Topical Bible: Flowers: Shortness of Man's Life

◄ Flowers: Shortness of Man's Life ►

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In the Bible, flowers are frequently used as a metaphor to illustrate the brevity and transience of human life. This imagery is deeply rooted in the natural world, where flowers bloom with beauty and vibrancy but quickly wither and fade. The Scriptures employ this metaphor to remind believers of the fleeting nature of earthly existence and the importance of focusing on eternal matters.

One of the most poignant references to this theme is found in the Book of Psalms. Psalm 103:15-16 states, "As for man, his days are like grass—he blooms like a flower of the field; when the wind passes over, it vanishes, and its place remembers it no more." Here, the psalmist draws a parallel between the ephemeral beauty of a flower and the short span of human life, emphasizing the inevitability of mortality.

Similarly, the prophet Isaiah uses this imagery to convey the same message. Isaiah 40:6-8 declares, "A voice says, 'Cry out.' And I asked, 'What should I cry out?' 'All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall when the breath of the LORD blows on them; indeed, the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.'" This passage contrasts the temporary nature of human life with the enduring and unchanging word of God, urging believers to place their trust in divine promises rather than worldly achievements.

The New Testament also echoes this theme. In the Epistle of James, the author writes, "For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits" (James 1:11). This verse serves as a warning against the pursuit of wealth and earthly success, which are as fleeting as the life of a flower.

The metaphor of flowers as a symbol of life's shortness is not only a reminder of human mortality but also an invitation to live with wisdom and purpose. By recognizing the temporary nature of life, believers are encouraged to seek a deeper relationship with God and to invest in spiritual treasures that endure beyond the grave. The beauty and brevity of flowers serve as a powerful visual reminder of the need to prioritize eternal values over temporal concerns.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 14:2
He comes forth like a flower, and is cut down: he flees also as a shadow, and continues not.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 103:15
As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Book ii.
... has clothed itself with a variety of flowers, it is ... And certainly the usual shortness
of life seems neither to ... of the whole course of man's life, what comfort ...
//christianbookshelf.org/ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/book ii.htm

The Barren Fig-Tree;
... for fruit according to the nature of the plant or flowers. ... I say to the wicked, O
wicked man, thou shalt ... if he walk in the statutes of life, without committing ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the barren fig-tree.htm

Panegyric on his Brother S. C??sarius.
... and firstfruits or garlands and newly plucked flowers, wherewith men ... As for man his
days are as grass, as a ... in these words, "Let me know the shortness of my ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/oration vii panegyric on his.htm

On the Soul and the Resurrection.
... information of the like, ascertaining the nature of the malady by the shortness
of the ... Once man's life had but one character; and by that I mean that it was to ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/on the soul and the 2.htm

The Heart of the Gospel
... In the days of Nero there was great shortness of food in the city of ... but much more
absurd would it be to try to overlay with flowers of speech ... Yield thee, man! ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 32 1886/the heart of the gospel.htm

The Peculiar Sleep of the Beloved
... the next wind may wither all the flowers, and where shall ... deceived; God is not mocked;
whatsoever a man soweth that ... of your own lives"by the shortness of time ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/the peculiar sleep of the.htm

The Necessity of Diligently Seeking the Saints' Rest.
... the work we have to do, to the shortness and uncertainty ... with all its furniture of
plants and flowers, fruits, birds ... never was, nor ever will be, a man but will ...
/.../baxter/the saints everlasting rest/chapter vii the necessity of.htm

False Profession.
... the canker-rose; flowers, and wild flowers; the apple ... his body, with headache, heartache,
backache, shortness of breath ... almost all the symptoms of a man past all ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bunyan/the riches of bunyan/xx false profession.htm

The Desire of the Righteous Granted;
... his estate. For even 'all that a man hath will he give for his life,' and
to keep body and soul firmly knit together. But now, when ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the desire of the righteous.htm

Israel's Hope Encouraged;
... mercy from everlasting.' 'There is no single flowers in God's ... at the revelation of
Jesus Christ, all shortness in duties ... is no more possible for a man to live ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/israels hope encouraged.htm