This may seem like a new series, but I want to add insight to three original posts from July 2014. And what does an obituary of sweet Georgia Brown have to do with it?
Simple, her life little remembered resounds in a melody which has always haunted my mind with the futility in death.
I’ll share some interesting background of the melody I did not know in the year of our Lord 2014, history familiar to my own youth and life stories forgotten by then.
(You can go ahead & play it in the background if you like.
A You-Tube version of the original will open here and play while you scroll through all the rest.)
Best-know performance of song by Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller – 4m37s
Who is sweet Georgia Brown?
Since I have chosen her obituary as cover for this 3-post series, I owe you some of her interesting background.
For more: (including a picture from 1968) Source - Wikipedia bio
Think of it as a brief fitting memorial to one of so many entertainers of the 60's now forgotten in the 21st c.
During her initial performing career as a nightclub singer, she adopted the professional name Georgia Brown with reference to two of her favourite repertoire items: “Sweet Georgia Brown” and “Georgia on My Mind.” After an attempt at a recording career, with three overlooked singles released on Decca Records in 1955, Brown moved into musical theatre..
Brown’s career role was that of Nancy in the musical Oliver!, a role she created in the original 1960 London production. When she first came in to audition for the musical’s author and composer, Lionel Bart, he recognized her as a childhood neighbour, and greeted her as “Lily Klot”.
On 9 February 1964, she appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show with 18-year-old Davy Jones (pre-Monkees) recreating two scenes from the musical then showing on Broadway.
This happened to be the same evening that the Beatles made their first live U.S. appearance on the show.
In 1974, Brown married producer Gareth Wigan, with whom she had been involved for at least seven years; the couple married in order to expedite the emigration of themselves and their son Jonathan (then aged six) to the U.S. Brown and Wigan separated in 1979, with their divorce becoming final in 1981 after protracted legal wrangling.
Death Brown died at the age of 58 in London on 5 July 1992.
Although she had become a permanent U.S. resident and lived in Hollywood, she had flown to London to appear on the bill for a tribute to Sammy Davis, Jr. held that week at the Drury Lane Theatre. Before the date of the tribute she became ill, and underwent emergency surgery to remove an intestinal obstruction at Charing Cross Hospital where she died from complications.
What do the lyrics say?
“Is that all there is,” do they cry out?
Or is their proclamation, “I Did It MY WAY?
The lyricist who wrote these and many more influential songs for entertainment of the 20th century is Jerry Leiber..
“Careful little ears what you hear,” reminds the lyric of the old children’s Sunday school song.
Philosophy or Biblical Truth?
Therefore, your food for thought in this series is wisdom (or lack of it). What do the songs and questions really ask?
The presumed answer of questions like, ‘Is that all there is?’ is YES.
And, ‘I did it my way,’ presumes NO god and that death of the matter of the body is in fact, the end of it all.
Want to know the philosophy of the music?
Read the link above to the lyricist of these songs.
Just think of your 'applause' in life as an early song heard at your funeral or a fond memory in your obituary.
Is that all there is? No, it's not, says the Lord God. - RH
Original post July 1, 2014 – Topic: Does life have meaning?
For those philosophers among our readers:
Don't miss the Victor Frankl link in this post.
(We'll talk of Jesus AND Jewish philosophies tomorrow
& in a post conclusion from Scripture next Monday, God-willing.)
Summer 2021 AD {Scriptural} Reruns
CLICK “…Continue reading ” above,
THEN Ask a question or comment at the end of this post
DEATH! Everyone must have had questions about the DEATH and life of Jesus now. Resurrection, though they had talked about it — even witnessed the dead coming to life like Lazarus and others — resurrection remained far from their minds.
John 11:43
The Messiah of Israel, authoritative rabbi, proven prophet, beloved shepherd, gentle lamb of God — Jesus, even the Son of God crucified on a shameful Roman cross, buried in a grave like any other man — Jesus, the Christ — dead. How could G-d allow it? For if any man or woman deserved DEATH, even shameful crucifixion hanging on a Cross, it was not this Son of Man, Jesus (shamefully mocked as King of the JEWS). He was so much more than that, but DEATH?
What meaning to our life if living like a Perfect Son was not enough to avoid DEATH?
Of course, Lazarus like everybody else will die again. But what then, without Jesus?
What does Scripture say about DEATH?
DEATH looms so LARGE in each of our lives…
A beloved wife or husband dies or even a child before their time.
My younger brother died before me; my mother’s older brother had died as a child — and for most mortals my age, one or both parents have already suffered DEATH by various causes.
Is life so meaningless that DEATH must conquer each mortal soul?
What does the Bible say about death?
And more to our hope from the ‘Easter story,’
What does Scripture say about life AFTER DEATH, that is: Resurrection?
DEATH after life
One of the first mentions of death in Genesis is by the wife of Abraham, Hagar anticipating the death of her son.
When the water in the skin was used up, she left the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away, for she said,
“May I not see the boy die!”
And she sat opposite him, and raised her voice and wept.
God heard the boy crying; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.
The KJV translates Strong’s H4191 in the following manner: die (424x), dead (130x), slay (100x), death (83x), surely (50x), kill (31x), dead man (3x), dead body (2x), in no wise (2x), miscellaneous (10x).
The KJV translates Strong’s H4194 in the following manner: death (128x), die (22x), dead (8x), deadly (1x), slay (1x).
We see ‘death, dying, Death (personified), realm of the dead; to die, kill, be put to death (even like the Messiah Yeshua)innumerable times in the Bible — hundreds of instances of DEATH — hundreds.
“Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers;
[KJV – ‘Behold, thou shalt sleep‘ – H7901 – šāḵaḇ – lie (106x), sleep (48x), lie down (43x), rest (3x) (some dual meaning here as well – RH)]
and this people will arise and play the prostitute with the foreign gods of the land into the midst of which they are going, and they will abandon Me and break My covenant which I have made with them.
We easily get caught up in his great battles against evil yet forget that the great prophet of the LORD raised a boy from the dead, as later the Messiah Jesus did at Nain.
more of the story of this resurrection by Elijah above
DEATH as a young man; and then RESURRECTION by the LORD and the prayer of Elijah.
Later a second great prophet Elisha witnesses Elijah at his DEATH.
And as they were walking along and talking, behold, a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and they separated the two of them. Then Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven.
And Elisha was watching it and he was crying out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” And he did not see [fn]Elijah again. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
Elijah, not like Moses, was taken up; yet still Elisha mourns. Even having witnessed NO death, he mourns the loss of his beloved teacher.
And Simon Peter, who loved his teacher, the Messiah Jesus also witnessed him (never giving thought to what must happen to the Christ BEFORE HIS RESURRECTION).
You may need to click the link above for common English if you have trouble following the
Orthodox Jewish Bible used by some Messianic Jews.
And after shisha yamim (six days), Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach took Kefa, Yaakov and Yochanan his brother; he brings them up to a high mountain in yechidus.
2 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was transfigured before them, and Moshiach’s face shone like the shemesh (sun), and his garments became brilliant like the ohr.
3 And hinei! There appeared before them Moshe Rabbenu and Eliyahu HaNavi conferring with Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.
KJV 4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
Glorious! Not unlike the LORD on Sinai.
Yet listen to what Jesus tells Peter and John who were present.
“..Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead… Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”
Matthew 17:9b KJV, 12b NASB
Of course, even though the Twelve had heard Jesus say plainly and He must suffer and die, them be raised from the dead after three days, now after the Lord’s cruel crucifixion resurrection was far from their thoughts.
LIFE after death?
First:
You can not get to LIFE after death until you have dealt with sin.
.. death spread to all mankind, because all sinned—
And no man on earth can fully compensate God for the sin he has committed. No priest can intercede perfectly, save One.
Second.
The Messiah Jesus was left for dead in the grave of a man.
The Son of Man(born into Adam’s image) was witnessed through His many signs and miracles as the Son of God, incarnate of the Holy Spirit of the LORD. God IS His Father and Jesus IS our heavenly Father’s only Son, though all in Christ have become His children. (It is a great mystery rooted in love, mercy and grace.)
Third.
JESUS CHRIST was sinless. He lived the human life of a mortal for thirty some years. Yet God sent His Only Son to the CROSS!
So WHY was a SINLESS man executed, even the MESSIAH of God’s chosen?
(He lived in human flesh but did not succumb to the sin of the flesh. – RH)
24 ..as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith.
Propitiation, a word to which 21st century culture cannot relate, is important (and not too complicated).
Jews of the first century understood it as did the Jews in the generations of Moses and Elijah.
READ its significance below & be convicted of what Jesus did for you on the Cross:
The Covenant of God’s chosen with the LORD was broken.
Propitiation – used of the cover of the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies, which was sprinkled with the blood of the expiatory victim on the annual day of atonement (this rite signifying that the life of the people, the loss of which they had merited by their sins, was offered to God in the blood as the life of the victim, and that God by this ceremony was appeased and their sins expiated); hence the lid of expiation, the propitiatory
The required Blood of the Covenant was now met with Sacrifice of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
John 19:42
The DEATH of the LAMB is accomplished. Sin is buried by the Sacrifice of the Sinless.
Resurrection – LIFE by grace
What were Jesus’ closest disciples feeling and remembering early that Easter morning?
They must have thought of His incarnate life extinguished so violently on a Cross last Friday and duty to complete the embalming of their Lord’s entombed flesh.
DEATH, then taken up like Elijah?
Would they have even thought back to what Jesus had said about Moses or Elijah — concerning His own death or resurrection?
Those near Golgotha would have recalled his CRY before death.
At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “ELOI, ELOI, LEMA SABAKTANEI?” which is translated,
Did they remember what some Jews in the crowds had mocked?
“Look! He is calling for Elijah!”
Mark 15:35b
No — the Lord Jesus was NOT taken up from the Cross in glory into a chariot of fire in heaven.
He died and hung there +++ only to be buried in a tomb.
Mourning Moses, yet not their Messiah
Jesus had invoked Moses and the Law as accusers of the Jews who would crucify Him, yet leaves room for grace. (For many of the Jews believed in Him publicly or privately.)
“Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have put your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.
Did they remember Jesus’ answer about the resurrection?
Joseph rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away.
Luke 20:
“But as for the fact that the dead are raised, even Moses revealed this in the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB. Now He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to Him.”
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus…
That’s really it, is it not? — It’s what we want to know about the resurrection:
..“Why are you seeking the living One among the dead?
6 He is not here, but He has risen.
Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise from the dead.”
8 And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest.
THEY DID NOT FIND THE BODY.
This was the miraculous scene concerning the Son of God who had performed MANY signs and miracles.
Will OUR BODY be there when WE go to the grave?
YES! But, we will NOT — for our Soul formed into flesh and bone will rise to the judgment or to the Lord our God. Our body returning to the dust of creation will also rise; but too many questions about our resurrections body to address here today.
Death + NOT THE END +
Luke 24:
38 And He said to them,
“Why are you frightened, and why are doubts arising in your hearts?
It’s a tough question when confronting death and life, isn’t it?
44 Now He said to them,
“These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all the things that are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them,
“So it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
48 You are witnesses of these things…
Are you? Even though you did not put your fingers into His hands and pierced side, DO YOU BELIEVE, my dear brother, beloved sister in Christ our RISEN Lord?
Do you talk of Jesus as if He IS – witness Jesus as if He is your Lord and Savior from your sin?
And what of LIFE after death. In Him and through Him, DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE RESURECTION?
The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in faithful love, forgiving iniquity and rebellion. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generation.
Numbers 14:18 CSB
Numbers 15: Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them,
‘When you enter the land where you are to live, which I am giving you, then make an offering by fire to the Lord..
32 Now while the sons of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering wood on the sabbath day… 35 Then the Lord said to Moses,
“The man shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.”
complaint of bread from heaven
Do you recall their disobedience during the days of Manna In The Wilderness?
IF you have been following ALL of the disobedience of this people you know this is NOT the first death in the wilderness for disobedience. We can easily look back upon violation after violation of the Commandment and instructions by THE LORD our GOD!
Then Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field..” Yet it came about on the seventh day that some of the people went out to gather, but they found none.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My instructions?”
Now Korah .. the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, .. sons of Reuben, took action, and they rose up before Moses, together with some of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, chosen in the assembly, men of renown.
A coup of 250 leaders of the nation sought to appoint their own Levite Priest (Korah) to lead the Nation whatever way they wanted.
3 They assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is in their midst..
Moses, Israel’s leader anointed by the LORD & Aaron, Israel’s anointed Priest of the Tabernacle now confronted by 250 men of an opposing party. They oppose the LORD and have an agenda of their own.
Do you remember when?
3000 Deaths – Punishment by the LORD!
‘The Levites did as Moses commanded, and about three thousand men fell dead that day among the people.’
Exodus 32:28
REMEMBER the VOTE about entering the ‘Promised Land?”‘
MOSES lost that vote:
10 Leaders AGAINST;
only Joshua & Caleb FOR.
They had feared the LORD briefly, so they sent Moses to Sinai to Represent them before the Lord God! Then they appointed 120 Elders from the twelve parties (tribes) representing a remnant rabble of redeemed slaves through the wilderness.
Now the MAJORITY brings a force of 250 against just Moses, Aaron, Joshua, Caleb, and unnamed loyal followers of the LORD!
The LORD will Prevail
And fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. – Lev. 10:2
Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the ears of the LORD; and the LORD heard them and His anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some at the outskirts of the camp. – Numbers 11:1Rabble & Rebellion
Fire also came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense. – Numbers 16:35
WE remember so easily miracles and blessings by the LORD of us, yet how easily we forget our promises to Him and punishments for breaking Commandment, instruction or promise.
4 And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face: and he spoke to Korah and all his group, saying,
“Tomorrow morning the Lord will make known who is His, and who is holy, and will bring that one near to Himself;
indeed, the one whom He will choose, He will bring near to Himself..
.. You have gone far enough, you sons of Levi!”
.. He has brought you near, Korah, and all your brothers, sons of Levi, with you? But are you seeking the priesthood as well?
12 And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up:
Insolence against the LORD!
The answer of Dathan and Abiram to Moses points back to Egypt and their former life in slavery to Pharaoh!
13 Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey.. to have us die in the wilderness, but you would also appoint yourself as master over us?
Indeed, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey..
Recall that these were among the 10 who voted against Moses and Joshua and Caleb for continuing into the promised land of the LORD.
.. nor have you given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Would you gouge out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!”
The LORD instructs Moses to send for them. After receiving their reply, as Korah and the others had gathered before the LORD as instructed by Moses, he replies to the conspirators.
15 Then Moses became very angry and said to the Lord,
“Pay no attention to their offering! I have not taken a single donkey from them, nor have I done harm to any of them.”
16 Moses said to Korah, “You and all your group be present before the Lord tomorrow, you and they along with Aaron. And each of you take his censer and put incense on it, and each of you bring his censer before the Lord, 250 censers; also you and Aaron shall each bring his censer.”
The Glory of the LORD consumes His enemies!
19 So Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation..
21 “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, so that I may consume them instantly.” ..
26 And he spake unto the congregation, saying,
Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of their’s, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.
27 So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.
30 But if the Lord brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them with everything that is theirs, and they descend alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have been disrespectful to the Lord.”
Death penalty!
31 Just as he finished speaking all these words, the ground beneath them split open. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, all Korah’s people, and all their possessions.
They went down alive into Sheol with all that belonged to them. The earth closed over them, and they vanished from the assembly.
Numbers 16:33 CSB
34 At their cries, all the people of Israel who were around them fled because they thought, “The earth may swallow us too!”
35 And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense…
And yet another reminder
38 The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the Lord, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel..
40 To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the Lord; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the Lord said to him by the hand of Moses.
They murmured against the LORD’s punishment
41 But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron..
DO YOU MURMUR AGAINST THE LORD OR LEADERSHIP OF YOUR CHURCH?
by implication, to stay permanently; hence (in a bad sense)
to be obstinate (especially in words, to complain):—abide (all night), continue, dwell, endure, grudge, be left, lie all night, (cause to) lodge (all night, in, -ing, this night),
(make to) murmur, remain, tarry (all night, that night).
Don’t WE tend to look back on what the Lord or our pastor did to us?
Exo 15:24 So the people grumbled H3885 at Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”
Exo 16:2 But the whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled H3885 against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
Exo 17:3 But the people were thirsty for water there; and they grumbled H3885 against Moses and said, “Why is it that you have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”
“And it will come about that the staff of the man whom I choose will sprout. So I will relieve Myself of the grumblings of the sons of Israel, who are grumbling H3885 against you.”
Numbers 17:5
Who will survive the Wilderness?
Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment.
Numbers 16:45a KJV
For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?
Deuteronomy 5:26 KJV
Some would not be led into the promised land. We who have known the great blessings of the Lord our God have seldom recalled the warnings to those who did not obey Almighty God.
NEXT: In the conclusion of this series we will look to the example of Joshua in the wilderness and upon entry into the promised land.
