Dust To Dust

Introduction: Scripture Reading- Gen. 3:19

  1. The Creation of Man: Gen. 1:26-31; Gen. 2:4-7
  2. Explanation of the Scripture Reading: Gen. 3:19 Created from dust and will return to dust
    1. The fall of man and punishment of sin and death entering this world
    2. God makes a departure from this world, from pain and sin; and at the same time offers a way to return to Him for all eternity after that departure

Discussion:

  1. OT & NT Burial Practices:
  2. The Bones of Joseph:
    1. Exodus 13:19 “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.” (Gen. 50:25)
    2. Joshua 24:32 “And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.” 
  3. The Bones of Saul and his Sons:
    1. I Sam. 31:13 “And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.” (respect of the dead for the life they lived)
    2. 2 Sam. 21:14 Bones of Saul and his son “And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the sepulchre of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was intreated for the land.” (respect of the dead for the life they lived)
    3. Come back to later in the lesson
  4. The Lying Prophet Buries the Man of God:
    1. I Kings 13:11-34 (vs. 29-31)
  5. The Burial of Jesus:
    1. Matt. 27:60; John 19:40
    2. “buried” in a tomb, prepared with spices
  6. Beliefs for or Against Cremation:
  7. Catholics now accept cremation but after the funeral and the ashes cannot be scattered.
    1. The ashes may not be divided among various family members and due respect must be maintained regarding the circumstances of such a conservation. In order that every appearance of pantheism, naturalism or nihilism be avoided, it is not permitted to scatter the ashes of the faithful departed in the air, on land, at sea or in some other way, nor may they be preserved in mementos, pieces of jewelry or other objects. These courses of action cannot be legitimized by an appeal to the sanitary, social, or economic motives that may have occasioned the choice of cremation (Instruction Ad Resurgendum Cum Christo 6–7). [Can Cremains Be Divided? | Catholic Answers Q&A]
      1. Pantheism- belief that nature, the universe, etc. is a divine entity or a god
      2. Naturalism- belief that everything arises from nature
      3. Nihilism- belief that live is meaningless
  8. Conservative Jews don’t allow cremation.
    1. Recognizing the divine image found in all human beings, the Torah prohibits leaving a body (or body part) unburied and even demands interring the bodies of criminals who receive the death penalty. Several ancillary laws derive from this commandment, including the prohibitions of mutilating the corpse, deriving benefit from it or delaying its burial. The Torah further demands that one take responsibility for a “met mitzvah,” a corpse that does not have a caretaker, even if this entails financial expense or requires a kohen (priest) to become impure. As such, even if a person desires not to be buried, Jewish law mandates ignoring that request. This is because lack of burial is considered to be an affront not only to the deceased’s family but also to humanity, which is created in God’s image. The Torah, however, also records the embalmment of Jacob and Joseph, which was necessitated both by their Egyptian environs and their desire to be ultimately buried in the Land of Israel. Contemporary scholars generally assert that any form of embalmment constitutes a forbidden tampering with a corpse unless absolutely necessary to preserve its body for burial. This includes freeze-storage of the body and above-ground burial crypts in which the body is not buried within the earth itself. Similarly, Jewish law opposes cryonics and all other attempts to preserve a physical body for later rejuvenation. [Ask the Rabbi: Why does Jewish law prohibit cremation?; Ask the Rabbi: Why does Jewish law prohibit cremation? - Israel News - The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com)]
  9. Islam strictly opposes cremation.
    1. The burial rites for Muslims are complicated, but all of the rituals are intended to respect the body as much as possible, knowing that this person will soon be presented to God. Our expectation and hope is that God will place our dead loved ones in Paradise, rather than in the Hellfire. So, since Hell is associated with fire, we don’t want anything to do with fire touching this human person. [Why don’t Muslims practice cremation? Why Don't Muslims Practice Cremation? | About Islam]
  10. Mormons don’t prohibit it but they also don’t encourage it.
    1. Mormon beliefs about the physical body are related to LDS beliefs about cremation. LDS Elder James E. Talmage, stated in 1913, "It is peculiar to the theology of the Latter-day Saints that we regard the body as an essential part of the soul. Read your dictionaries, the lexicons, and encyclopedias, and you will find that nowhere, outside of The Church of Jesus Christ, is the solemn and eternal truth taught that the soul of man is the body and the spirit combined." Because of these beliefs, LDS members are generally advised to avoid cremation unless it is required by law. When possible, they should be buried in the earth and allow natural processes to occur. That said, the Mormon faith does not prohibit cremation, it simply discourages it, and cremation is not seen as a hindrance to the ultimate resurrection of the body. Mormons who have been cremated can still receive a Mormon funeral service as well. [Do Mormons believe in cremation? The Mormon Church and Cremation | Neptune Society]
  11. Presbyterians also don’t prohibit it but don’t encourage it.
    1. Presbyterians generally do not support cremation, and instead prefer that the body remain intact and be buried in the ground123. Although there are no rules that prohibit cremation in the Presbyterian Church, most Presbyterians believe that the body is sacred and should be buried in the ground, intact3. [https://www.everplans.com/articles/13-different-religious-perspectives-on-cremation]
  12. Biblical Examples of bodies getting burned
    1. 2 Sam. 23:7; 2 Kings 23 [2 Chronicles 34:1-7]; Lev. 21:9 (used as punishment on the ungodly)
    2. Lev. 18:21; 2 Kings 17; 2 Kings 21:6; 2 Kings 23:10; Jer. 7:31; Jer. 19:5; Jer. 32:35 (children were burned alive, thrown into the fire alive)
    3. Reason why other religions and denominations don’t practice cremation: Mt. 25:41 “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” 
  13. Beliefs About Grave or Body Desecrations:
  14. Amos 2:1 “Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:” 
  15. I Sam. 31:1-13 [Read]
  16. II Sam. 21:12-14 [Read]
  17. Eccl. 9:1-6 [Read]
  18. Deut. 21:22-23 [Healthy to get rid of the decomposing body, but also hide the shame, punishment, and guilt of the sin that the individual committed.] (accursed- kelawlaw, vilification; defiled- tawmay, ceremonial or moral sense)
  19. Mt. 27:57-61; Mk. 15:42-47 (vs. 42 “it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath”); Lk. 23:50-56 (vs. 54 “And that day was the preparation…”); John 19:38-42 (vs. 42 “…because of the Jew’s preparation…”)
  20. What Happens When We Die?
  21. I Cor. 15:50-54 “we shall be changed.” (sleep- koymaho, to decease, dead) (raised- egiro, to awaken, to rouse)
  22. Luke 16:19-31
  23. The living body will be changed when Christ returns and the dead will be awakened.

Conclusion:

  1. The NT teaches us that there was a changing of the law and the book Hebrews teaches us there was a need to change the law so that Jesus could be the high priest. Christians are no longer under the Old Law, we are under the New Law and it teaches us that our soul or spirit after we die is what matters and where it goes and not this physical body.
  2. The first book of the Bible, tells us that we were created in the image of God. Matt. 4:24 says that God is a spirit, He is not a physical body, our spirit was created in His image and not this physical body.
  3. It does not matter if we are buried, cremated, or if our body or grave is desecrated after death. All that matters is if our soul was obedient in this life to God, and if it was, then we will return to Him for eternity. Heb. 5:9 says that Christ has become the author of eternal salvation unto all who obey him.
  4. Invitation

Author: Patrick King