Death: It Is NOT a Blessing!

These are thoughts I have had today. When you read them, you are, more or less, reading my mind. But I might change my mind, or at least adjust it, tomorrow.

Having experienced the death of my sister in March and several other deaths in or related to our church family, the subject of death is on my mind more often than in the past. Two of the recent deaths, my sister and our church pianist, have been described as "blessings" since Cheryl suffered from ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) and Donna was eaten up by pancreatic cancer. I am sure I have thought the same thing myself.

But to say that death, any death, is a blessing is wrong… every time.

His death was necessary but… If death was the blessing, then why the resurrection?

Cheryl's life was a blessing. Her death was a curse. The same is true for Donna and every child of God.

Death is a result of sin (Romans 6:23). It is a part of the curse of sin. Would you ever say that death is a blessing for a person who does not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Of course not! Then death itself can not be a blessing.

The blessing for Cheryl, Donna, and every other believer is that they did/do not truly die. Jesus said so in John 3:16 & 5:24! When God says "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints" (Psalm 115:16), the word "yaqar" means: Valuable, brightness, clear, costly, excellent, fat, honorable women, precious, and reputation. The context of the verse, i.e. the 116th Psalm is about life and living for the Lord. It speaks more of deliverance from death (vv.3, 4, 6, & 8). In its context verse 16 reads more about God's esteem for His children than about the event of death.

For my sister and other believers afflicted by cruel diseases, the end of suffering was/is a blessing because they most certainly remain alive but are free from their tortured bodies. So, we can say that the death of the physical body is a blessing for the follower of Christ because the believer continues to live in the presence of Jesus Himself. Now, that is a blessing!