Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
Some words or phrases don’t seem to go together. For example: Icy hot, jumbo shrimp, new antiques, sorta married, kinda pregnant, open secret, clearly confused, growing smaller, virtual reality…we call these expressions either an oxymoron or a contradiction in terms. In today’s verse, there are two words used together that in our modern way of thinking don’t seem to fit. Precious and Death: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” Makes you wonder…what’s so precious about death? When we come to bury a loved one…a mother, father, brother, sister, a close friend, a beloved fellow Christian…what’s so precious about that? When my daughter was a little girl I would watch her sleep and think…”how precious.” We speak of a baby being precious. A cute little girl with a frilly dress. Two little cousins hugging each other. But death? When someone dies, we often respond with shock and exclaim, “Oh, no!” Our words associated with death are tragic. Loss. Sad. Unfair. Too soon. But not precious. So, how do we understand this passage? The Lord sees life differently than we do! God sees from a greater perspective. A loftier outlook. A deeper insight. A heavenly vista. And an eternal viewpoint. He sees it as everlasting. Earth life, in His plan, is but a preface to life beyond the grave. Death is not the end, but just the beginning. It’s a transition to another phase of life. God promises that we will be given a glorious body. Immortal. Incorruptible. Undefiled. And eternal. Think about it? A better body. A better home. A better inheritance. Free from sickness. Suffering. Sorrow. And sadness. We will be soaring to new heights unimaginable on the other side of eternity. Not all deaths can be deemed precious. Sadly, we witness the death of those unprepared. Outside of Christ. Unfaithful to the Lord. Or in denial that there is a God. The text speaks of “His saints.” There is a special place in the heart of God for His people. One version renders this verse. “The Lord values the lives of his faithful followers.” The verse suggests a unique relationship we may enjoy with our Creator. A familial fellowship. A divine association. A valued connection. And a place of special endearment. While we may not understand the depth of God’s feeling when our loved ones die, or when we walk the valley of death, we can take comfort in His loving care. In His immutable promises. And in the eternal hope and soothing peace that His presence provides. Indeed, “blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.”
Spiritual Steve 