money, Titus 1:8 but hospitable, loving what is good, reasonable, righteous, holy, self-controlled, Titus 1:9 holding to the faithful word as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it.
blameless and biblical
These two words were to describe the person chosen by Titus to oversee the work of a particular congregation. These overseers were not pastors — in the strict unbiblical sense in which we use the word today. These were community leaders. They had to be blameless in terms of their relationship in their own families and the public. They also had to hold to the faithful word as taught, able to encourage sound teaching and refute those who contradict it.
Those are the qualifications of congregational leadership.
Titus 1:1 From Paul, servant of God, and missionary sent by Jesus Christ, representing the faith of God’s chosen ones, and the awareness of the truth which godliness brings; Titus 1:2 In hope of permanent life, which God (who is free from deceit) promised before the ages began; Titus 1:3 But he has revealed that promise in our own seasons through preaching, a task which has been handed over to me by order of God our Savior; Titus 1:4 To Titus, a legitimate child representing that shared faith: Favor, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.
a promise revealed
God has revealed a promise that he hinted at in the Old Testament — a promise of another life, a life that will not end. It is a permanent life, and only those who put their faith in Christ will receive it. Immortality is not an inherent possession of every soul. It is a gift, and it will be given only to those who respond to the promise in faith.
Devotions 