We are made a spectacle ... to angels

"Which things the angels desire to look into." (1Pet. 1:12).

Many are the illustrations in this fallen world that proclaim the truth of the Creator's character. The children of Adam and the animal kingdom that He gave them tell to His holy hosts of heaven a love in His heart for them that they can never experience except through involving themselves in our redemption. An article from 2018 teaches us all what divine love is all about:

One loyal German shepherd in Argentina died this week beside his owner's grave, where he had been passing his days since his owner died 12 years ago, local media reported.

Capitan, age 15, first made headlines in 2012, when local papers reported the dog had been waiting at his owner's grave in the town of Villa Carlos Paz. His story soon spread, inspiring dog lovers around the world.

Miguel Guzmán died in 2006. Capitan disappeared from the family home shortly after, only to be found by Guzmán's widow, Veronica, at the gravesite.

Despite several attempts to take the dog home, Capitan always ran back to the cemetery, about 15 blocks from the house.

The canine was well-cared for by the cemetery caretakers, who fed him and made sure he received annual vaccinations. Nevertheless, graveyard life took its toll, as local media reported Capitan had lost his eyesight and could hardly walk last year.

Cristian Stempels, the veterinarian who treated Capitan until his last days, said Tuesday that the dog suffered from chronic kidney failure and had been treated for several years for the disease.

"We had detected the kidney problem four years ago, and all this time he had been taken care of with special food and medicine," the vet told La Voz newspaper.

"He is an iconic dog in Carlos Paz, and since he lived most of his life in the cemetery, we decided he should die there. He was buried the same day, and there was not much else we could do," Stempels said.

The municipality is currently mulling the best way to honor the dog's legacy.

How the dog first located his beloved master after death remains a mystery.

"We have no idea how he found the tomb because his owner did not die in Carlos Paz, but in Cordoba," retired cemetery caretaker Héctor Banegas told La Opinion last year.

"From there he was transferred to the village for the wake and from there directly to the cemetery, he did not return to his house and he did not see the dog again. The big mystery is how Capitan didn't forget the scent of his master's scent for months after his death."

Here's another article that fills in the same story with more details:

MAN’S BEST FRIEND Faithful dog dies next to his master’s grave after refusing to leave for 10 years

Capitan, a 15-year-old German Shepherd has died from kidney failure having remained by his master's graveside for a decade.

Capitan, a 15-year-old German Shepherd, who lived at the side of his owner’s resting place for 10 years, has died at his owner’s grave in the Municipal Cemetery of Villa Carlos Paz, a city in the Argentinian state of Cordoba.

Capitan’s owner, Miguel Guzman, died in 2006 and the dog went missing from the family home some months later.

Guzman’s family thought Capitan had run away, but were shocked to find the dog by its owner’s graveside months later.

No one is sure how Capitan found the cemetery where his owner was buried.

Hector Baccega, director of the the cemetery, had told local media at the time: “He turned up here one day, all on his own, and started wandering all around the cemetery until he eventually found the tomb of his master.

“During the day he sometimes has a walk around the cemetery, but always rushes back to the grave.

“And every day, at six o’clock sharp, he lies down on top of the grave and stays there all night.”

Capitan lived in the cemetery for ten more years, and became something of a global sensation picking up coverage around the world.

But he was taken to the vet four years ago and diagnosed with kidney failure.

The vet who treated the dog, Cristhian Sempels, told reporters: "Unfortunately, his age and this condition (kidney failure) meant he could not hold on.

"We could have admitted him to the vet, but only so that he could die in the veterinary surgery, so we preferred to leave him and attend to him in the cemetery, where he lived and felt calm."

Mr Guzman bought Capitan as a present for his 13-year-old son Damian in 2005 but died suddenly in March the next year.

When his family returned from the funeral Capitan was gone....

Capitan follows in the tracks of Hachiko, an Akita dog which is said to have waited at a Tokyo train station for its master to return each day for nine years from May 1925, following owner Hidesaburo Ueno’s death at work.

The most famous tale of a dog’s devotion beyond the grave is Greyfriars Bobby— a Skye Terrier which allegedly spent 14 years guarding the Edinburgh grave of John Gray, dying itself in January 1872.

A statue and commemorative fountain were built at the southern end of the George IV Bridge....

Capitan isn’t the only loyal pooch who just can’t let go. These other loyal animals have waited in hope by their masters’ graves.

When Wagner de Lim Figueiredo, 34, died in northeast Brazil last January, mourners were amazed as Sereno the horse sighed in grief as he “wanted to say goodbye” to his beloved owner. The saddened crowd watched him whimper and stomp on the ground. And, another:

“Deta, you have to leave the cemetary, come on”, Theresa Morini’s husband shouted to poor pooch Deta who couldn’t quite leave his 86 year old wife’s gravestone in New York. He later had to carry him back to the car.

Another:

Andrea Cossu died after a building collapsed on him during an earthquake in Pescara del Tronto in August 2016. But his committed canine Flash wouldn’t stop pawing at his coffin, holding out hope his owner would emerge unscathed.

Still another story of true devotion:

Saddened dog Cesur visits old owner Mehmet Illhan’s grave in northwest Turkey every single day. He painfully watched his master being lowered into the ground but will never forget him.

Lastly:

In September 2017, a video went viral in Malaysia showing an unknown mysterious cat circling the grave of a kitty-loving grandpa called Ismail. His relatives tried to lure away the feline by playing with it but it refused to leave his burial ground.

Then my testimony:

My own dog Pingo loved me, especially the times we spent on afternoon walks and early morning jogs. But he died because I spent months each year working 700 miles away. He died because of me, he died without me, and he died without my knowledge. 

I still can't forget or forgive my carelessness toward his love for me. Oh, how I mourned his death when my wife called me after he had died. She was afraid the final days might not be his last sickness, and that the long trip back to see him would be too much expense to waste on a false alarm. All I could imagine was his distress from his death pangs made doubly worse by the persistent lack of my comforting presence. Whenever he saw he always wagged his tail, "Welcome home!"

It still haunts me. How could I, how dare I, treat loving loyalty like that? No one on earth has done that for me. No one has loved me every day of their life, down to their dying day.

This kind of fidelity is what we see in some spectacular people.

We see Ruth, who was rewarded for loving and being clingy.

"Orpah kissed her mother in law" and went back "unto her people, and unto her gods." (Ruth 1:14,15).

But Ruth disobeyed Naomi's command, "return thou after thy sister in law." (Vs. 15). Instead, "Ruth clave unto her." (Vs. 14).

And Ruth got real insolent to her mother-in-law. She said, "Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.

Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me." (Vs. 16,17).

"Stop telling me to leave you and to stop following you. I will never leave you. I will never forsake you. So stop talking like that. End of discussion."

And scripture says, "When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. So they two went until they came to Bethlehem." (Vs. 18,19).

Humans made in God's image are stubbornly clingy.

How about the few who loved what Paul said to all the intellectual greats. "And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. So Paul departed from among them. Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them." (Acts 17:32-34).

There they go again, clinging to each other! WhatsApp with these human beings made in God's image?!

Then there was Elisha. "And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel." (2Kings 2:1,2).

"Wait here!" "No, I will not."

Such stubborn rebellion! Why should God the great Judge reward people who talk back to their elders like that? And it happened again.

"And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho." (Vs. 4).

And it happened a third time.

"And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on." (Vs. 6).

Not because Elisha craved double the power of Elijah did he stay close by his master's side. Elisha loved his master, and his people. He saw what they needed and he knew that in order to heal them he needed more power than Elijah had been given. It was right to disobey here; the commands to separate were only tests of his consecration and tenacity to serve God and man.

Hugging, clinging, and sorrowing for their inevitable separation. God was glorified by David and Jonathan.

"Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?

And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.

So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.

And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.

And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him....

And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded." (1Sam. 20:32-36,41).

And, of course, Jacob and Jesus.

"And He said, Let Me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me....

And He blessed him there." (Gen. 32:26,29).

Insolent, weepy, and clingy. Useless wretches? Worst specimens of the great leaders of the world! How can such a motely crew ever make up a kingdom that will endure for eternity?

"God hath chosen the foolish things of the world... and God hath chosen the weak things of the world; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen." (1Cor. 2:27,28)

"To the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and setteth up over it the basest of men." (Dan. 4:17).

"...the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and His ways judgment: and those that walk in pride He is able to abase." (Vs. 37).

His kingdom is not built like anything Satan has ever made. Christ's kingdom is upside down to Satan's kingdom. 

"But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;

And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:

Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Matt. 20:26-28).

"A book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name." (Mal. 3:16).