How can we ensure we "consider" the righteous' fate as Isaiah 57:1 suggests? Setting the Verse Before Our Eyes “The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away from evil.” — Isaiah 57:1 The Meaning of “Consider” • “Consider” (Hebrew: שִׂים לֵב, sim-lev) literally means “to set the heart upon, to pay close heed.” • Isaiah laments that people witness the deaths of righteous believers yet fail to ponder God’s perspective on those departures. • The verse invites us to intentionally engage mind, heart, and will so we do not shrug off a saint’s passing as merely another obituary. Why the Righteous Are Taken Away • Protection from coming evil: “The righteous are taken away from evil.” (Isaiah 57:1) • Entrance into peace: “They will rest on their beds, everyone who walked uprightly.” (Isaiah 57:2) • Precious in God’s sight: “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.” (Psalm 116:15) • Immediate presence with Christ: “To live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21) Practical Ways to Keep Their Fate Before Us 1. Attend funerals and memorial services with purposeful reflection rather than routine presence. 2. Speak aloud the promises of Scripture at the graveside (1 Thessalonians 4:14 – 17). 3. Keep a “saints remembered” journal: record lessons learned from believers who have finished their race (Hebrews 13:7). 4. Share testimonies of the deceased during family devotions; highlight God’s faithfulness in their lives. 5. Read biographies of faithful Christians; let their stories kindle hope that “blessed are the dead who die in the Lord” (Revelation 14:13). 6. Mark anniversaries of their home-going with Scripture readings and hymns about heaven (John 14:1-3). 7. Support the bereaved by reminding them of the reunion promised at Christ’s return (1 Thessalonians 4:18). 8. Engage children in planting a tree or flower in memory of a departed believer, linking it to the resurrection of new life (1 Colossians 15:42-44). Benefits of Remembering Their Destiny • Encourages holy living: “Everyone who has this hope purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:3) • Dispels fear of death: “The sting of death is sin… but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Colossians 15:56-57) • Strengthens perseverance: “We are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses.” (Hebrews 12:1) • Fosters gratitude: we rejoice that believers are “away from evil” and now “with the Lord.” • Promotes evangelistic urgency: realizing death ushers souls into eternity compels us to share the gospel (2 Corinthians 5:11). Living in Light of Their Example • Meditate daily on passages about eternal life; let them frame your priorities (Colossians 3:1-4). • Serve sacrificially now, knowing labor in the Lord is never in vain (1 Colossians 15:58). • Cultivate relationships that outlast the grave by uniting around Christ and His Word. • Prepare your own legacy: model righteousness so that when you are “taken away,” others will indeed consider and glorify God (Proverbs 10:7). By deliberately practicing these habits, we fulfill Isaiah’s exhortation: we truly consider the righteous’ fate and let their home-going sharpen our hope, shape our living, and spread God’s glory. |
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