I am so sorry to learn of the passing of your dear mom.  It is always hard to lose someone that you love so dearly.  Often, it has a larger impact than you would anticipate because it is difficult to prepare for the loss of a loved one.  One person said after the loss of his wife, who was a believer on the Lord Jesus, “I’m happy to know she is with the Lord, but I’m sad that she’s not here with me.” 

I would like for us to consider two Godly men in the Bible who lost their sons.  I think we can find a good lesson for ourselves by looking at these two events. 

JACOB – In Genesis, chapter 37, we read that Joseph’s brothers captured him, cast him into a pit, and eventually sold him into slavery.  To cover up their evil deed, they concocted a great lie, telling their father, Jacob, that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal.  We read in Genesis 37:31-33, “And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son’s coat or no. And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.”  Although, Joseph was still alive, Jacob thought he was dead.  We read of his reaction in verses 34-35, “And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.”  Jacob was inconsolable.  His favored son was dead, or so he thought.  Although many sought to comfort him, he “refused to be comforted” and said he would mourn the loss of his son for the rest of his life.

DAVID – King David had done a grievous thing.  He lusted after, and then slept with the wife of Uriah…Bathsheba.  When she became pregnant, David arranged for Uriah to be placed in the front of the fiercest battleline so that he might be killed.  (Read 2 Samuel 11:14-17).  Later, David repented of his sin, but the Lord determined that, as punishment, the son of David and Bathsheba would die.  This broke David’s heart and he prayed greatly that the Lord would spare his son’s life. (Read 2 Samuel 12:15-17).  While David’s son was still alive, David continued to pray for him.

Let us now look at David’s reaction when his son died.  We read in 2 Samuel 12:19-23, “But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat. Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”  When his son died, David he stopped fasting and weeping.  He asked for food and ate it.  It seems as though David did not mourn for his son, although I’m sure he was hurt.  He spent his time comforting his wife. (Verse 24). 

Jacob and David were two mighty men of God, but they looked at their losses in opposite ways.  Jacob seemed to be focused on his son’s death in a purely physical sense.  He did not consider that he would see his son again one day.  He did not consider that the Lord was able to minister to his needs and bring him comfort.  David, on the other hand, seemed to be focused on his son’s death in a purely spiritual sense.  He took great comfort in realizing he would see his son again.  He said, “I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”  He knew that his son was alive in the presence of God and, when he died, he would see his son again.

I believe most of us react to the death of a loved one somewhere between Jacob’s reaction and David’s reaction.  We might grieve greatly, but with the Lord’s strength and comfort, we can think more positively of our loss.  We can begin to think more like David did, realizing our redeemed loved one is at peace and in the presence of the Lord. 

We read in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”  When we lose a loved one who had faith in Christ, we still grieve, but that grief is much lighter when we realize we will see our redeemed loved one again when the Lord comes for His church.  I encourage you to ask the Lord to help you view your mother’s passing in the light of what the scriptures tell us about the death of a believer.  Do not ‘refuse to be comforted’ as Jacob did but lean upon the Lord.  He is the “God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3) and is able to minister to your needs and help you through your time of grief.  May the Lord bless you and comfort you.  (CC)  (499.4)