Theenda (pronounced thee end uh)
“Better to go to the house of mourning
Than to go to the house feasting,
For that is the end of all men;
And the living will take it to heart.” (Ecclesiastes 7:2 NKJV)
The End of All Men (or all people)
When our last child was conceived, we were trying to come up with an appropriate name for the coming addition to our family. We must have known the gender of the baby because I suggested that we call her “Theenda”. We had come to the conclusion that four children were enough. However, my wife wouldn’t hear of it and we named our last child Megan. However, she was theenda.
This morning I just heard that another relative and reasonably close friend had died unexpectedly. This is another event that could be named “theenda.” It is the end of physical life but it is the beginning of something new. For the believer it is the beginning of something great. For the Christ rejector, not so much.
It was a shock to hear of another relative passing into eternity, and he is going to leave a big hole in the life of his wife and close friends. It shouldn’t have come as a shock since we are all going to die unless the rapture of the church occurs first (and yes, I do believe in the literal catching away of believers before “the end” that the Lord tells us about comes).
Should We Be Sad or Glad?
Solomon says that we are better off going to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting. Most of us would likely prefer the house of feasting, particularly if it involves steak and a good potato salad. We who are Christians call those times of feasting “fellowship” but that is probably not what the word meant in the New Testament. Fellowship really had to do with partnership and required people to agree with each other and to work and worship together.
Feasting takes our minds off of our troubles. The house of mourning causes us to think soberly about our future. . .the one after we die. We simply can’t go to the house of mourning without asking ourselves, “If I was in that casket, where would my real eternal person be now?” Of course some think we just happened and that there is no existence after we die. That requires a lot of faith in view of the obvious signs that a designer was involved in creation. Those people who believe that are in for a big surprise and it isn’t going to be a good one.
The Mount of Transfiguration
Moses died before entering the promised land; however, he was recognizable on the Mount of Transfiguration. He had not ceased to exist. Elijah was taken up to heaven much like the true church will be taken to heaven one day (perhaps today). He also appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration so he didn’t cease to exist either. When Lazarus died in Luke 16, angels carried him to Abraham’s bosom, a place of comfort. He did not cease to exist. When the Lord returns, He is going to bring with Him back to heaven those who sleep in Jesus (believers who have died. . .see 1 Thessalonians 4:14). It is foolish to think that existence ends with death. But the house of mourning requires us to be honest about our relationship with God.
Solomon Was Wise
As we lay another body in the grave, as we mourn his death and celebrate a life well-lived, let us remember that death is the “preacher of the old school.” In view of the pandemic and cancer, heart attacks and strokes, car accidents and other issues that take people from time into eternity, it is good to reexamine our beliefs. If they are not based on the Bible, I wouldn’t want to trade places with you for five minutes.
The fool has said in his heart,“There is no God.” (Psalm 53:1 NKJV)
The scoffer says, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.” (Matthew 27:42 NKJV)
The wise person believes God when He says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 NKJV)
Bruce Collins
Meditation for the week of December 26, 2021