We are continuing in Ecclesiastes 3:2. (A time to die) This is one of those subjects almost everyone dreads. The thought of having to die or the process of death itself makes most people cringe. It is an act that happens every day. Noone is immune to death, young old, healthy, everyone and every living creature will have to experience death. In the Bible, death occurs from Genesis all the way to Revelations. Just this week I read that a local school bus overturned in our town and killed a teacher and a kindergarten student. To never downplay any tragedy, we do have to conclude and acknowledge that we will all die. That plane and simple. I believe the only way to be able to counter the tragedy of someone dying is to have our total faith in God. To know that when we die, we will be able to spend an eternity with God. We would hope to know that our loved ones will also have their faith in God and be able to spend an eternity with God. This is a tough subject. Throughout mankind via natural and manmade disasters, wars, accidents, murder, eating habits, and so on, it is inevitable that death will come to us. Let’s take what the Bible says about dying. (I do want to be clear we are going to be talking about the physical sense of dying, not the spiritual sense. We will talk about spiritual death in a future Bible study.)

Genesis 2:17  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Genesis 3:3  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

Genesis 3:4  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

Genesis 5:5  And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

  From the very beginning, God is the one who brings up the word "die” and says you will if you do a certain thing. Everyone knows the story, if you eat or touch the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you will die. Of course Adams does eat and now we all fall unto the category of having to die just as Adam had to die.

  So, is there a certain time for us to die, or can it happen at any time? I do believe God has destiny for each and every one of us. Just as we studied last week about a time to be born, there is a time for us to die.

Job 14:5  Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

Hebrews 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

It does seem that God has a plan for each and everyone of us, and we all have the appointment with death. God does want us to live long life. In  Exodus 20:12 God says promises will live long lives if we honor our mother and father.  But death can come at any time. We do see it throughout the Bible of deaths we can say were very premature. John the Babtist was beheaded over a grudge from remarks he made of a divorce. (Mark 6:14–29)

King Herod Kills all the males 2 yrs and younger because he was trying to destroy Jesus. (Matthew 2:16–18). God is a sovereign God, and only He knows the number of our days.

Psalm 39:4  LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.

Psalm 90:12  So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

 Can we avoid a premature death?  YES!

 Many deaths come from accidents, carelessness, etc. But also avoiding things we know that can possibly cause harm. There are multiple times Jesus had to act according to avoid possible death.

 Back To king Heron and killing all the males 2 years and younger, Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt with Jesus to avoid his untimely death. (Matthew 2:13–15)

Luke 4: (28) And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, (29) And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. (30) But he passing through the midst of them went his way, (31) and came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.

John 10: (39) Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand, (40) and went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode

   I wanted to include these references about Jesus, to show that even the Son of God at time had to have act accordingly to avoid possible early death against what God had determined for Him. Let that sink in for a moment. If He is not exempt of a possible early/premature death, what would make us think we are?

 Hopefully this helps explain why we see so premature much death in this world. Sin from the very beginning has caused us to die no matter what age, how healthy we are, being as obedient to God as we can. We live in an imperfect world with imperfect people. We live where sin have caused people to do unGodly deeds to other people. Sin has caused us to go to war (we will be talking about that soon.) killing millions of innocent men and women and children. Everyone asks, how could such a loving God allow these kinds of death to happen? God gave us choices to do right for wrong and will not interfere with that. Death is something God will allow each and every one of us to experience. Whether it be by the hands of some one else, accident, disaster, war, etc

 What about those who have had to die twice! We studied in Jesus’ miracles that many were brough back to life after dying. Can you imagine, Think of Lazarus. He would have had to die twice. It’s almost as dying in the physical sense in not a big thing to God, being we must do so to be with Him.

There is so much scripture that references this topic. I do want to end on a more positive note.

Luke 12: (4) And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. (5) But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. (6) Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? (7) But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

 No matter when it is time for us to die, God has placed so much value on us. It is the reason he sent His son to die for us.  In today’s society we are doing everything we can to prolong our life, thinking we can do better that what God has appointed us.  John 3:16 gives us the key to the longest live to live and not to even worry about death.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

ISAIAH 57 (KJV) (1) The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. (2) He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.

ISAIAH 57 (Translated Version) (1) When somebody who worships God dies, nobody else may think much about it.  An honest person may suddenly die. Nobody really understands what is happening. God takes away his servants, so that evil things will not hurt them any more. (2) When somebody who has lived in a good way dies, he goes to a place where there is peace. In death, people like that rest on their beds.