The Death of the Righteous

And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people. Genesis 49:33 KJV

Recently, in our city, a Minister went home to be with the Lord. Everyone had no doubt this was a saint gone home. He passed on after a conclusion of a long prayer festival. He bargained on how to go through what he lived and trained people for. We went to see the wife, and the atmosphere was victorious. There is a way to go as a saint. Balak was one time a prophet of God. When asked by Balam to curse the people of Israel, he broke into a prophetic tirade: ”…Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!” (Num.23:10 KJV). There is a way to die like a righteous person. Don’t accept anything less. Jacob was 147 years old and got all his children blessed, then he ”yeilded up”. He could have held on. His work was done. Jesus explains how this happens in John 10:17-18. No one could take his life by force as he demonstrated several times with the pharisees. He voluntarily went up to Jerusalem. He told Pilate he couldn’t have the power against him except he was given(John 19:11). Jesus became flesh and blood so that He could destroy the fear of death( Heb.2:14-15). Paul reports that the cause of the fear is sin, but sin and death shall be swallowed up in victory.(1Cor15:54-55). You have nothing to fear.