Overcoming Grief

Why do people die?

Genesis 2:15-17

15 Then the LORD God took the man

and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying,

"Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;

17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat,

for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

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Ecclesiastes 12:7

7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,

And the spirit will return to God who gave it.

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Hebrews 9:27

27 And as it is appointed for men to die once,

but after this the judgment,

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Psalms 139:13-16

13 For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother's womb.

14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.2

16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them.

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Job 14:5

5 Since his days are determined,

The number of his months is with You;

You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass

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Hebrews 2:14-15

14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood,

He Himself likewise shared in the same,

that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death,

that is, the devil,

15 and release those who through fear of death

were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

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It is appropriate to mourn those who are dying or

have died?

2 Samuel 12:15-23

And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bore to David,

and it became ill.

16 David therefore pleaded with God for the child,

and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.

17 So the elders of his house arose and went to him,

to raise him up from the ground.

But he would not, nor did he eat food with them.3

18 Then on the seventh day it came to pass that the child died.

And the servants of David were afraid to tell him

that the child was dead.

For they said,

"Indeed, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would

not heed our voice.

How can we tell him that the child is dead?

He may do some harm!"

19 When David saw that his servants were whispering,

David perceived that the child was dead.

Therefore David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?"

And they said, "He is dead."

20 So David arose from the ground,

washed and anointed himself,

and changed his clothes;

and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped.

Then he went to his own house;

and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate.

21 Then his servants said to him,

"What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child

while he was alive,

but when the child died, you arose and ate food."

22 And he said, "While the child was alive, I fasted and wept;

for I said, 'Who can tell whether the LORD will be gracious to me,

that the child may live?'

23 But now he is dead; why should I fast?

Can I bring him back again?

I shall go to him,

but he shall not return to me."

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Genesis 23:1-2

Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years;

these were the years of the life of Sarah.

2 So Sarah died in Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron)

in the land of Canaan,

and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah

and to weep for her.

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Ecclesiastes 3:4

4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn,

And a time to dance;

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Psalms 30:5

Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.

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John 11:21-27

21 Now Martha said to Jesus,

"Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God,

God will give You."

23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

24 Martha said to Him,"

I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.

He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.

Do you believe this?"

27 She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, \the

Son of God, who is to come into the world."

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Contrast Martha with Job's wife.

Job 2:9-10

9 Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity?

Curse God and die!"

10 But he said to her, "

You speak as one of the foolish women speaks.

Shall we indeed accept good from God,

and shall we not accept adversity?"

In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

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There is the Promise of Resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:20-26

But now Christ is risen from the dead,

and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

21 For since by man came death,

by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.

22 For as in Adam all die,

even so in Christ all shall be made alive.

23 But each one in his own order:

Christ the firstfruits,

afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.

24 Then comes the end,

when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father,

when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.

25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.

26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.

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1 Corinthians 15:50-58

Now this I say, brethren,

that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God;

nor does corruption inherit incorruption.

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery:

We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed —

52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.

For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible,

and we shall be changed.

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption,

and this mortal must put on immortality.

54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption,

and this mortal has put on immortality,

then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written:

"Death is swallowed up in victory."

55 "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?"

56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.

57 But thanks be to God,

who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable,

always abounding in the work of the Lord,

knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

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Psalms 56:8-13

8 You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle;

Are they not in Your book?

9 When I cry out to You, Then my enemies will turn back;

This I know, because God is for me.

10 In God (I will praise His word), In the LORD

(I will praise His word),

11 In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?

12 Vows made to You are binding upon me,

O God; I will render praises to You,

13 For You have delivered my soul from death.

Have You not kept my feet from falling,

That I may walk before God In the light of the living?

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Psalms 46:1-3

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed,

And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

3 Though its waters roar and be troubled,

Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

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Psalms 91:1-2

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress;

My God, in Him I will trust."

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Psalms 13

How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?

How long will You hide Your face from me?

2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul,

Having sorrow in my heart daily?

How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God;

Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death;

4 Lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed against him";

Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

5 But I have trusted in Your mercy;

My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.

6 I will sing to the LORD, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

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Psalms 30:8-12

8 I cried out to You, O LORD; And to the LORD I made supplication:

9 "What profit is there in my blood, When I go down to the pit?

Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth?

10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy on me; LORD, be my helper!"

11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to You

and not be silent.

O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

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Romans 12:15

15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

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Job 19:23-27

23 "Oh, that my words were written!

Oh, that they were inscribed in a book!

24 That they were engraved on a rock with an iron pen and lead,

forever!

25 For I know that my Redeemer lives,

And He shall stand at last on the earth;

26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,

That in my flesh I shall see God,

27 Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold,

and not another.

How my heart yearns within me!

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2 Corinthians 5:1-8

For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed,

we have a building from God, a house not made with hands,

eternal in the heavens.

2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring

to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,

3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.

4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened,

not because we want to be unclothed,

but further clothed,

that mortality may be swallowed up by life.

5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God,

who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

6 So we are always confident,

knowing that while we are at home in the body

we are absent from the Lord.

7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather

to be absent from the body

and to be present with the Lord.

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Philippians 1:23

23 For I am hard-pressed between the two,

having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

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Psalms 116:15

15 Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints.

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Luke 16:22

22 So it was that the beggar died,

and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom.

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1 Peter 5:6-11

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,

that He may exalt you in due time,

7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil

walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith,

knowing that the same sufferings are experienced

by your brotherhood in the world.

10 But may the God of all grace,

who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus,

after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen,

and settle you.

11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.11

Hebrews 6:19-20

19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul,

both sure and steadfast,

and which enters the Presence behind the veil,

20 where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus,

having become High Priest forever

according to the order of Melchizedek.

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2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the Father of mercies

and God of all comfort,

4 who comforts us in all our tribulation,

that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble,

with the comfort

with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us,

so our consolation also abounds through Christ.

6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation,

which is effective for enduring the same sufferings

which we also suffer.

Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

7 And our hope for you is steadfast,

because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings,

so also you will partake of the consolation.

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Hebrews 11:32-40

32 And what more shall I say?

For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson

and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:

33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness,

obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword,

out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle,

turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

35 Women received their dead raised to life again.

Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance,

that they might obtain a better resurrection.

36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes,

and of chains and imprisonment.

37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted,

were slain with the sword.

They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins,

being destitute, afflicted, tormented —

38 of whom the world was not worthy.

They wandered in deserts and mountains,

in dens and caves of the earth.

39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith,

did not receive the promise,

40 God having provided something better for us,

that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

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Habakkuk 1:1-7

The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw.

2 O LORD, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear?

Even cry out to You, "Violence!" And You will not save.

3 Why do You show me iniquity, And cause me to see trouble?

For plundering and violence are before me;

There is strife, and contention arises.

4 Therefore the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth.

For the wicked surround the righteous;

Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.

( Habakkuk does not understand what God is doing

and why He is allowing evil and suffering to continue?

Habakkuk has been praying and calling out to God

to do something and to fix the problem,

but God is silent.)

(The LORD's reply)

5 "Look among the nations and watch — Be utterly astounded! For I

will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it

were told you.

6 For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, A bitter and hasty nation

Which marches through the breadth of the earth, To possess dwelling

places that are not theirs.

7 They are terrible and dreadful; Their judgment and their dignity

proceed from themselves.

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(Now Habakkuk is more confused.

God says He is going to bring a nation more wicked than Israel

to bring judgment on Israel for their sin.)

( After arguing and pleading with God,

Habakkuk makes a decision

about how He is going to choose

to respond to the situation.)

Habakkuk 3:16-19

16 When I heard, my body trembled;

My lips quivered at the voice;

Rottenness entered my bones;

And I trembled in myself,

That I might rest in the day of trouble.

When he comes up to the people, He will invade them with his troops.

17 Though the fig tree may not blossom,

Nor fruit be on the vines;

Though the labor of the olive may fail,

And the fields yield no food;

Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,

And there be no herd in the stalls —

18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,

I will joy in the God of my salvation.

19 The LORD God is my strength;

He will make my feet like deer's feet,

And He will make me walk on my high hills.

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Revelation 14:13

13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me,

"Write:

'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.'"

"Yes," says the Spirit,

"that they may rest from their labors,

and their works follow them."

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Revelation 21:2-7

2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem,

coming down out of heaven from God,

prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying,

"Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men,

and He will dwell with them,

and they shall be His people.

God Himself will be with them and be their God.

4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes;

there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.

There shall be no more pain,

for the former things have passed away."

5 Then He who sat on the throne said,

"Behold, I make all things new."

And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."

6 And He said to me, "It is done!

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.

I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.

7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things,

and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

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Revelation 22:1-5

And he showed me a pure river of water of life,

clear as crystal,

proceeding from the throne of God

and of the Lamb.

2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river,

was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits,

each tree yielding its fruit every month.

The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

3 And there shall be no more curse,

but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it,

and His servants shall serve Him.

4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.

5 There shall be no night there:

They need no lamp nor light of the sun,

for the Lord God gives them light.

And they shall reign forever and ever.

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