Precious

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his servants.

 - Psalm 116:13

The 116th Psalm talk a lot about evading death. The Psalmist asks God to save him from death.

Death and enemies - - - the two are often joined in Scripture. Death is called an "enemy."

And indeed it is. How then, is death called "precious"? How can something that is an enemy, be considered "precious"?

Well, first, the word "precious" likely doesn't mean the same to us, as it did even fifty years ago. We can say a baby is "precious," which is often through to mean "cute," or "darling."

But it would be ridiculous to say that death is a cute, or darling thing. But think about it a little further . . . 

What if precious means . . . something we would not want to mistreat, or harm? What if it means: Something of great, delicate, and profound value, or meaning to us?

Mortality is a central topic throughout all of Scripture. The whole point of the Garden of Eden was that humanity began to die. Cain and Abel is all about the first murder.

Death is a central theme everywhere in Scripture. It is not something to trifle with, or slip over. If you are not driven by am urgent desire to live forever, it is hard to see how you would be at all interested in the Gospel.

How about this - - - when a servant of the Lord dies . . . God is moved, tenderly and massively. It brings Him to tears. He will miss us, as we miss our loved ones, until Christ's return and He can commune with us again, except now . . . in person, physically. 

God notices when we die. It moves Him. It is a precious thing to Him.