Death and Taxes
I was once told that there were only two things in life that were certain: death and taxes. I’ve decided, after much deliberation, that at least one of these things is one hundred percent certain, maybe. Taxes are just about a certainty for anybody who falls under the jurisdiction of a king. Kings demand taxes. But, if you live on a deserted island alone you might just about be able to avoid paying taxes. What about death? I’ve never heard of anybody being able to miss their appointment with death. There is something in the Scriptures about this appointment with death:
Heb 9:27 And2532 as2596, 3745 it is appointed606 unto men444 once530 to die,599 but1161 after3326 this5124 the judgment:2920
There was only one person in the Scriptures, at least for the time being, who hadn’t kept that appointment and that was Ěliyahu. The Scriptures don’t mention anything about any escape clause when it comes to keeping our appointment with death so I believe that given time even Ěliyahu will have to die also.
Now, I have, or had, four living brothers and two living sisters. One of my brothers has just kept his appointment. His name is Thad. Thad was a young man by today’s standards; he was only fifty four years old when he kept his appointment. My mother used to say that only the good die young. Yahoshua was in his early thirties when he died and he certainly was good but, what about Thad; was he good?
Since our death date is appointed then I have to assume that it means that all of our work will be done when we keep that date. But, does that mean that you’re good when you die? I don’t think so but, I believe that we might be able to get a clue about whether a person is good when he dies. I say a clue because there aren’t any of us, or very few at least, who can read a mind to know what another person really thinks about. Before I go on I’d like to say that I understand what the Scriptures has to say about good men and that it might be nearly impossible for a man to be good without outside help. However, a person may leave clues behind that would indicate what it was that filled his heart.
Thad was a man who had his share of personal flaws. There were times in his life when he drank too much, smoked to much, maybe used drugs and probably engaged in other activities that would be considered wrong by almost anyone’s standards. In fact: he was considered by some to have done things that they had absolutely no proof of what so ever and if they had proof it was incumbent on them to present that proof to the authorities so that he could be dealt with. Those people have treated him according to their beliefs. Was he bad or evil when he died? I don’t believe so. He quit drinking, he quit smoking, and he stopped engaging in activities that almost anyone would consider evil. I believe he had the help of יהוה’s Ruach haQodesh. He wrote about יהוה and Yahoshua. He read his Scriptures and they were seldom far from him. Now I say that a man won’t turn his self around unless he’s convinced that he had been going in the wrong direction. I say that a man who does turn his self around is a man who’s heart is in the right place. This is what the Scriptures have to say about repentance:
Lev 26:40 If they shall confess3034 (853) their iniquity,5771 and the iniquity5771 of their fathers,1 with their trespass4604 which834 they trespassed4603 against me, and that834 also637 they have walked1980 contrary7147 unto5973 me;
Lev 26:41 And that I589 also637 have walked1980 contrary7147 unto5973 them, and have brought935 them into the land776 of their enemies;341 if176 then227 their uncircumcised6189 hearts3824 be humbled,3665 and they then227 accept7521 of (853) the punishment of their iniquity:5771
Lev 26:42 Then will I remember2142 (853) my Brit1285 with Jacob,3290 and also637 (853) my Brit1285 with Isaac,3327 and also637 (853) my Brit1285 with Abraham85 will I remember;2142 and I will remember2142 the land.776
Lev 26:43 The land776 also shall be left5800 of4480 them, and shall enjoy7521 (853) her sabbaths,7676 while she lieth desolate8074 without4480 them: and they1992 shall accept7521 (853) of the punishment of their iniquity:5771 because,3282 even because3282 they despised3988 my judgments,4941 and because their soul5315 abhorred1602 my statutes.2708
Lev 26:44 And yet637 for all that,1571, 2063 when they be1961 in the land776 of their enemies,341 I will not3808 cast them away,3988 neither3808 will I abhor1602 them, to destroy them utterly,3615 and to break6565 my Brit1285 with854 them: for3588 I589 am יהוה 3068 their Elohim.430
Lev 26:45 But I will for their sakes remember2142 the Brit1285 of their ancestors,7223 whom834, (853) I brought forth3318 out of the land4480, 776 of Mitsrayim4714 in the sight5869 of the heathen,1471 that I might be1961 their Elohim:430 I589 am יהוה.3068
I had a lot of interaction with Thad the last two years of his life, more than all other people except my father and I could see that Thad was a humble man. He treated all the same; Yes Mam and yes sir were often the words that you would hear coming from his mouth; he even addressed me and his brothers and sisters that way. To my knowledge, he never considered himself to be above anyone and often found good things to acknowledge in those others around him. He was a humble man in my opinion. He even acknowledged to me that his past life style was responsible for the frail man that stood before me but, he never complained about that condition. I’d say that he accepted his punishment. Was he in the land of his enemies? Oh most definitely. Only a man’s enemy would speak things publicly about him that they had no proof of. My children were very often in his presence alone and all of them say that he never attempted to do any of the vile things that his enemies have accused him of; though I doubt that he would have considered them to be his enemies. Though I don’t remember any specific time that he acknowledged to me that יהוה had walked contrary to him, I don’t see how he couldn’t have admitted that fact to יהוה; the scriptures don’t declare that that statement has to be made before other men. I know in my heart that he fulfilled all of the requirements so that it could be said that יהוה was his elohim and that יהוה will keep his Brit with Thad.
So, if we weep we weep for ourselves because we have yet to keep our own appointments but as for Thad we can rejoice because he has kept his. Now it’s time for him to move onto the next level.
Katrael.
