It is often said that life is short, so make it count. The brevity of life is enough to drive makes life itself one of the most precious gifts there is. Therefore, how one spends his life is of the utmost importance. Both the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Bible recognize the concision of life. While death looms, the principles regarding life and death shine forth in both narratives. In this paper, an exploration of what each has to say about life and death will be handled, including a comparison and contrast of issues surrounding life and death.
Summary of Life and Death Issues
Gilgamesh
The Epic of Gilgamesh chronicles the tale of Gilgamesh, a being who is two-thirds god and one-third man. Gilgamesh is heralded as a strong, mighty warrior. …show more content…
A central theme in both is the goodness of the pursuit of eternal life. Before travelling over the mountain to pursue eternal life, Gilgamesh prays to Sin to persevere him on his journey. He awakes from a dream, “rejoicing in life.” By nature, goodness is intrinsically tied to rejoicing. One rejoices over the goodness of food, a house, or other material blessings. So too in Scripture we find multiple accounts of people rejoicing over the goodness of the Lord. For Gilgamesh to rejoice over life would imply that there is a goodness to seeking out life. Proverbs 30 will attest to this too when the author writes in verse 5 that, “Every word of God proves true.” If God’s word is true, and if knowing God is akin to wisdom and learning and is wrought by understanding and living in light of God’s word, it would follow that there are grounds for rejoicing and seeking life. Because God’s word is true, one should be inclined to seek out the life found therein. The pursuit is a worthy …show more content…
Three additional Proverbs that speak about life and death are Proverbs 10:16, Proverbs 11:19, and Proverbs 19:16.
Proverbs 10:16 states that, “The wage of the righteous leads to life, the gain of the wicked to sin.” This implies that those who are viewed as righteous before God will receive their due reward, namely eternal life. Those who are wicked and do evil are given over to sin and ultimately death because the wages of sin is death.
Furthermore, Proverbs 11:19 claims, “Whoever is steadfast in righteousness will live, but he who pursues evil will die.” Here, Solomon is remarking that the one who seeks after right living before God will inherit eternal life. A sincere, steadfast adherence to God’s word will lead to life. But, for those who chase after evil, who rebel against God’s commands, they will taste death.
Finally, Proverbs 19:16 reads, “Whoever keeps the commandments keeps his life; he who despises his ways will die.” This proverb attest to the fact that keeping God’s law produces life, but a foolish heart who runs from the truth of God’s commands will die. Right living before God is the essential essence of life and can only be obtained through faith in
Summary of Life and Death Issues
Gilgamesh
The Epic of Gilgamesh chronicles the tale of Gilgamesh, a being who is two-thirds god and one-third man. Gilgamesh is heralded as a strong, mighty warrior. …show more content…
A central theme in both is the goodness of the pursuit of eternal life. Before travelling over the mountain to pursue eternal life, Gilgamesh prays to Sin to persevere him on his journey. He awakes from a dream, “rejoicing in life.” By nature, goodness is intrinsically tied to rejoicing. One rejoices over the goodness of food, a house, or other material blessings. So too in Scripture we find multiple accounts of people rejoicing over the goodness of the Lord. For Gilgamesh to rejoice over life would imply that there is a goodness to seeking out life. Proverbs 30 will attest to this too when the author writes in verse 5 that, “Every word of God proves true.” If God’s word is true, and if knowing God is akin to wisdom and learning and is wrought by understanding and living in light of God’s word, it would follow that there are grounds for rejoicing and seeking life. Because God’s word is true, one should be inclined to seek out the life found therein. The pursuit is a worthy …show more content…
Three additional Proverbs that speak about life and death are Proverbs 10:16, Proverbs 11:19, and Proverbs 19:16.
Proverbs 10:16 states that, “The wage of the righteous leads to life, the gain of the wicked to sin.” This implies that those who are viewed as righteous before God will receive their due reward, namely eternal life. Those who are wicked and do evil are given over to sin and ultimately death because the wages of sin is death.
Furthermore, Proverbs 11:19 claims, “Whoever is steadfast in righteousness will live, but he who pursues evil will die.” Here, Solomon is remarking that the one who seeks after right living before God will inherit eternal life. A sincere, steadfast adherence to God’s word will lead to life. But, for those who chase after evil, who rebel against God’s commands, they will taste death.
Finally, Proverbs 19:16 reads, “Whoever keeps the commandments keeps his life; he who despises his ways will die.” This proverb attest to the fact that keeping God’s law produces life, but a foolish heart who runs from the truth of God’s commands will die. Right living before God is the essential essence of life and can only be obtained through faith in