'Please stand over me and kill me, for anguish has come upon me, but my life still remains in me.' So I stood over him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. 2 Samuel 1:9, 10
I would like to talk about Brittany Maynard this week. This week Brittany Maynard is on the cover of "People" magazine announcing to the world her "Decision to Die."
First, the Bible says there is a difference between understanding sin, and calling sin righteous.
People do not despise a thief If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving. Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; He may have to give up all the substance of his house. Proverbs 6:30, 31.
In Proverbs 6 we can understand why the thief stole the bread, and we can empathize with his hunger, but the act of stealing is still wrong, and the thief must still face consequences for his actions. What Brittany Maynard has decided to do is wrong, but I think we all can still understand in some way why she has made her decision.
According to People Magazine Maynard plans on launching an online video campaign with an end of life advocacy group called Compassion & Choices. The campaign is designed to promote Death with Dignity laws.
Suicide happens. No one has ever been able to prevent someone who is terminally ill from committing suicide. The case of Brittany Maynard is not about the morality of suicide, it is about the morality of society assisting in suicide. It is about convincing society that man has the moral responsibility to help suffering people end their lives. I have seen a lot of Christians responding to Maynard's decision by discussing suffering, and the individuals so called right to chose how to die. But what I have not seen very many Christians doing is discussing the real issue. Do people have the right to kill another person? No one is directly talking about killing Maynard, but let's be honest her doctor is giving her the medication, her husband and family are standing by her decision, and the whole world is aware of her intent. Her online video campaign is a emotional plea for the expansion of state assisted suicide laws.
Let's cut to the chase. We have allowed man to replace God in our society. Anything man can do is potentially moral. If we can remove someones suffering by our choice, then it must be right.
In 2 Samuel 31 Saul was in deep trouble. After seeing the death of his three sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua at the hands of his enemies Saul was coming undone. Severely wounded by the Philistine archers Saul lay dying.
Then Saul said to his armorbearer, "Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and abuse me." 2 Samuel 31:4
Saul did not want to be tortured by the Philistines. A reasonable desire. Saul also wanted death with dignity. Another reasonable desire.
But his armorbearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it. And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword, and died with him. So Saul, his three sons, his armorbearer, and all his men died together that same day. 2 Samuel 31:4-6.
Sauls choice to take his own life did not make the world around him a better place. It did the exact opposite. After seeing the man who's life it was his soul job to protect dead Sauls armorbearer decided to kill himself. Saul's death effected those around him, and the effects Saul's decision to die were not just isolated to Saul. Saul's death even effected David, and the men that were with David (2 Samuel 1: 11,12.)
In the camp of David a young man appeared with a unique story:
'Then the young man who told him said, "As I happened by chance to be on Mount Gilboa, there was Saul, leaning on his spear; and indeed the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. Now when he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I answered, 'Here I am.' And he said to me, 'Who are you?' So I answered him, 'I am an Amalekite.' He said to me again, Please stand over me and kill me, for anguish has come upon me, but my life still remains in me.' So I stood over him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. 2 Samuel 1:9, 10
The first strike against this man was that he was an Amalekite, and David was just returning from the slaughter of the Amalikites (1 Samuel 15.) The second strike was that he was on Mount Gilboa, while a battle was being fought. Unless he had the worst GPS in history this young man was most likely stealing from the corpses. The third strike against this young man was the fact that he had just admitted to killing the Lords anointed. Knowing that this was a crime in Israel the young man reminds David that he is an Amalekite (verse 13.), and not subject to Hebrew laws. David dispenses justice:
Then David called one of the young men and said, "Go near, and execute him!" And he struck him so that he died. 16 So David said to him, "Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the Lord's anointed.' " 2 Samuel 1:15, 16.
David held the Amalekite accountable for the death of Saul. David held him accountable in spite of the fact that he was an Amalekite, and not subject to Hebrew laws. David knew that God was the giver of life and death Genesis 1-3, and therefore the Amalekite had transgressed a much older law, al law that all men Amalekite, and Hebrew were under. David knew there is an objective right an wrong when it came to life and death, and that right and wrong transcends cultures nations and borders. David knew people still have to answer for crimes no matter what their motives are.
I would like to talk about Brittany Maynard this week. This week Brittany Maynard is on the cover of "People" magazine announcing to the world her "Decision to Die."
First, the Bible says there is a difference between understanding sin, and calling sin righteous.
People do not despise a thief If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving. Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; He may have to give up all the substance of his house. Proverbs 6:30, 31.
In Proverbs 6 we can understand why the thief stole the bread, and we can empathize with his hunger, but the act of stealing is still wrong, and the thief must still face consequences for his actions. What Brittany Maynard has decided to do is wrong, but I think we all can still understand in some way why she has made her decision.
According to People Magazine Maynard plans on launching an online video campaign with an end of life advocacy group called Compassion & Choices. The campaign is designed to promote Death with Dignity laws.
Suicide happens. No one has ever been able to prevent someone who is terminally ill from committing suicide. The case of Brittany Maynard is not about the morality of suicide, it is about the morality of society assisting in suicide. It is about convincing society that man has the moral responsibility to help suffering people end their lives. I have seen a lot of Christians responding to Maynard's decision by discussing suffering, and the individuals so called right to chose how to die. But what I have not seen very many Christians doing is discussing the real issue. Do people have the right to kill another person? No one is directly talking about killing Maynard, but let's be honest her doctor is giving her the medication, her husband and family are standing by her decision, and the whole world is aware of her intent. Her online video campaign is a emotional plea for the expansion of state assisted suicide laws.
Let's cut to the chase. We have allowed man to replace God in our society. Anything man can do is potentially moral. If we can remove someones suffering by our choice, then it must be right.
In 2 Samuel 31 Saul was in deep trouble. After seeing the death of his three sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua at the hands of his enemies Saul was coming undone. Severely wounded by the Philistine archers Saul lay dying.
Then Saul said to his armorbearer, "Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and abuse me." 2 Samuel 31:4
Saul did not want to be tortured by the Philistines. A reasonable desire. Saul also wanted death with dignity. Another reasonable desire.
But his armorbearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it. And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword, and died with him. So Saul, his three sons, his armorbearer, and all his men died together that same day. 2 Samuel 31:4-6.
Sauls choice to take his own life did not make the world around him a better place. It did the exact opposite. After seeing the man who's life it was his soul job to protect dead Sauls armorbearer decided to kill himself. Saul's death effected those around him, and the effects Saul's decision to die were not just isolated to Saul. Saul's death even effected David, and the men that were with David (2 Samuel 1: 11,12.)
In the camp of David a young man appeared with a unique story:
'Then the young man who told him said, "As I happened by chance to be on Mount Gilboa, there was Saul, leaning on his spear; and indeed the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. Now when he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I answered, 'Here I am.' And he said to me, 'Who are you?' So I answered him, 'I am an Amalekite.' He said to me again, Please stand over me and kill me, for anguish has come upon me, but my life still remains in me.' So I stood over him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. 2 Samuel 1:9, 10
The first strike against this man was that he was an Amalekite, and David was just returning from the slaughter of the Amalikites (1 Samuel 15.) The second strike was that he was on Mount Gilboa, while a battle was being fought. Unless he had the worst GPS in history this young man was most likely stealing from the corpses. The third strike against this young man was the fact that he had just admitted to killing the Lords anointed. Knowing that this was a crime in Israel the young man reminds David that he is an Amalekite (verse 13.), and not subject to Hebrew laws. David dispenses justice:
Then David called one of the young men and said, "Go near, and execute him!" And he struck him so that he died. 16 So David said to him, "Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the Lord's anointed.' " 2 Samuel 1:15, 16.
David held the Amalekite accountable for the death of Saul. David held him accountable in spite of the fact that he was an Amalekite, and not subject to Hebrew laws. David knew that God was the giver of life and death Genesis 1-3, and therefore the Amalekite had transgressed a much older law, al law that all men Amalekite, and Hebrew were under. David knew there is an objective right an wrong when it came to life and death, and that right and wrong transcends cultures nations and borders. David knew people still have to answer for crimes no matter what their motives are.
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