Matters of Life and Death III

Larry Siegle
09/08/24 - Sun AM

Link to sermon video: Matters of Life and Death III - L Siegle

Matters of Life and Death III

(Psalm 119:160)

Series:  Matters of Life and Death

Thesis:  Learning to understand and appreciate what God has set before each of us.

INTRODUCTION

1.    The title of this series is Matters of Life and Death III

2.    This is the third installment in the series, and I would encourage you to go back and review what we studied

        together last couple of weeks.

        a.     We are going to explore what happens to a person when he dies?

        b.    What does the Bible teach about life after death?

        c.     What does the Bible teach about Hell?

THE BIBLE--WHAT IS THE ‘NARRATIVE’ OF THE OLD TESTAMENT ABOUT?

1.    The primary ‘narrative’ (story) defined as “a spoken or written account of connected events”

        a.     From the time of Abraham onward, the historical narrative of Scripture has a twofold focus:

               1)    Israel and their national interactions and battles with the surrounding “nations” that God had scattered at the

                       time of the numbering of the “nations” (Gen. 10:1-5) and the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:6-9).

                       a)    The battles with the “nations” are found throughout the conquest at the time of Joshua.

                       b)    The descendants of the “giants” (Gen. 6:1-4) from the “days of Noah”

               2)    The battle and defeat of the ‘gods’ of these very “nations” between YHWH the “Most High” and these “gods”

                       who were being worshipped by the “nations” and who had deceived Israel into “idolatry”

2.    In our study of “Matters of Life and Death” we have to talk about some of the “gods” that YHWH, the Most High God

        of Israel struck, conquered, and defeated.

THE CANAANITE ‘GOD’ WHOSE NAME WAS MOT.

1.    According to The Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible, and other 2^nd Temple period writings, there as a

        Canaanite ‘deity’ whose name of MOT, the “god of death and the underworld” also pronounced Motu.

2.    It is interesting that the Hebrew word translated “death” in the OT is actually Muth (839 x) related to the very word

        MOT, found in the Ugaric and Assyrian texts in their description of this ‘god’ of death.--Not a ‘deity’ to be worshipped

        at at the very least seen as the personification of “death”.  We know that Baal and MOT did not get along very well in

        the mythology attributed to them and MOT was victorious of Baal (temporarily) also seen as a ‘god of the

        underworld’--Sheol--“the place of the dead” MOT is cut into pieces by the goddess Anat who spreads pieces of him

        over the crops in the field to destroy them--and so this ‘god’ is often associated with the Mesopotamian agricultural

        cycle.

        a.     These ‘nations’. Were neighbors of Israel and the Most High God, YHWH, set about to demonstrate that He alone

               is the Supreme One who would overcome MOT “death” (Gen. 2:16, 17; Hos. 13:14).

        b.    The Hebrew word Muth is repeated twice in verse 17--“certainly die” -- “die the death” (for emphasis).

        c.     The OT prophet personifies “death” and speaks to its ultimate defeat by YHWH (Hos 13:12-14).

        d.    Sheol/Death are seen as parallel expressions and only God could bring about the defeat of this “death”

               1)    “Plagues” in this passage is also a reference to the defeat of another Canaanite ‘god’ (we will talk more about

                       this sometime in the future).

               2)    In the context of resurrection and victory over MOT, the apostle Paul has reference to the very words of Hos

                       13:14; I Cor. 15:53-55).

THE MEANING OF ‘DEATH’ IN CONTEXT

1.    In terms of “natural” (mortal) life, “death” is defined as the separation of the “spirit” from the “body” (James 2:26)

2.    The “spirit” (breath) here is seen as the ‘animating force of life’ (Gen 2:7).  The “body” and the “spirit” joined together

        made man into a “living soul” (physical life).

3.    In the Bible, God uses normal, physical things to picture or illustrate “spiritual realities” (shadow and substance).

        a.     A “parable” used by Jesus is sometimes defined as “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning” because He used

               the everyday things of their daily lives to illustrate to them the greater things that pertained to the Kingdom of

               God.

        b.    In “Matters of Life and Death” it is vital that we observe the inseparable connection between what is seen within

               the physical realm and its relationship with the reality of what describes to for us spiritually-- the spiritual aspect

               is the reality. (II Cor. 4:2-6, 16-18).

               1)    Our focus on the “seen” creates “blindness” to the glorious things that are “unseen” or experienced by our

                       physical senses (Heb. 11:1, 2).

               2)    Israel could not “see the forest for the trees”--it was right there in front of them the whole time yet they cling

                       to the material things of the Old Covenant (temple, sacrificial system, priesthood) (Heb. 10:1-4).

4.    Every one of us has experienced the feelings of sadness, and loss that comes with the physical “death” and “passing”

        of a friend or loved one.--“separation” from life in this realm.

LAND OF THE LIVING

1.    In Genesis, the Garden of Eden was the “land of the living” from God’s perspective.

2.    Everywhere the soles of Moses feet touched became the “land of the living” (Covenant space) (sacred space) (Deut.

        11:8-12, 24; Josh 1:3, 4)--God’s promise to dwell “in the land of the living” with His people.

        a.     The Hebrew word translated “earth” in the OT is also translated as “land” which is the primary meaning of the

               word--God created the sky and the land (Gen. 1:1).

3.    The unique expression “land of the living” is found 15 times in the OT.--descriptive of “sacred space”   

        a.     God’s “goodness” is found “in the land of the living” (Psa. 27:13; 116:9; 142:5)

        b.    The “wicked” would be torn away from “the land of the living” (Psa. 52:5; Isa. 38:10, 11).

        c.     Because of his faithfulness to YHWH, the rebellious people of Israel was to kill Jeremiah and to “cut him off” from

               the “land of the living” (Jer. 11:19).

        d.    It was the sacrificial “death” of Christ that Isaiah prophesied would be “cut off from the land of the living” (Isa.

               53:7-9).

        e.     The suffering of Christ took place “outside the city gate” (Heb. 13:11, 12).

SIN AND DEATH--SEPARATION FROM GOD

1.    Physical “death” was to serve as a reminder of the precious nature of life given by God.

        a.     A person in Israel who ate blood was “cut off from among his people” (Lev. 17:10).  Why?

        b.    “the soul of the flesh is in the blood” (Lev. 17:11).

        c.     Life and forgiveness was “in the blood” to make atonement for the sins of the people.

2.    Sin was the basis for separation from God (Isa. 59:1, 2, 10, 12, 20, 21)

3.    Only in the sending of Jesus into the world as the redemptive “lamb of God” could bring “life” for those who had

        become as “dead men”

        a.     MOT could not hold his bondage over the realm of the “dead” but had to release those in Sheol/Hades who were

               awaiting the arrival of the redeemer who had the “keys of death and hades” (Rev. 1:7, 8).

CONCLUSION

1.    When the Bible speaks of the “land of the living” the application applies to those in covenant with Him--relationship.

2.    Those outside of covenant separated from God by sin and disobedience are seen as “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph

        2:1)--alive physically but not relationally--covenantal, spiritually.

3.    Jesus told someone whose father had died physically to follow Him, and to “let the dead bury their own dead” (Luke

        9:59, 60).--dead to the things of God.

4.    God wants to bring people today into HIS “sacred space”--to give them life--the very life of God!  To bring them into

        the “land of the living” that was pictured as His covenant “land” in the OT.

5.    MOT, the ‘god’ of physical death and the place of the dead has no power over believers who have been “raised to

        walk in newness of life”

6.    Those who do not believe in Jesus “perish” (John 3:16) in contrast with those who are given “eternal life” (Rom 6:23).

7.    Next week we will explore more of what the Bible has to say about what happens to a person at the point of physical

        death--believers and unbelievers.