Why Is The Death Of God's Saints Precious In His Sight?

Psalms 116:15

WHY IS THE DEATH OF GOD’S SAINTS

PRECIOUS IN HIS SIGHT?

I. COMMITMENT: *

A. Caring.

B. Changing.

C. Contentment.

II. CESSATION: **

A. Cries.

B. Cares.

C. Calamities.

III. COMMENCEMENTS: ***

A. Compensation.

B. Comprehension.

C. Celebration.

Why does the Bible state such a maxim? For those saints that have led the way before us, it is hard to rejoice in their departure. When we see and know that they have stood the tests of time and have been faithful to God, it is hard to say our last good-bys to them because we still need their prayers, their influence and their spirit among us to help fight Satan’s ways. Yet, God says that the death of His saints is precious in His eyes. We need to step back, take a better look at the Bible and try to see why God says that the death of His children is precious in His eyes. If we can do that then we can better understand the reason why He has said this and it helps us to keep on pressing on toward the “mark of the high calling.”

I believe there are three things involved here regarding the death of His saints as He sees it and when fully comprehended, we can better understand the reason for this solid bit of truth in the Psalms. These three are: there is a fulfilling of a COMMITMENT made by God to His people who believes in Him. Next, I see that there is a certain CESSATION of some things that the saints of God have endured and now that death has come to the saints, some things end and God is happy over the death of one of His children. Finally, I see that there is a COMMENCEMENT of some things for the saints which begin at the article of death and cannot begin until one dies in the faith of God’s love and care.

Some of the critics say that the development of an after life came at a gradual revelation among the Hebrews which then passed on into the Christians’ psyche with the advent of Jesus. I have trouble with this theory. I feel that God planted within man’s breast, at Creation, the aspect that there is life after this life, and although it may not have been discussed much in the earlier pages of the Bible, I feel that old Job had the right question when he asked, “If a man dies will he live again?” Job has been viewed as one of the oldest books of the Bible and if he felt that way, then others felt it also.

Here, David makes no assertion as to the wherewithal of an after life, but simply states that when one of God’s saints die, God rejoices, and God certainly does not rejoice over one of His saints dying with no after life with Him, but rejoices because His child now comes Home to be with Him for ever. The aspect of an after life of either being with God or lost from Him is not new, it is as old as that first story of the Bible and David adds a truth here by encouraging the saint of God that with his passing, God is delighted.

THE COMMITMENT: God is delighted with the death of one of His saints because at last He is able to fulfill His Commitment He made with that saint once that one accepted Him as his God.

The first part of this Commitment by God to His child is the promise He makes in Caring for us. Coming to God as a sinner, we accept Him to be our God and our Savior in this life and into the next. We agree to follow Him, to serve Him, to live for Him, and to be His child and He agrees to Care for us by not allowing more to come upon us than what we can bear. This involves all aspects of our lives: sickness, financial reverses; loss of spouses, children, and family; a loss of mental ability, spiritual acumen; and, all else that makes us to be contented followers of Him. But, when life becomes too hard and we cannot hold on for mere survival sakes, God is aware of our situation and His promise of not allowing us more to endure than we can bear comes into His mind and through His caring for us, He honors His Commitment to us and takes us home. Our passing on into glory to be with Him is blessed in His sight because He knows He has fulfilled His promise to us.

Next, I see a part of this Commitment He has made with His saints has to do with the many Changes in our lives. He entered into an agreement with us when we became His and when we surrendered all to Him, we basically said, “Take over, I am at your disposal.” Some of the Changes He effects in our lives has to do with our homes, our jobs, our positions, our callings, our entire way of life. What we start out with God, is usually not that which we end with Him. But, He has promised to guide us and to lead us and when he effects Changes in our lives, we find it wholesome to bow our heads and say, “Not my will, but Thine be done.” Some of these Changing times are hard to endure at the moment, but through Commitment to Him and He to us, we begin to realize that it is the best for us. When it comes time for the greatest Change in our lives-from earth to heaven, it is glorious in His eyes because at last He brings us Home to abide with Him for ever. He views this last Change in our lives as precious, because we will be at home with Him and at last be Changed into the likeness of his Son. He has made a Commitment with us to make us better and to give us the best-and death is the only way He can fulfill that Commitment He has made with us.