Thoughts of a Dying Man
One time, I heard someone say that a dying person tells the truth. If this is true, then we could say that there is a connection between the realization of an approaching death and an apprehension of what is true.
Almost everybody in the business world knows Steve Jobs. He is popular due to his association with Apple Corporation. He is remembered for the creative innovation that he brought to this company.
However, what most people don't hear about Steve Jobs are his parting words after he got sick. He regretted that he spent most of his life accumulating wealth and he described himself as "a twisted person". Before departing from this life, Steve Jobs considered that the most important things in life can never be acquired by wealth such as love, relationships, family, and friends.
In our text, like Steve Jobs, we find Jacob, a man of God approaching his death. Jacob shared one similarity with most people nearing their death, the realization of the value of family and relationship. On the other hand, even though both men experienced an approaching death, Jacob's recollection of his past had a major difference. And that is his relationship with his God.
And so in this article, I would like to share with you the recollection of a dying man. Or let us say, the thoughts that matter most for a dying man of God. From his thoughts, we see that an approaching death is telling us the things that matter most.
An approaching death should teach us that our encounter with God is the most important experience we can have in this life.
During this time, Jacob was ill (v.1). He even confessed with his mouth before Joseph:
I am about to die.
So here we have an account of a man of God who accepted that his death is fast approaching.
What's interesting in this account are the words of wisdom that came out of Jacob's mouth. During his younger years, he had a different perspective on life. His life has been characterized with subtlety. But at this point that he was about to face his Maker, his total outlook in life changed.
For him, his encounter with God was the most unforgettable experience in his life. He told Joseph:
God Almighty appeared to me at Luz (v.3).
What a blessed man! Despite all the trials that he experienced throughout the 147 years of his life, at least he could say:
God Almighty appeared to me at Luz.
In fact, out of those 147 years, the day God appeared to Jacob at Luz was the most important!
I think it's the same thing with us. God appeared to us through His Son Jesus Christ our Lord. The day we believed the gospel of the Cross, is the day that God showed his abundant grace upon us. And I think that's the most important experience that a person can have in this life.
The day you encounter God through the gospel is the day more important than many special days and events that happened. It is far more important than graduation from school, wedding day, the birth of your first child, and job promotion. The day you encounter Jesus is more significant than any human activities that we have in this life.
Here is an excerpt from Steve Jobs' parting words:
I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world. In others’ eyes, my life is the epitome of success. However, aside from work, I have little joy. In the end, wealth is only a fact of life that I am accustomed to. At this moment, lying on the sick bed and recalling my whole life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth that I took so much pride in, have paled and become meaningless in the face of my death.
You can employ someone to drive the car for you and make money for you, but you cannot have someone bear your sickness for you. Material things lost can be found or replaced. But there is one thing that can never be found when it’s lost—Life. Whichever stage in life you’re in right now, with time, you will face the day when the curtain falls.
Treasure love for your family, love for your spouse, love for your friends. Treat yourself well and cherish others. Source
It is so sad to see a man so wealthy and successful in life and still even in the time of approaching death have no realization about the utmost significance of a personal encounter with God.
An approaching death should also help us realize that next to God, the memory of our loved ones is so precious.
Sick and about to die, Jacob recalled his past. In his memory, besides an encounter with God, he had two other precious thoughts. One was his relationship with Rachel, the wife he loved the most. And two, his memory of Joseph, his favorite son.
Notice how Jacob described his memory of Rachel:
As I was returning from Paddan to my sorrow Rachel died. . ." (v. 7).
And then about Joseph, he said:
I never expected to see your face again. . . (v.11).
Here was a man who had so many experiences in life, had four wives and 13 children, and yet among them, he treasured his memories of Rachel and Joseph. I think, in this matter, Steve Jobs has a point. He is right to say that compared to wealth, love, relationships, family, and friends are far more important.
So realizing this, what should be our proper response?
Given the increasing standard of living, there is a tendency for us to be too preoccupied with the future of our family at the expense of neglecting them at present. This tells us that we should devote time to them and treasure every moment spent with them.
Life is too short. Our stay here on earth is just temporary. Though this world is our Father's world, this is not our home. We don't know when are we going to be called by the Lord back to our home. Therefore, as long as we are still here on earth, take it as an opportunity to spend quality time with your loved ones and your family. Those quality times will not only be your precious memories but also of your loved ones once you depart from this life. They will always remember those memorable events that you spent with them.
An approaching death tells us the importance of leaving a legacy for the next generation.
As we have been studying the life of the patriarchs, of Abraham and Isaac, and this time of Jacob, we notice that before passing away from this life, it was their custom to speak blessing to their children. In Jacob's case, chapter 49 shows us a longer record of blessing his children. In this chapter, Jacob singled out Joseph particularly his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
In speaking blessings to our children in the name of God, we show the importance of spiritual wealth that only God can give. In the Bible, we learn that it is part of our duty to pass faith in God to the next generation. I have been emphasizing this in my previous articles that as parents, we naturally love our children and the greatest blessing we can pass on to them is the fear of the Lord and faith in God. The greatest blessing parents can leave to their children is the gospel of Jesus; this will be a lasting legacy that will stand the test of time. It is the only blessing that a man can bring into eternity.
Conclusion
The psalmist said:
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom(Psalm 90:12).
I think a realization of an approaching death will help gain us such a wise heart. And part of this wisdom is the realization that an encounter with God is the most important experience anyone can have in this life. Next to God, we also learn to treasure the memory of our loved ones. And then finally, we see the significance of leaving a legacy for the next generation.