“They rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness.”
If we are thinking this verse from Isaiah describes the
peace of mind that accompanies righteous living, we need to look a little
closer at the context. He’s not talking about the proverbial “sleep of the
just”. The “rest” Isaiah has in view is of the rather-more-permanent variety.
There are lots of ways to exit this world, but departing
quietly in one’s sleep has got to be among the best. There are nobler ways to go, sure,
but they tend to come with their share of heart palpitations.
Taken Away from Calamity
Like many Christians who have walked with the Lord for a
number of years, I think I can say quite honestly that I don’t fear
death. It’s pain I’m not keen on. Some very good men and women have
shuffled off this mortal coil in terrible,
terrible ways. I am not too proud to tell you I have no
particular desire to add to their number.
And sometimes
the Lord accommodates people like me. I seem to recall reading
somewhere that he does not allow us to be tested
beyond what we can bear. That’s something to be thankful for.
The full
context of our verse follows, from the beginning of Isaiah 57:
“The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity; he enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness.”
Anticipating the judgment of God on the nation of Judah,
Isaiah reminds God’s straying people that sometimes the folks who are taken
home early are actually getting a sweet deal. Far from being punished for their choices in life, they are the recipients of exceptional divine favor.
Crowding the Exits
For me, 2020 and 2021 to date have been funeral after
memorial after celebration of life, most attended remotely or put off until the
present restrictions on assembling are lifted. Some of these departures were
predictable and anticipated, others definitely were not. Interestingly, not one
has been COVID-related. The three people I know who have had the
virus, all older or health-compromised in some way, rebounded just fine.
Now, the plural of anecdote is not data, and this sudden
mass exodus could simply be coincidental. After all, I’m getting to the time of
life when those I know best from the previous generation are well into
their seventies and eighties, and a certain regularity of attrition is to be
expected. Still, a number from my own generation have begun to exit in what are
generally referred to as “untimely” ways. Regardless, it’s a lot of friends, family
members, acquaintances and loved ones in such a short period of time — the
vast majority believers — and I’m almost starting to wonder if the
principle Isaiah lays down here may be in play.
Grace at the Worst Times
It’s not such a crazy idea, is it? That when bad times are
on the way, the Lord might take some of his most faithful servants home prior
to the chaos as a reward for their devotion. When any society starts to come
unglued, the elderly are frequently first to take the hit. And “Precious in the
sight of the Lord is the
death of his saints.” The circumstances of our passage from this world to
the next are a matter of deep concern to our God, who is present when every
sparrow falls to the ground. And as the Lord assured his disciples
(I like to think with tongue somewhat in cheek), “You are of more value
than many sparrows.”
The one who wept at the tomb of Lazarus is present at the
bedside of each of his beloved servants, unseen but unmistakably in attendance.
It should not surprise us when he is especially gracious in what can often be
the hardest moments of life. It should definitely not surprise those of us who
believe we will be called to meet the Lord Jesus in the air to find that he
often spares the righteous from living through times of calamity. That actually
makes perfect sense to me.
... While No One Understands
It also makes a great deal of sense to me that the living
rarely see catastrophe coming, even when we observe the aforementioned
phenomenon around us. “Devout men are taken away, while no one understands.” We tend to miss the signs. Despite sharing a worldview that definitely allows for the possibility of abrupt changes
in the fortunes of individuals, nations and the world, many Christians are
closet uniformitarians. Sure, big events happen all the time ... just not
to me. Especially when we are generally healthy, it is hard for us to imagine
we could be next in line, and that an “early” exit might even be a form of
blessing rather than judgment.
Is it better to be paranoid than oblivious? You tell me.
There are times
and seasons to history, and if indeed something wicked this way comes,
getting caught
napping is not a good look.
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