Looking To The Future Through The Past

Being ill has physical effects. Combine weird side effects from a variety of medication and the world simply turns upside down. This happens to me every couple of years when my allergies combine with bacteria and make my physical life miserable. I knew I’d written about this before, so I’m taking you back with me, just a few years, when I wrote:

My mind remains a bit muddled – medicine to treat my symptoms, I think. To get rid of the itching eyes (thank goodness it’s not itching ears!! II Tim 4:3), runny nose, stopped up sinus, scratchy throat, etc., one gains a muddled mind. (This year it’s an awful cough!)

This morning I decided to scan what Bible verses have the word “sick” in them. No, I didn’t expect to find healing, but neither did I expect to find so many different stories. I got past several until I came to:

At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. (1 Kings 14:1)

What surprised me was:

Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die. And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam. (1 Kings 14:12-13)

A child died because good was found in him. His father would be destroyed because Jeroboam: … hast not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in mine eyes; But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back: (1 Kings 14:8b-9)

Jeroboam’s punishment would be to lose everything – including this son. Yet this son would go to the grave mourned by all, because good was found in him.

The writer of Hebrews, when speaking of Christ’s death, gave a truth for all men: And as it is appointed unto men once to die (Hebrews 9:27a) Abijah’s death was not a punishment for him, but was a result of his father’s evil above all that were before.

Muddled mind or not, I know we need to get past looking at death as an ultimate tragedy and understand that it is simply a moving from one place to another. In addition, we get to make the choice of living arrangements after that move.

I’ve selected a mansion built by a Jewish carpenter.

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. (John 14:2-4)