Blessed Are Those Who Mourn Series

Joab goes to the king to remind Him of how his life and the lives of the rest of his family and army and ultimately the nation had been protected that day with the death of Absalom.

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2 Samuel 19:5-7, "Today you have humiliated all your men, who have just saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and the lives of your wives and concubines. 6 You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you. I see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead.

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7 Now go out and encourage your men. I swear by the LORD that if you don't go out, not a man will be left with you by nightfall. This will be worse for you than all the calamities that have come upon you from your youth till now."

Now we can understand David mourning his son. We have a love for our children even when they do wrong.

But David, at first failed to recognize God’s provision and blessing upon him. After being rebuked by Joab, he comes out even amid his mourning to honor his men, recognizing that God protected and provided for David in the midst of this.

Now, even when someone dies or an event happens that is in opposition to God, God is not pleased that the wicked have perished.

He says in

Ezekiel 18:23, 32

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23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?...32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!

But even as we may mourn the loss of someone we loved, even though their actions may have caused their death, we need to keep in perspective God’s provision if their life would result in our death.

Secondly, Comfort is found as we

Recognize God’s Justice as we mourn the Consequences

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When Saul was rejected as King of Israel as a consequence for his disobedience to the Lord, Samuel mourned for him.

1 Samuel 16:1

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16:1 The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king."

God didn’t say don’t mourn for Saul, but Samuel was just mourning the consequences of Saul’s sin with recognizing God’s justice in removing Him as King. That time for mourning was over and it was time to recognize God’s Justice and His sovereignty as He anointed a new king.

If we are going to experience comfort as we and others experience consequences, we need to keep our eyes on a sovereign and just God who is able to accomplish His will always.

When we recognize that we will find comfort.

Now those circumstances are in relation to God’s sovereign plan with the nation of Israel, but I believe it helps us to realize that our eyes need to be upon the Lord if we are going to find comfort when we mourn.

In more normal circumstances of life that we may experience grieving, I think this issue of perspective applies as well.