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The Body of the Deceased (Part 3/conclusion)
The Body of the Deceased (Part 3 and conclusion)
Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment. (John 5:28-29)
In the previous article we reviewed 1 Corinthians 15 primarily; concluding that we will stand in the judgment day regardless of the disposition of the body. Also, that in the resurrection the body will be involved. It is likely that most already understood and believed this. The intent of the review was to underscore the thought that the old body is to be changed. The evidence shows that when we are done with the body, God is not yet done with it.
As stated in part 1, we will here look at a few examples to try to discern God’s approval, disapproval or indifference when it comes to the disposition of the body.
Examples of Scattering
The judgment of God upon Jezebel included this: “there shall be none to bury her” (2 Kings 9:7-10).
Jeremiah prophesied the fate of Judah “they shall die grievous deaths: they shall not be lamented, neither shall they be buried. Both great and small shall die in this land; they shall not be buried” (Jer 16:4,6).
Jehoiakim King of Judah would be “buried with the burial of an ass… cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.” (Jer 22:19).
Ezekiel prophesied about a battle in which the enemy of God (Gog) is completely destroyed, their disgraceful fate being to litter the countryside with their bodies:
Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy hordes, and the peoples that are with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. Thou shalt fall upon the open field; for I have spoken it, saith the Lord Jehovah. (Ezek 39:4-5).
The Philistine Goliath taunted David: Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the birds of the heavens, and to the beasts of the field (1 Sam 17:44). David returned the threat and made good on it (1 Sam 17:46, 1 Sam 17:51).
In each of these cases the lack of burial was part of God’s judgment against the people involved and not the choice of the people. At the very least, it is easy to see that doing nothing with the body was a sign of scorn by God and perceived as dishonorable to the both the living and the dead. Such a final disposition was like that of an animal.
Examples of Burning
There are references to “burnings” for Kings (Jer 34:5, 2Chron 16:14). These burnings were not of the body but a fire in honor of the deceased. King Saul’s body was retrieved from the enemy by valiant men, then burned and buried (1 Sam 31:12-13). There is speculation as to why this was done, but it was an exceptional case. Burning of the body was not the practice of the Jews. Nevertheless, his body was buried.
The instances of the burning of the body we read about are in the context of scorn, judgment, and the cleansing of evil.
And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they (Lev 20:14).
And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the harlot, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire (Lev 21:9).
And it shall be, that he that is taken with the devoted thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath; … And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? Jehovah shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire, and stoned them with stones. (Josh 7:15,25).
And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount; and he sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and defiled it, according to the word of Jehovah which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things (2 Ki 23:16).
Like the examples of scattering, these verses relate to judgment or punishment rather than individual choice. So the question of whether intentional cremation or scattering is approved is not explicitly answered with these examples. It may be addressed indirectly though, because there is no Biblical case in which a Godly individual actually desired scattering or burning of the body. Such a thought might have been mentally associated with the practices of heathen nations or with the dishonor as we have read about, or even with the God-directed practice of Josiah’s defilement of the tombs. So the lack of an example of someone choosing cremation is not surprising. It may have been an unthinkable practice then as it was a generation prior to our time.
Examples of Burial
God’s promised to Abram:
“But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age Genesis 15:15).
Three assurances are here given to Abraham: That Abram would enjoy a long life, that nature of his death would be peaceful (not killed in battle, for example) and that Abram would be buried with his fathers.
God’s promise conveyed honorable and comforting thoughts to Abram while he still lived. Today we can make arrangements and be fairly sure they will be carried out. Those in Abram’s day had much less assurance their wishes would or could be carried out. God’s promise made certain that Abraham would be buried honorably.
Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people. And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre; The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife. (Gen 25:8-10)
The burial of Moses:
So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day. (Deut 34:5,6)
Moses’s burial is unique. Moses was denied entry to Canaan and burial with his people. But having read the various judgments rendered against evil men by God, here we have a touching contrast in that God Himself buried Moses, the man He chose, a type of Christ, one “whom the Lord knew face to face” (Deut 34:10). Moses was buried by his Creator in honor, with respect being shown toward the fallible but faithful servant. If any instance of interment could be viewed as having the endorsement of God, this would be it. Possibly this wilderness burial by God may have been so that future generations would not honor the sepulchre of Moses as was the practice among God’s people. But God knew how to cremate (Leviticus 10:1-2, 1 Kings 18:38). Wouldn’t this have been a more effective means to obscure the body of Moses?
Joseph commanded that his own body be taken to Canaan:
And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence. So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. (Gen 50:24-26)
Moses fulfilled Joseph’s command:
And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you. (Ex 13:19)
We could look at many other examples but space is limited and these seem sufficient for our consideration.
The question was this: whether God is pleased, displeased or indifferent in regard to an individual’s choice of cremation. That the flesh will not inherit heaven, that dust is dust, that the body will be transformed to an immortal body is not disputed in any way. But these replies relate to different questions and the scriptures provide clear answers for these.
Lacking a clear directive forbidding the choice of cremation or commanding burial, we do however see many examples where burial was approved and recognized as honorable and dignified in the sight of God and man, and even practiced by God Himself on one occasion.
My personal conclusion on the subject is that it is clearly acceptable to show the same regard for our own bodies as our fathers in the faith did. It does not seem right to regard the choice of burial or cremation (or other dispositions of the body) as unimportant since we have so many approved examples throughout the Bible. Jesus was buried and arose, the very proof of our hope. Burial also seems respectful to God and endorsed by Him, the creator of the body. Burial avoids any association with scorn, dishonor and punishment associated with scattering or burning. Burial is the safe approach for which there are many approved examples. It cannot be wrong, and aims to be well pleasing to Him (2 Cor 5:9).
This caution may one day be found to have been a matter of indifference to God. But I will take the safe route for fear of offending Him. To me it would be an unnecessary chance to take. But, “ Let each man be fully assured in his own mind” (Rom 14:5).
In due time, my preference is be to be laid to rest in an obscure location with a small marker which proclaims the promise of resurrection in a few words for the sake of the living, to propagate the promise of the resurrection. The place may become quickly forgotten by acquaintances but this is no concern. Just a place “for my flesh to rest in hope” (Psa 16:9,10). Watched.
Ron
