Abel’s Funeral
For I will turn their mourning into joy and will comfort them and make them rejoice from their affliction. Jeremiah 31:13
Mourning – “Blessed are those who mourn,” said Yeshua. Do you suppose He was connecting this thought with Jeremiah 31, the prophet’s announcement of the new covenant? It certainly seems possible, especially when we look at the context of the Beatitudes. Of course, we only have the Greek text of Matthew 5:4, so we can’t be sure, but the idea of mourning belongs in the vocabulary of the renewed covenant. There are other connections buried here. One takes us all the way back to Abel.
The translation of the second Beatitude disguises its shocking impact. Yeshua doesn’t announce a step in spiritual maturity. This is not a Be-Attitude. He doesn’t give us a reward formula. We can’t earn comfort. And in spite of many commentaries, He isn’t telling us to mourn for our sins. In fact, the Greek text doesn’t even have a verb in the opening phrase. It says, “A state of bliss those mourning.” You will notice it is simply a description of the inner state of those who at this moment mourn. It is a real-time observation of their present emotional condition. And it is completely wrong! No one who stands before a grave feels bliss! What they feel is emptiness, despair, agony and loss. But Yeshua says they are lucky, happy and pregnant with bliss.
So, how is it possible for Yeshua to claim these mourning people are bliss-expectant? It’s possible because mourning opens the door for God’s comfort. It’s possible because Yeshua’s announcement of Kingdom characteristics recognizes that mourning is directly associated with this verse from Jeremiah. When life slaps us with the reality of its fragile existence, when we are rocked by the ever-present specter of death, God shows His hand! He is the only one able to turn death’s dominance into joy and rejoicing. He makes those who mourn find the bliss of His comfort and the way out of their affliction.
The Hebrew word here is ‘ebel. It is quintessentially about death. The consonants Aleph-Bet-Lamed paint an oppressive picture: Strength that Controls the House. Some things cannot be overcome by our own efforts. No matter what we do, they control us. Death is one of those things. But God has done something about this omnipresent power. He sent His Son in the flesh so that “through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives” (Hebrews 2:14). The second Beatitude is the announcement that death is about to be overturned. It is the official commentary on Jeremiah’s proclamation that God is going to turn mourning into rejoicing by taking away the strength that controls the house.
Abel died. No, the Hebrew word for his name is not the same as ‘ebel. It is Havel (Hey-Bet-Lamed). The pictograph is “what comes from a house under control.” Nevertheless, ‘ebel applies. Did you notice that the story of Qayin (Koof-Yod-Nun “the last or least to make or work life”) and his brother does not include mourning? There is no ‘ebel for Havel. Did you ever wonder why? Perhaps God anticipated overcoming death right from the beginning. Perhaps our mourning for Havel was postponed until we were ready to receive God’s rescue from death. Perhaps we could not find comfort for the first of our own to be murdered until we encountered the Son of God murdered.
Topical Index: death, mourn, ‘ebel, Abel, Cain, Jeremiah 31:13, Matthew 5:4
–No one who stands before a grave feels bliss! —
Well actually, there was One who stood before a grave and felt bliss..
(John 11.14) Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. (15) And I am glad..
A rather cold statement proceeding out of the mouth of the Messiah! These two things do not compute to our minds. Jesus loved Lazarus, and yet when He heard he was sick, he did not go to his house to heal him, but rather waited until he was dead to go. A strange affair for One who held the power of healing in His hands. Why did He wait and not go immediately? (lol!)- Yes.. you know “the rest of the story!”
Because He lives, we can rejoice in the “first fruits” of them that sleep and sing together defiantly and openly, “O death, where is thy sting? and O, grave where is your victory?”. Our LORD and our G-d has won the victory. He is the Victor. Hallelujah!
Let us together read these words again.. (it is written)- “to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). May I repeat? “to die is gain”. Have you heard the words? “to die is gain”. The death of the Christ was the “death of death!” LOL!!!
There will come a day (maybe today!), I will cease breathing. So will my wife, my daughter and my son. All who are precious to me will follow this pattern. All who have gone before and all who will come after. All who breathe will die.
But G-d be praised who has given us this assurance.. “to die is gain”. Yes, my mother is waiting. Yes, I have a beautiful daughter waiting. My father-in-law, two brothers-in-law, many friends. I will soon join them when I pass through the doorway of death.
But, blessed be HaShem, “to die is gain!”. I love my wife. I love my family and friends. But, “to die is gain!” And how do I know this? (lol!)…
Do you have this “blessed assurance?” You are not ready to live, until you are ready to die. Can you truly say, “O death, where is your sting, O grave where is your victory? Do you know Yeshua HaMaschiach, the son of G-d and G-d the Son? Jesus, Savior. Jesus, Redeemer. Jesus, Victor. LORD of heaven and LORD of earth. LORD of the living, and LORD of the dead. Are you “in Christ?” He holds the keys (of life and of death). Blessed be HaShem.
I was a lot closer to my mother than my father and more like my mother than my father and, though she lived a long life, she died before my father died and before my first child was born.
Because she was old and sick from smoking too much, I was not traumatized much by her death but her death left me with a negative sadness that colored many previously good memories of childhood, old friends, and family.
After a few months I was back to business as usual, but whenever I thought (think) of my mother I would have that feeling of being “touched” with a hint of sadness.
When my daughter Sinead was born I was overrwhelmed with happiness and the feeling of being blessed, but the strange thing was that I also felt that feeling of being “touched” with a hint of sadness.
I did stand in bliss & joy before my father’s grave because he was not going to hell!!! My mother & sister were cuckoo – out of their minds with grief but I hardly shed a tear but tears of joy. I think it had/had to do with my relationship with the/my Lord.
My dad was an abusive alcoholic all my life & I truly hated him – threatened him with a knife once when he was beating my mother & he slapped it out of my hand & told me I had better use it on him first or he would use it on me – the only abuse I don’t remember is sexual – don’t remember any abuse like that (thank God/Jesus/Holy Spirit & protecting angels). My mother & I prayed for 7 years for dad’s salvation/deliverance from alcohol & the last two years before he made the choice & surrendered – we were into heavy duty warfare & had a pastor that was along side us guiding & praying the whole way.
One day my dad called the church sober & got a young man still in high school that I was in pastoral training with at my church & he now has his own church – Mr. Mark Guin & he prayed with dad & helped him to step through the door of salvation & stressed that he stay in the Word of God to stop drinking & dad did.
SO – when dad died at the young age of 62 from throwing a clot into mechanical valves put in two years earlier – I truly rejoiced that he was/is with the Lord & that I will see him again one day. I must have seemed cold hearted & without emotion but I had an assurance that was rock solid as Christ my Lord – I stood before the grave/death of my father with total & complete bliss that he would not burn eternally in hell & that was bliss enough for me.
Mark Guin has a facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?v=info&ref=sgm&id=1317204484
I an touched by your testimony of the Lord’s goodness and mercy shown to you and your father. Although the particulars are not identical, my father’s impending death from a 6-week battle (yes 6 short weeks!)with cancer caused a deep mourning in my soul. I had tried to speak with him on several occasions about his relationship with God, but he resisted and I would always back off. I prayed with such fervor for him during this course and never asked the Lord to heal him physically but to restore my father to my Heavenly Father before it was too late. AND I asked Him to let me know of this restoration without doubt and with first person confidence. As my father lay dying in Duke Medical Center, our precious Father provided me with the privilege of talking with my earthly dad and praying with him to acknowledge and receive Christ as Savior. My mourning turned to joy at that moment and the peace of God flooded my soul! Yes, I cried and on each Thanksgiving I am also “touched” with sadness, because my father left this earth on Thanksgiving day. I am comforted to know our God is great and faithful and trustworthy and I am thereby blessed of Him.
Of course, doesn’t Genesis start with the Son coming from the house (to go get his bride?) and He is our source of strength.
Another thought on mourning. I was just reading Ezekiel this morning and am reminded TO mourn now ” set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof” “slay utterly old and young, both maids and little children, but come not near any man upon who is the mark”. Do I mourn to save my soul. Of course I do. But I mourn also for my brother and sister, and my neighbor for their sake, and my Elohim, for the iniquity of us must grieve him beyond our comprehension, even we as parents.
And since we are in Ezekiel, let us mourn for those who do not understand, ” Turn thee again and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do. Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord’s house which was toward the north, and behold there sat a woman weeping for Tammuz….low they put the branch to their nose” All one has to do is to research the origin of christmas on any computer and find that it began with the tower of babel and Nimrod, who “excited them to such an affront and contempt of God…He also said he would be revenged on God,” and he has been quite successful in decieving the world into accepting the lie of Yahshua’s birthday celebration. It is the winter solstice celebration, the birthday of the ‘eternal sUn god, and the birthday of most of the gods of paganism. The doctrine of the Nicolaitans is “a thing I hate” (Rev:2:18) I too used to put the branch of the Christmas tree to my nose and still love the smell of the firn, but I cannot ignore the truth now that I know it, even at the loss and pain of my own children who want to celebrate christmas. However, Yahshua said, “whoever does not love me more than thier ‘relatives’, is not worthy of Me.” Ah, but you say, “I am not thinking of it that way.” How would you feel if your spouse said, I am going to celebrate your birthday on my exboyfriend’s birthday, but I am going to think of it as yours” Yeah right. “Take heed that you be not ensnared to follow them.” And it is not logical to participate in the tradition to draw people to Yeshua either. It is not acceptable to murder to reach murderers is it? YHVH hates the mixing of pagan worship mingles with worship to Him. He will reign down fire upon those again just as he wanted to consume the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai, but who today will be the one to cry out to YHWH for thier sake today?
Though some of you may not like this message, Ezekiel also stated, “when thou givest not him warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same man shall die in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at your hand.” Since I do not want that; nor do I want you to suffer the wrath of Yah, I must. And I mourn.
Skip,
I do enjoy your commentary and insight. It is fairly obvious that you are well versed in the Hebrew scriptures and deeper meanings which I find extremely valuable as I look at my own spirituality. However, I do have two small points:
First, it seems that at least once per commentary you come off as very condescending and prideful. For example, when you emphasize such terminology as “And it is completely wrong!” or “But that is foolish” as you correct our westernized watered down teachings. The point being that if you come off more humble your words will sink in even deeper. The thing to remember is our westernized churches are loosing their audiences left and right because of the lack insightful deeper teachings we don’t need to be reminded that we have missed the boat.
Second, I know the Messianic movement is hot on teaching a “renewed covenant” and I would like to challenge you on this. I know you’ve probably heard it before but here are some points I think you should ponder. The very term “renewed” lends itself to the belief that God actually had a termination date and therefore needed to renew his everlasting covenant. This is simple contradictory to his nature and promises. A promise or contract that is everlasting never needs to be renewed. We know that His people may have canceled it on thier end but He still remained faithful to His promises. Just because there is a “new covenant” doesn’t mean the old has expired they simply build on each other and reveal more of the concealed. I really wish the rabbis and such would get away from the “renewed covenant” vocabulary. The more complete teaching should center around the fact that the old has not passed away but instead has been made complete by the new.
I hope and pray that you took the time to read this. May God Continue To Bless You.
Chad Johnson