The Editor,
What is the Meaning of the word Death?
According to the Oxford dictionary, it means,” the action or fact of being killed; the end of life of a person or organism.” It also means, ” the state of being dead.” That is, to cease to exist.
The thought of death is the last thing that would be on any one’s mind, except we are sick with some terminal disease. Otherwise, we are all consumed with our goals and aspirations. Even though the Scriptures remind us that, “in the midst of life there is death.” Also, that, “There is a time to born and a time to die.”
The thought of death is very scary and frightening, although we live in a society where death dangles daily, like a pendant, before our faces, and another one bite the dust.
The Bible states that, death means separation. There are three types of death, that man was sentenced to. These are (A) Spiritual Death; (B) Physical Death, and (C) Eternal Death.
The knowledge of death was first expressed in the ‘Beginning.’ After God made man, He place him in a Palace called, the Garden of Eden. He, God, then gave the man instructions how to dwell in his prestigious home. Man has the Tree of Life; the Tree of Good and Evil. He was to work six days and rest on the seventh. He was to eat of all the trees of the garden, even the tree of life, but not to eat of the Tree of Good and Evil. If he did, he would die.
However, man chose to eat of the forbidden Tree, but he was still moving about. Did he die? Yes, he did.
In the book of Genesis, the book of beginnings, which gives the first of everything ever happened since the creation. In chapter three we find the account of the instructions, the breaking of the agreement and the penalty, death. At the judgement seat in the garden, the first RM Court case, ever tried. Man was trying to hide but then, “im inform pon imself.” He said he was naked. The Lord asked, who told you, that you were naked? And the case was closed. Man was expelled from his home.
There was placed swords to guard the tree of life, to prevent them from eating the fruit, and live forever in a sinful state, physically.
Man’s disobedience or sin cause him to be separated from his Maker. No more intimate fellowship, in the cool of the day with his Creator. His coverage or protection was removed. He was separated from the presence of the Holy God, because he died.
The first death that man experienced was spiritual death. Spiritual death means to be temporarily separated from the presence of the Holy God.
In Genesis chapter three it states that God clothed the man and his wife with animal skin. They were naked in their original state and were very comfortable, but after sinning, were ashamed to face the Lord, knowing they were naked.
Their coverage vanished when they sinned. God clothed them with animal skin. It therefore implies here that He sacrificed an animal, to atone for their sin, so that, they could exist before him, and would then need to offer their own sacrifice for their sin unto the Lord. This is why they were temporarily separated from God. Romans 3:20 states, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” In Isaiah 59:1-2, the prophet declares, ” Behold the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear.”
This spiritual death is temporary separation from the fellowship with the Lord God. It is the first death that man experienced. The psalmist, David, echoed in Psalm 51:5, “Behold, I was shaped in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceived me.” From our conception, we were temporarily separated from God.
I am,
Rainford Williams