Meditations for Difficult Days - No. 20 - We Will Not Fear Death

The Great Plague of London, 1665

Reading through Daniel Defoe's journal of the bubonic plague in London, where he was living, we can't help noticing both similarities and differences with Covid-19.

Mortality rates for Europe were very high: close to one third of the population died, that's a very big difference, thank God.

Another difference was the complete ignorance of how the plague was spread (rat fleas spread the bacterium Y. pestis). Without transmission know-how they were unable to slow it down. People fled London in their panicked droves blocking the streets with horses and carts. How thankful we should be of God's good gift of science.

Another difference was the relatively slow speed it spread across London. Defoe could chronicle, day by day and week by week, the slow advance of the plague towards his part of London by the number of deaths recorded in each area. By contrast, with global travel and global commerce, Coronavirus has spread across the globe in a very short period of time. Was it not just last December that we heard of this modern plague?

But perhaps the most significant difference between then and now is how Daniel Defoe instinctively turned to the Bible for counsel. His brother had sent his own family ahead of him into the countryside and urged Daniel to flee himself with the three words, "Master save thyself!"

But various attempts by Daniel to leave London failed (a servant deserted him on one occasion, another time there were simply no horses left in London to be bought or hired), and so he became convinced that "Providence," as he puts it, wanted him to stay. Although he was a single man at this time, he had a business making saddles so he was responsible for other people and familes. He searched the Scriptures and lighted upon Psalm 91, which is about pestilence, especially verse 7, he says, which reads;

A thousand may fall at your side,

ten thousand at your right hand,

but it will not come near you.

From Psalm 91 he decided to stay in London and stick out the plague. "I scarce need tell the reader that from that moment I resolved that I would stay in the town casting myself entirely upon the goodness and protection of the Almighty; I would not seek any other shelter whatever."

Now I do not know if Defoe was a true believer or not. One of the problems in a culture that called itself "Christian" was that everyone thought they were Christians, and people who were not truly converted might just automatically turn to the Bible for comfort. The Lord alone knows the heart.

That being said, it is refreshing to read of someone turning to the Scriptures for counsel in a time of desperate need.

When it comes to death and dying, we who truly believe, ought to turn to the Scriptures for help and comfort.

And today, in Psalm 23, verse 4, we do that, for we read: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me......"

We don't talk about Death anymore

Into this most beautiful pastoral and peaceful psalm David abruptly introduces the "D" word. Perhaps we wish he hadn't. In our western culture - at least until very recent Covid-19 times - we have avoided the word.

Because we do not have someone in our immediate circle dying every week or so, since we are the beneficiaries of wonderful medicine and nutritious food, death is a rare phenomenon for most of us.

In other lands, frequent bereavement is the norm, so thoughts of mortality press into the mind regularly. But perhaps by the end of the next few weeks, everyone reading this blog will be touched, whether family, friend or village, by death.

I am so glad the David does not gloss over death, for all of us will one day die, and life beyond the grave is the Christian's greatest future hope and deepest longing.

Notice three things.....

Death is a Valley

First, David calls death a valley. Mountains hide the sun from valleys. The sun is out, but only refracted and reflected light reaches the valley. And that reminds us that the process of dying is a sad time. One only has to read the description of old age leading to the severed silver chord and the broken golden bowl in Ecclesiastes 12 to confirm this sober fact. The Lord Jesus Christ wept over the death of his good friend Lazarus and Paul called death the last enemy.

I don't personally look forward to growing old.

Death is bad news because death, against the thinking of the world, is not natural. Death is an imposter in God's good world. Adam and Eve, had they not eaten from the one tree would have eaten from the other tree - and lived forever. We were meant to live forever and forever, but the moment sin came into the world, so did death, for the wages of sin is death.

Death is a valley: none of us should be surprised about the sadness of death. It would be strange for it to be otherwise. Death, and all of its friends are sorrowful.

The idea that death invokes sadness is also hinted at by the notion that we must walk through this valley. We do not pass through in a brief moment, unless we die all of a sudden, but even then others will walk through the valley in their grief over us. The valley takes time to traverse.

There is the descent into illness, then the passing itself, and then the grieving of those around us. It could be a very long walk.

David is preparing himself for death. It is a wise man or woman, who understands these things and prepares both heart and mind.

One of the most joyful and godly women I have known wrote down a whole sheet full of instuctions about her death and funeral, long before she departed. That was not eccentricity, it was solid wisdom, for she knew her time would come - and her thoughtful actions also spared her loved ones anxious uncertainty in a season of grief.

Are you ready for death?

I will Fear no Evil

But gloom be gone! David says, in the second place, that when he walks through that valley, he will fear no evil. He is confident, before the event, that he will not be frightened.

Christians do not fear death - this has been one of the defining characteristics of Christians in all ages. Wesley declared of the Methodists "our people die well." The Christian preacher F B Meyer wrote confidently, “I have just heard to my surprise that I have only a few more days to live. It may be that before this reaches you I shall have entered the palace. Don’t trouble to write; we shall meet in the morning!”

We sometimes hear believers say that they fear the process of dying, by which they mean the decline, the pain, the uncertainty, but not death itself. Is not David challenging that fear as well?

Is David not saying that he does not fear the whole valley, from start to end?

If today we find ourselves fearful, though many miles from the valley, we need to remember that God does not give us tomorrow's grace today. He will give us the grace to walk through the valley when the time comes. When we step into the valley, then he will give us grace.

David is utterly confident that when he begins the walk he will fear no evil.

Now why?

Because the Good Shepherd is With Me

David will not fear the valley of the shadow of death - when he has to walk it - because he is confident that the Good Shepherd will be with him.

He has walked with the Good Shepherd many years already and experienced his faithful leading, provision and love, he's confident that that same loving care will also accompany him in the valley. Why not?

Many folk across the world today are dying in isolation, without the normal companionship of family or friends. Covid-19 is turning death into a lonely experience.

But Christians never die alone! They need to be assured that though husband, wife, children, parents and Christian friends may be barred from their final hours, the gentle Spirit of the Lord Jesus will be with them, making his presence real.

A SONG FOR THE DAY

Our song today is the recent, by hymn standards, (1996) and beautiful rendition of Psalm 23 by Stuart Townend.

The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;

He makes me lie in pastures green.

He leads me by the still, still waters,

His goodness restores my soul.

And I will trust in You alone,

For Your endless mercy follows me,

Your goodness will lead me home.

He guides my ways in righteousness,

And He anoints my head with oil,

And my cup, it overflows with joy,

I feast on His pure delights.

And though I walk the darkest path,

I will not fear the evil one,

For You are with me, and Your rod and staff

Are the comfort I need to know.

Hear it here -

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Dear loving Father in heaven,

We thank you that believers can talk openly about death - and most of all because it is but the doorway to eternal life with God.

We thank you that because Jesus rose triumphantly from the dead, we will rise too.

We thank you that death, our last enemy, has been gloriously defeated by our Saviour's resurrection.

Help us to prepare for death. Help us to be strengthened by the truth that our Good Shepherd will be with us in that valley, for he is the same yesterday, today and forever.

We pray these things in the exalted name of Jesus!

Amen

Pastor's Blog

This post is taken from our Pastor Roy Summers’ blog, where he discusses and comments on a wide range of current subjects and issues both in the world and in the church.

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Pastor's BlogJoel Keller6 April 2020Roy Summers, Meditations for Difficult Days