Where Are The Dead? (1)

by J. Miller | Category: Voices From The Past - Extracted From Jottings | Jan 1980

"And Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people. And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah" (Gen. 25:8,9).

This simple account of the death of Abraham, the friend of God, is full of enlightenment for such as will take the Scriptures as they read. First it is said that he gave up the ghost - that is the spirit, the human spirit, not the Holy Spirit, but "the spirit of man which is in him", as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:11, which is described to be "the lamp of the LORD, searching all the innermost parts of the belly" (Prov. 20:27). The Lord Jesus, as man, had a human spirit, and on the cross at death, He said, "Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit," and then gave up the ghost or spirit (Luke 23:46).

Abraham gave up his spirit to God. "The spirit returns unto God who gave it", and this is associated with - "The dust returns to the' earth as it was" (Eccles. 12:7).

Again, Abraham, who gave up his spirit, is gathered to his people. If we follow the Lord's words about Lazarus in Luke 16, we may find help as to Abraham being gathered, and of the service angels perform in connexion with that: "And it came to pass, that the beggar (Lazarus) died, and that he was carried away by the angels into Abraham's bosom".

That Abraham is alive, along with Isaac and Jacob, the Lord shows quite clearly in Matthew 22:32, and Genesis 35:29 and 49:33 corroborate; for of both Isaac and Jacob it is said at death: "And was gathered unto his people".

Then Isaac and Ishmael buried Abraham in that cave of Machpelah. The burial has nothing whatever to do with his being gathered to his people. Only the body of Sarah lay in the cave before they placed the body of Abraham therein, and of these burials it is written: "There was Abraham buried, and Sarah, his wife".

It is pleasant to think of these just men of old being gathered with their just forefathers in the place which the Lord called Paradise (Luke 23:43). Paradise was called by the Jews, 'Abraham's bosom", and this name the Lord used in Luke 16 to describe the place where Abraham and all the just were; to this poor Lazarus was borne to be comforted after his life of earthly suffering. His name, Lazarus, which means 'God, my Helper", shows that his faith was in God; albeit his outward circumstances would have led the outward observer to think otherwise.

J. Miller | Jan 1980
Voices From The Past - Extracted From Jottings