What other scriptures warn about the brevity of life due to disobedience? A sobering word from Psalm 78:33 “So He ended their days in futility and their years in sudden terror.” Other places Scripture sounds the same alarm • Deuteronomy 4:25–26 – “If you act corruptly… you will quickly perish from the land… you will not live there long, but will be utterly destroyed.” • Deuteronomy 30:17–18 – “If your heart turns away and you will not obey… I declare to you this day that you will surely perish; you will not prolong your days in the land.” • Numbers 14:28–29, 32 – “Your corpses will fall in this wilderness… your little ones… I will bring in, but you—your bodies will fall in this wilderness.” • 1 Samuel 2:31–33 – “There will not be an old man in your house… all your descendants will die in the prime of life.” • Psalm 55:23 – “Bloodthirsty and deceitful men will not live out half their days.” • Job 22:16 – “They were snatched away before their time; their foundations were swept away by a flood.” • Proverbs 10:27 – “The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be shortened.” • Ecclesiastes 7:17 – “Do not be excessively wicked… Why should you die before your time?” • Isaiah 65:12 – “I will destine you for the sword, and all of you will bow down to the slaughter, because I called and you did not answer.” • Acts 5:5, 10 – “When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died… About three hours later… she fell down at his feet and died.” • 1 Corinthians 11:29–30 – “Anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.” Patterns worth noticing – Disobedience cuts life short, whether for an entire generation (Numbers 14) or one household (1 Samuel 2). – Length of days is repeatedly tied to listening to God’s voice (Deuteronomy 30:19–20, Proverbs 10:27). – Judgment is not confined to the Old Testament; the church in Acts and Corinth saw the same principle at work. Living in the light of these warnings God’s Word never exaggerates. When He says rebellion shortens life, He means it. By contrast, submitting to His commands brings the only true security—both now and forever. |
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