Let’s begin with our memory verses – what have you come up with for the letter “D?” All very good!!
Like Sheila, this month’s letter has been a bit of a stickler – not many subjects came jumping out at me – three actually, but because of what has transpired lately, I settled on one that I wanted to study a bit more closely myself in God’s Word. Rick and I are going through the poetic books of the Old Testament in our family devotions and we recently finished the book of Ecclesiastes. King Solomon left us with so many plain thoughts, I’d say, common sense thoughts, in those few short chapters, like this one in Ecclesiastes 3:1 & 2: “(1) To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: (2) A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.” What Solomon is saying so succinctly here is that we shouldn’t be surprised, birth and death are a natural part of life. So, I have decided tonight we will look at “D is for Death.” A bit morbid sounding, I know, but I think there’s something here for all of us to learn.
PRAYER
Let’s open our Bibles to the Book of 2nd Samuel and begin reading in Chapter One, verse one.
(1) Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag; (2) It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance. (3) And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped. (4) And David said unto him, How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me. And he answered, That the people are fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also. (5) And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead? (6) And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. (7) And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I. (8) And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite. (9) He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me. (10) So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord. (11) Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him: (12) And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.
- Death Brings Mourning
2nd Samuel begins with David learning of Saul’s death. You remember all the things that happened in the life of David in 1st Samuel? This young boy was chosen from all his older brothers to be king. Yet he was a boy who had to stay with his father while his brothers went to war; took them food; saw the need that none of the king’s army would fight the warrior from Gath and in his dependence on God was able to kill the giant, Goliath. The boy who gained notoriety among the people, jealousy from the king, a true friend in the king’s son, Jonathan; lived at the palace until the king’s jealousy could not harbor him any longer; and spent years in exile while the king hunted him like an animal in his desire to keep David from becoming king. This is the David we find in the beginning of 2nd Samuel. A man who has been on the run, the man of whom was said in Acts 13:22 – “And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will.” This is the David, who instead of rejoicing over the death of an enemy is suddenly brought to tears and great grief over his death. In fact, if you continue reading, you will see that the young messenger who confesses to killing the king will himself be put to death for daring to do so. David never wished upon Saul what Saul tried to do to David. In spite of the pain that Saul inflicted upon him, David steadfastly remained loyal to and loved Saul. Saul was David’s enemy, but he was God’s man, and David never forgot that. But I want us to read again verse 12: “And they [who? David & his men] mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.” Remember when David slew Goliath and the people sang, “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands,” {1 Samuel 18:7}? That didn’t last long. When Saul turned on David, so did many of the people. Yet, here, we see David and his men in grief for the death of the king, and in mourning for the people of God. What love was in the heart of David! Proverbs 24:17-19 says, “(17) Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: (18) Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him. (19) Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked.”
When death comes into our lives, and it will, there will be mourning. That’s alright. But we must do it with care. Remember what Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 4:13 – “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.” He went on to say that we believe in the resurrection of Christ, so we have the promise of seeing our loved ones again, so our mourning must not be as those who do not have faith. That should give us comfort as we grieve!
- Death Is Separation
One of the lessons I teach to my class is a very fundamental understanding of death and the fact that death in the Bible is not what we think of in our life – when we lose our loved ones. Death is, in fact, separation. In the Bible, there are 3 kinds of separation:
- Separation from God: spiritual death
In Genesis 2:17, God warned Adam and Eve, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Now, if we consider death to only mean the end of the physical body, we will never understand the meaning of this passage. However, what is meant here, first of all, is the death of man’s relationship with God – Adam would immediately be separated from God. Let me give you another example. When Satan & those angels who followed him acted in great disobedience – what happened? Isaiah 14:15 says, “Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” And Jesus said in Luke 10:18, “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” God warned Adam that, if he disobeyed His command, he would no longer be God’s friend. Adam would become God’s enemy as Satan had. Adam would be separated from God’s love and friendship. Adam would die. Adam would be separated from God, the source of life and all that is good. That part of Adam which was created in God’s image so Adam could know, love, and obey God would be separated from God if Adam ate the forbidden fruit.
- Separation from this body: physical death
This is what we think of when we say “death.” However, God did not mean that Adam would die physically the same day he ate of the fruit. God meant that on that day, Adam would be cut off from God who is the source of life. Because of this, he would also have to die physically. Remember that in the Garden of Eden, there was also a Tree of Life. I like to illustrate this with the small children by taking them on a “field trip.” We go outside and go to the hedges and cut off a branch. Then we go back inside and discuss what we did. What is this? Where did it come from? Is it alive? Will it stay alive? And then every Sunday we watch what happens to our branch. It’s a very visual picture of what would happen to the bodies of Adam and Eve, and they all, my little children, understand how Adam and Eve began to die physically on the day that they left the beautiful garden of God! Then, it’s easy to graduate from that to when a person dies, he (his spirit or soul—the part of him you cannot see) is separated from his body, and so his body dies. Paul puts it this way in 2 Corinthians 5 – “(4) For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. (5) Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. (6) Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (7) (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) (8) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
- Separation forever in the Lake of Fire: “Second Death”
Finally, because Adam disobeyed God, not only would his body die, but he would also go eventually to the Lake of Fire. This is the same place of terrible punishment which God prepared for Satan and his followers, “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” Matthew 25:41. Unless another choice was made, Adam’s punishment (and all sinners to follow) would be forever and ever. Revelation 20:14 says, “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”
- Death Causes Repentance
I just finished reading the Book of Ezekiel, which I always find extremely fascinating! There’s a curious verse at the end of Ezekiel chapter 18: “For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” – Ezekiel 18:32. The Lord had been talking to Ezekiel about the sins of Israel that they had accumulated before and even during their captivity, and in this chapter God was pointing out that each individual was only responsible for their own account; the father did not have to pay for the sins of his son; the son was not responsible for the sins of the father. In other words, their slate was clean – it wasn’t the sins of the nation for which He expected change, it was their own individual life. Each of us must account for our own actions. And in this chapter, when God says he will forgive the wicked if he admits/confesses his sin and seeks repentance, in verse 25, we read, “Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?” In other words, they were complaining, “God, you’re not fair!” In the same chapter, God, in dealing with their sins told them they could live a righteous life but commit a sin and die still needing payment for that sin. Again the same complaint was lodged in verse 29, “God, you’re not fair!” So the Lord tells them in verse 30 they will be judged, “(30) Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. (31) Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? (32) For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” What we have to understand is that they had been taught that there was a coming Redeemer. To make a new heart and a new spirit was for them to trust in that coming Redeemer on Whom they needed to believe; the one to Whom all their sacrifices pointed. When they repented and believed, they could repent and cast away their iniquities, the same way as you and I do.
While they remained in captivity, watching the grief of those around them, often seeing many die an early death, don’t you think these words of the prophet Ezekiel came to them, God chastising them and warning them?
Death should bring us to our knees. It should cause us to look into our hearts. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:” One of my favorite books is Vance Havner’s Though I Walk Through the Valley, in which he shares about the journey he took with his wife when she contracted a grave illness and eventually died. Let me read you a favorite passage. He says,
The valley is not endless, it will not stretch on forever. Ira D. Sankey, the great gospel singer, went blind in his later years. When a friend visited him, Sankey sat down at his organ and sang with that voice that had blessed so many:
There’ll be no dark valley when Jesus comes
To gather His loved ones home.
william o. cushing
He has long since made it home through the dark Valley. And so shall we.”
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