Precious

Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his saints.
– Psalm 116:15

The word “precious” appears several times in scripture. Usually it refers to valuables like gems, gold or silver. Other things identified as precious are the proof of one’s faith (1 Peter 1:7), godliness (1 Peter 3:4), the promises of God (2 Peter 1:4), the blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:19), and the “cornerstone,” Jesus himself (1 Peter 2:4-6). As a side note, you might be noticing the New Testament writer who is most fond of the word.

Sometimes we use the word “precious” to mean cute or adorable. We see a picture of a cuddly kitten or a swaddled baby and say, “Oh, that is so precious.” And of course, that is one sense of the word. In scripture though, it conveys the idea of something highly valued. The examples given above allude to things that would be worth extraordinary amounts of money or qualities to be desired above all others. To the list of precious things mentioned in scripture, we can add life. In the book of 1 Samuel we read about a time when Saul was still ruling as king of Israel, although David had already been identified as his successor. Saul had become consumed with determination to kill David, pursuing him relentlessly throughout the country. More than once David had the chance to kill Saul, but chose not to. In 1 Samuel 26 David once again refused to kill Saul, even though he easily could have. The next day David revealed to Saul that he could have killed him during the night. When Saul realized this, he said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will not harm you again because my life was precious in your sight this day” (1 Samuel 26:21).

Do you see that? Saul’s life was precious to David. It was to be valued, not taken lightly, not ended without regard. Because Saul was Israel’s king, and by virtue of that seen as the one with God’s anointing, David refused to take his life. This mindset is at work in the writer of Psalm 116. When the writer speaks of the saints of God, his thinking is not limited to kings. Rather, he is thinking of God’s chosen people. This is also true through the lens of the New Testament. Saints are not just special people who have earned elite status in the history of the church. They are the entirety of the Body of Christ, believers who are redeemed by the grace of God. Though examples of this are too numerous to effectively list, observe Paul’s introduction to his letter to believers in Corinth: “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling…” (1 Corinthians 1:2). The saints are the people of God, and their lives are precious to God.

Now let us return to the psalm and ask, why is the death of the saints precious? The psalm does not clearly answer this question, and for that reason I hope to be modest in suggesting answers. One reason the death of God’s saints may be precious is because it is a holy time, the culmination of a holy life. For a long distance runner, every stride along the way is for the sole purpose of crossing the finish line. All the work points ahead to that moment. At death, the saint can say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Another possible reason for the preciousness of death is that death in this life means entrance into the rest of God. Jesus described this as Abraham’s bosom (Luke 16:22). It portrays the leaving of a life of struggle and entering an existence of peace and fulfillment. The death of God’s chosen people is not an indication that God has abandoned them. Quite the contrary, it indicates that God has given them the ultimate healing. This is God’s merciful gift to those whose hope is in the Lord. How beautiful, how valuable in God’s sight it must be to fulfill His precious promises to His saints.

Lastly, it seems that the death of a saint could be precious in God’s sight because it turns our attention to the witness of that person’s life. Many times I have had the honor of presiding at a celebration of life. I can tell you, from a pastor’s perspective, that the “preciousness” factor rises drastically when the life celebrated is one that was faithfully lived in service to Jesus. To use another metaphor from scripture, that life surely rises as a pleasing aroma to God. The death is precious to God because the life was honoring to God.

To be sure, death is not our friend. The Bible speaks of it as the last enemy to be defeated (1 Corinthians 15:26). Of course, through Jesus the war is already won. Death has been defeated and it’s abolishment decided. Still, until that great consummation of all things we will still see bodies fail. We will still grieve the separation from dear friends and loved ones. When we do, perhaps we may be encouraged by the knowledge that God draws near during that precious, holy time.