Numbers 23:1 - 12 The death of the righteous
10 Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his! BALAAM SAW:-
1. THE REALITY OF DEATH. 10 Let me die
2. HIS RESPONSIBILITY TO DEATH. 10 the death of the righteous
3. THE REMEDY TO DEATH 10 and let my last end be like his!
He Can't Prevent Death, but He can Prepare for it.
Heb. 9:27 “as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”
A Personnal Appointment, A Powerful Appointment, A Practical Appointment, 1 Cor 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
Solomon says Eccl. 3:1 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;
I. DEATH DEFINED - 10 Let me die the death of the righteous, - Death Is :-
A. PHYSICAL - A Separation of the spirit from the Body
James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Paul describes death in II Tim. 4:6 as a departure. “For I am now ready to
be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.”
(1) It is an unloosing - as of things woven, (2) It is a dissolving - into separate parts
(3) It is a departure - when preparing to set sail, or(4) It is like breaking up an encampment.
a. Eccl. 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Gen. 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
b. The body decays and returns to the dust of the earth
c. The spirit returns to God to await the resurrection.
B. SPIRITUAL - A Separation of man from God - Adam and Eve Sinned
Gen. 2:17 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.
Isa. 59:1 Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
C. ETERNAL or second death
Rev. 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life
II. DEATH DESCRIBED
A. Like water spilled on the ground - 2 Sam. 14:14 For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again;
B. The silver cord is loosed - Process of aging - Eccl. 12:6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. - various ways to die - the golden bowl is the head (head injury); pitcher is the lungs (lung disease) wheel is the heart and circulatory system (heart failure).
But the Silver Cord. "loosed" being removed far away, the departure of the spirit of a man -
7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
C. As a sleep - John 11:11-14 V. 14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
Acts 7:60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. (Stephen)
This implies that death is: a. Natural - just like sleep, b. Necessary & c. Temporary -
D. As a pale horse - Rev. 6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.
E. As an enemy - 1 Cor. 15:26 “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”
III. DEATH DESPISED
A. Because of the misery - the pain and parting.
B. the mischief - the corruption of the grave which follows it
C. the mystery - the uncertainty of their destiny
D. the mastery - the love of life and things of this life
IV. DEATH DETERMINED
The Immortalist Movement - In a Book called “The Immortalist” Alan Harrington wrote:
“Death is an imposition on the human race, and no longer acceptable.”
Heb. 9:27 “as it is appointed unto men once to die"
Life expectancy has doubled but the death rate remains the same, one death per birth
Methuselah died at age 969 - Gen. 5:27 - Adam = 930 Noah = 950
A Russian doctor invented a youth serum to lengthen life to 150, he died At 64
Ps. 90:10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Death cannot be bribed - a gangster pressed money into the hands of a doctor. HE DIED.
V. DEATH DESIRED - HOW TO DIE
A. The Differences in Death - There are only two ways of dying.
1. Like the righteous - 10 Let me die the death of the righteous,
2. Like the fool - II Sam. 3:33 And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth? 34 Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters: as a man falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou. And all the people wept again over him.
B. The Determinations in Death - The way we die is determined by the way we live
1. Righteous Rev. 14:13 - And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
2. Fool Luke 12:20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
C. The Destinations in Death - But Death is the gateway to being with Jesus
Phil. 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ... 23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
