Death is a natural part of the life cycle, even if it is also the least pleasant part. And depression can often be so bad as to make one wish for that unpleasant end. Biblical figures had to deal with both of these conditions, and often times, the world around them seemed depressing and filled with death. This essay explores the concept of death in a death-filled world within the Biblical text. It also examines dealing with depression in a depressing world.
Dealing with Death in a Death-Filled World
Death comes frequently in the Bible, and it is not usually fun to look at. King Hezekiah, in 2 Kings 20 is on his deathbed. His illness is not specified, but seeing as he was only 54 at the time of his death, and that he had always been faithful to and favored by God for the whole of his 29-year reign (2 Kings 18:1-7), it hardly seems a fair or merciful way to go. In the previous chapter, Jerusalem had been besieged by the Assyrians, who only lifted the siege after the majority of the Assyrian force had been struck down by disease (2 Kings 19). Given the siege conditions—with there being no way in or out of the city, the waste of its inhabitants would have been accumulating, not to mention the disease that crippled the attacking force—it is highly possible that Hezekiah contracted the same disease that had been going around, which could be deadly, as seen by the multitude of diseased corpses that once made up the Assyrian army.
As he, a pious and faithful king, is writhing in sickness, Isaiah approaches and tells him matter-of-factly that it is time to get his affairs in order, because he is going to die (2 Kings 20:1b). Hezekiah up to this point has only reigned fourteen years, given the information given about his duration on the Judean throne in 2 Kings 18. Considering that God has just delivered his city and himself out of danger from the regional superpower of the time by what is in all likelihood the same disease, that would have to be a bitter pill to swallow. And it was: the text tells us that Hezekiah broke down and wept (2 Kings 20:3).
It is implied that the disease manifested itself with boils and sores, which would have made the agony even worse (2 Kings 20:7). What is more, while the plague had struck down the Assyrians, they were still considered a looming threat (2 Kings 20:6), as they had captured the northern kingdom of Israel the year before (2 Kings 17: 1-6). Hezekiah must have felt that his whole life’s work had been in vain.
So what is a believer supposed to do in such a case? Hezekiah, as defeated as he must have felt emotionally, and as worn down as he must have felt physically, could only think of one recourse. He rolled over in his sickbed and prayed: “I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight” (2 Kings 20:3). For a king reliant on being able to pay tribute to surrounding powers to survive, after seeing his neighbor and closest allied kingdom destroyed and its people enslaved, divine goodwill was the only reliable friend that he had, so he pleaded for one more demonstration of it.
The God of the Bible had always been willing to give His most devoted adherents considerable grace when they faced troubling circumstances. From humoring Abraham by promising not to destroy two cities if only ten decent people could be found between the both of them (Genesis 18:16-33), to giving the Kingdom of Israel hundreds of years to get its act together in spite of having so many bad kings and the people’s disobedience and rejection of God and His Law, because of the friendship God had enjoyed with David (1 Kings 11:11), but persisted until the Assyrians besieged and took Samaria (2 Kings 17:5). And so, not willing to let a friend die so cruelly, God listened to Hezekiah’s prayer and decided to heal him after all (2 Kings 20:5-6). Hezekiah, hardly able to believe this turn in his fortunes, asked for a sign, and it was duly provided (2 Kings 20:8-11). Even at death’s door, God appeared willing to save His friends.
Dealing with Depression in a Depressing World
Depression is a sickness in and of itself, and many people feel it, including those counted among God’s friends. When Moses was leading the exiled Israelites in the desert on the way to Canaan, a forty-year journey, he suffered from numerous bouts of depression. One such instance was recorded in Numbers 11, when the Israelites were complaining from having only manna to eat, Moses had heard enough. He had been leading the Israelites for decades by this point and their constant griping depressed him. What was more, he began blaming God for his misfortunes, saying, “And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness” (Numbers 11:15). In modern terms, he was asking God to do him a favor and kill him on the spot, so he wouldn’t have to listen to the complaints or bear the responsibility any more.
God had noticed the Israelites’ complaining, and was not impressed. After all, He had rescued them from slavery, brought them safely across the desert, gave them the Law by which their descendants would live for thousands of years, provided food and water, and yet still they complained. In Numbers 11:1, when the level of what really amounted to sass reached a critical point, God decided to remind them who was boss and he scorched the outermost ring of their camp. It was only by Moses’s intervening via prayer in Numbers 11:2 that convinced God to let the fire die down. This worked in keeping the more habitual whiners in check for a while, but soon after, they found something else to gripe about.
Soon enough, though, the grumbling started again. There were those in the group who were not Israelites, but because they had married into Israelite families, were forced to go on the Exodus with them out of Goshen. These were the principle complainers who had made Moses’s life and job miserable, and they began making trouble again, this time about the free food (Numbers 11:4-6). Soon enough, the griping had spread like a virus to nearly every family in the whole group, and they all complained loudly and repeatedly to Moses (Numbers 11:10). Exhausted, angry, and depressed, Moses decided to pass that complaining along to God and join in, accusing God of unfairly burdening him, of abandoning him, and leaving him to herd a multitude of ingrates. God, though, being faithful, told Moses that He would provide meat until the entire multitude choked on it (Numbers 11:18-20). When God provided quail to the Israelites, everyone who complained died of food poisoning from it (Numbers 11:33). Macabre, perhaps, but to the point. The complaining stopped.
Conclusion
This essay explored the Biblical text to look at its take on the concept of death in a death-filled world. It also examined dealing with depression in a depressing situation. The world is often a dreary and unfortunate place. While God may seem distant, in each of these instances, He proved to be more than willing to handle the issue, whether it be a depressing situation or impending death.
