When death is “precious”

Psalm 116:15

Precious in His Sight: The Value of Life to God

Bible Passage: Psalm 116:15

Summary: Psalm 116:15 declares the preciousness of death for God's saints, highlighting the value He places on their lives, even in death.

Application: This sermon can help Christians understand that their lives and struggles are valued by God, encouraging them to find hope in their worth and to live meaningfully, even amidst difficulties.

Teaching: The sermon teaches that God sees every life as precious; He cares for His people deeply, and even in times of suffering or loss, His attention has not wavered.

How this passage could point to Christ: In the broader context of Scripture, Christ embodies this value of life through His sacrifice. He not only values our lives but redeems them, demonstrating the ultimate price He paid for our preciousness in God's eyes.

Big Idea: God values our lives so deeply that every moment is precious to Him, inviting us to live in the light of that truth.

Recommended Study: As you prepare this sermon, I suggest exploring the Hebrew terms used in Psalm 116:15 for deeper meanings of 'precious' and 'death.' In Logos, you can delve into commentaries that discuss the cultural context of death in ancient Israel. Additionally, investigate cross-references related to how God values His people throughout Scripture, especially in the context of Christ's atonement.

1. Preciousness of the Saints

Psalm 116:15

You could emphasize how the verse highlights the preciousness of the life and death of God's saints. This point could reassure the congregation that God is deeply invested in their lives and deaths, seeing them as significant and worthy. The christocentric theme could focus on how Jesus' own death and resurrection further illustrate God's profound regard for life and death, offering ultimate hope and redemption. The application could suggest that believers live with the assurance that their existence matters deeply to God, encouraging them to persevere through struggles.

The Hebrew word for “precious” is found 39 times in the Old Testament. 30 times it refers to “precious, high value, honor.” It is used of highly valued jewels. In Psalm 45:9, it is used in reference to the king’s daughters who are of “noble birth,” i.e., highly honored by the fact that they are the king’s daughters.

Psalms, Volume 3 Psalm 116

The idea here is, that the death of saints is an object of value; that God regards it as of importance; that it is connected with his great plans, and that there are great purposes to be accomplished by it. The idea here seems to be that the death of a good man is in itself of so much importance, and so connected with the glory of God and the accomplishment of his purposes, that he will not cause it to take place except in circumstances, at times, and in a manner, which will best secure those ends. The particular thought in the mind of the psalmist seems to have been that as he had been preserved when he was apparently so near to death, it must have been because God saw that the death of one of his friends was a matter of so much importance that it should occur only when the most good could be effected by it, and when the ends of life had been accomplished; that God would not decide on this hastily, or without the best reasons; and that, therefore, he had interposed to lengthen out his life still longer. Still, there is a general truth implied here, to wit, that the act of removing a good man from the world is, so to speak, an act of deep deliberation on the part of God; that good, and sometimes great, ends are to be accomplished by it; and that, therefore, God regards it with special interest. It is of value or importance in such respects as the following:—(1) As it is the removal of another of the redeemed to glory—the addition of one more to the happy hosts above; (2) as it is a new triumph of the work of redemption,—showing the power and the value of that work; (3) as it often furnishes a more direct proof of the reality of religion than any abstract argument could do. How much has the cause of religion been promoted by the patient deaths of Ignatius, and Polycarp, and Latimer, and Ridley, and Huss, and Jerome of Prague, and the hosts of the martyrs! What does not the world owe, and the cause of religion owe, to such scenes as occurred on the death-beds of Baxter, and Thomas Scott, and Halyburton, and Payson! What an argument for the truth of religion,—what an illustration of its sustaining power,—what a source of comfort to us who are soon to die,—to reflect that religion does not leave the believer when he most needs its support and consolations; that it can sustain us in the severest trial of our condition here; that it can illuminate what seems to us of all places most dark, cheerless, dismal, repulsive—“the valley of the shadow of death!”

Psalms: An Introduction and Commentary 116:15–16. Costly Is the Death of God’s Servants

116:15–16. Costly is the death of God’s servants

As translated by the NIV, verse 15 seems strange and out of context, appearing to say that God delights in the death of his faithful servants. After all, the psalmist is thanking God for preserving him from death. The NAB and NJB seem to get it right, translating yāqār as ‘costly’, rather than precious. In other words, the death of his faithful servants pains God. The psalmist is one of God’s faithful servants, and God had just saved him from death. He has freed him from chains, probably to be understood metaphorically in connection with the threat of death that held him.

In the book of Psalms, we read, 'Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints' (Psalm 116:15). This verse reminds us that God sees the passing of His faithful ones not just as a loss but as a valued event. It is like a priceless gem being placed in His treasure box, signifying their faithfulness and devotion, which He cherishes deeply.

When we think of how God views the death of His saints, consider the story of Stephen in Acts 7. As he was stoned, he saw heaven open and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. This profound moment reveals that God doesn't merely watch from a distance; He honors the sacrifice of His saints as they transition from suffering to glory.

Consider the parable of the lost coin (Luke 15:8-10). Just as the woman searched diligently for her coin until it was found, God values each of His saints immensely, even in death. When we mourn, we must remember that for God, the death of His faithful ones is not a loss but a celebration, as each soul is a treasure that He seeks and rejoices over in eternity.

What does Psalm 116:15 suggest about God's view of the death of His saints?

What role does the Hebrew term for 'precious' play in understanding God's view of death according to the sermon?