When it’s time for me to die
“The LORD said to Moses, ‘Now the day of your death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting, where I will commission him.’ So Moses and Joshua came and presented themselves at the Tent of Meeting.” (Deuteronomy 31:14)
In a little while today, I will be attending the funeral of a certain sister in Christ. I heard that she suffered from a chronic disease for several years and then fell asleep peacefully. Unfortunately, it is said that her husband, the elder of a church, took care of her with the utmost sincerity. To some extent, according to the elder's son-in-law, it was indeed “labor of love” (1 Thess. 1:3). When the elder returned to the house after participating in the wedding ceremony, he saw her fell asleep peacefully. When I think about what that elder must feel, I can't quite imagine. After I heard the news about her death, and saw my wife sleeping last night, I had this and that thoughts. I saw her sleeping well even though I came into our room, turn on the light and was reading a book. As I watched her sleeping, I thought about how I would feel if my wife left me first. The death of a loved one is truly hard to accept and very sad indeed.
In Deuteronomy 31:14, we see a scene where God said to Moses, “Now the day of your death is near.” So God commanded Moses to bring Joshua to the tabernacle. The reason was because God had a word to instruct Joshua (v. 14). As I meditated on this word, I came to think of Moses’ position when the time of death was over. The reason is because God said that Moses’ death was near, and that he would not enter Canaan, the Promised Land he wanted to enter, and would die without seeing it, and that he knew that after his death the Israelites were sure to become utterly corrupt and to turn from the way God had commanded them and would provoke God to anger (v. 29). He knew it because God had told him: “You are going to rest with your fathers, and these people will soon prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake me and break the covenant I made with them. On that day I will become angry with them and forsake them; I will hide my face from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters and difficulties will come upon them, and on that day they will ask, 'Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is not with us?' And I will certainly hide my face on that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods” (vv. 16-18). Moses knew that when the Israelites entered the land of Canaan, “and they have eaten and are satisfied and become prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn Me and break My covenant” (v. 20; 32:15). As a result, Moses knew that God would be angry with them and forsake them, hide His face, and bring them many disasters and difficulties (31:21). So Moses said to the Israelites, “Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officials, so that I can speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to testify against them” (31:27). Moses knew that after his death the Israelites would corrupt themselves, depart from the way God had commanded them, do evil in the sight of God, and provoke Him to wrath (v. 29). Knowing this fact, Moses had reached the end of his death. So, how did Moses feel?
How will the parents who believe in Jesus feel toward their children when the time of their death is near? In particular, how would they feel when they know that their children are still pretending to live a religious life by coming to church because of them, but their children would leave the church and live as worldly people when they die? Can they properly close their eyes comfortably? In the midst of this, what can the parents do? We, the parents, must look to the God of the covenant, who is true and faithful, with faith and pray to Him. God will have compassion on our children (32:36). When our children suffer difficulties because of the God’s discipline of love and there strengthen is gone (v. 36), when their foot slip (v. 35), God will have compassion on them (v. 36). And God will make atonement for our children (v. 43). Therefore our children, His people, will rejoice (v. 43). May God grant us wisdom to understand this fact and to discern what their end of our children will be (v. 29).
Reflecting on the moment of my death through the funeral service of the late sister in Christ Bok-hee Lee who died on her knees,
James Kim