Peoples is Peoples

This past week was pretty rough.  When I sat down on Sat. the 13^th, I was greeted with the news that a musician I have a lot of respect for passed away. I know we see news of people, especially musicians, passing every day. The reason this one hit me so hard is because, along with many, many others, I had been praying for Chi for a long time. You see, Chi was in a car accident back in 2008 and was in a coma for three years. Around a year ago, he progressed to a semi conscience state and remained in that condition until his death. 

So many people where claiming complete healing in our Messiah’s name and I’m sure that they all expected it faithfully. Obviously, Yah’s plan was different from ours and Chi’s heart stopped early Saturday morning. I can only speculate from interviews I’ve read what his relationship with YHVH was, but I also know that Yah has reached people in much worse situations than being in a coma. While I am saddened by his loss, I know Yah’s will was done. So many people came together in prayer and support and fellowship. It will only be when we see the complete picture that we can see all the amazing things that Yah did through his life. 

So that brings me to Monday. I think it will stick with me for the rest of my life. I had no idea that anything had happened. My wife told me as soon as I walked in the door. I immediately grabbed my computer to follow the news as it was breaking.  My heart dropped to my stomach with the first photo I saw. So much destruction and needless loss of life. 

Then the fingers started pointing. Who should we blame? What are we going to do when we get our hands on them? The tragic answer to that came on Friday, when one of the bombers was killed in a shootout with police. The only difference was, when that news dropped what I saw and heard was people celebrating that the man “got what he deserved” and rejoicing in his death. That was the point when my heart broke.

 ^“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some people think of slowness; on the contrary, he is patient with you; for it is not his purpose that anyone should be destroyed, but that everyone should turn from his sins.”-2 Peter 3:9

Now, before I go too far, let me just say that I think that justice was served in the case above. I do not think that it was in the least unjustified. What I am saying is that if the Lord YHVH doesn’t wish that any man perish, then why would we ever rejoice when they do? Every human being contains the breath of our Creator. When they are gone, every chance at redemption and His salvation are gone.

When we look through scripture we see countless examples of praising Yah for the removal of their enemies. In each case I’ve found, none of them ever seem to be celebrating the loss of life, rather the deliverance that Yah has given them. One of my favorite examples is the Song of Moses.

Then Moshe and the people of Isra’el sang this song to Adonai:

“I will sing to Adonai, for he is highly exalted:
the horse and its rider he threw in the sea.

² Yah is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.
This is my God: I will glorify him;
my father’s God: I will exalt him.
³ Adonai is a warrior;
Adonai is his name.

⁴ Pharaoh’s chariots and his army
he hurled into the sea.
His elite commanders
were drowned in the Sea of Suf.
⁵ The deep waters covered them;
they sank to the depths like a stone.

⁶ Your right hand, Adonai, is sublimely powerful;
your right hand, Adonai, shatters the foe.
⁷ By your great majesty you bring down your enemies;
you send out your wrath to consume them like stubble.

⁸ With a blast from your nostrils the waters piled up —
the waters stood up like a wall,
the depths of the sea became firm ground.
⁹ The enemy said, ‘I will pursue and overtake,
divide the spoil and gorge myself on them.
I will draw my sword; my hand will destroy them.’
¹⁰ You blew with your wind, the sea covered them,
they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

¹¹ Who is like you, Adonai, among the mighty?
Who is like you, sublime in holiness,
awesome in praises, working wonders?

¹² You reached out with your right hand:
the earth swallowed them.
¹³ In your love, you led the people you redeemed;
in your strength, you guided them to your holy abode.

¹⁴ The peoples have heard, and they tremble;
anguish takes hold of those living in P’leshet;
¹⁵ then the chiefs of Edom are dismayed;
trepidation seizes the heads of Mo’av;
all those living in Kena‘an are melted away.
¹⁶ Terror and dread fall on them;
by the might of your arm they are still as stone
until your people pass over, Adonai,
till the people you purchased pass over.

¹⁷ You will bring them in and plant them
on the mountain which is your heritage,
the place, Adonai, that you made your abode,
the sanctuary, Adonai, which your hands established.

¹⁸ Adonai will reign forever and ever.

¹⁹ For the horses of Pharaoh went with his chariots
and with his cavalry into the sea,
but Adonai brought the sea waters back upon them,
while the people of Isra’el walked on dry land
in the midst of the sea!”

²⁰ Also Miryam the prophet, sister of Aharon, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines, dancing, ²¹ as Miryam sang to them:

“Sing to Adonai, for he is highly exalted!
The horse and its rider he threw in the sea!”- Exodus 15:1-20

I’ve always loved this. Throughout the song we see the praise of Yah for the deliverance of His people. Yet, we never see the people glorifying the loss of life.

I guess what I’m getting at is that, life is so special. A great gift from Yah. Yet we treat it so lightly. We thirst for vengeance, yet we don’t blink an eye for the millions of babies that are killed every year in their mothers’ wombs. We don’t blink when we see the numbers of soldiers that have died. We shed no tears for the victims of suicide bombing as long as it’s not in our back yard.  When we’re gone, that’s it. Time’s up. All the chances you had to fall before Yah in repentance are gone. Evil people need their lives more, in some respects, than those of us who know Yah. They need every chance they can get.  Just some food for thought.

One love,

Albert C. Coble