SATURDAY, JUNE 17
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Genesis 23:1-20

"…ye are not your own."

BURIAL OR CREMATION? (I)

The body of the Christian belongs wholly to God. This doctrine demands that we cannot dispose of the dead in any manner, but according to that which is stipulated in the Holy Scriptures. The traditional method of the Christian Church is to bury the dead. However, in recent years, cremation is becoming increasingly popular among Christians in Singapore. It is considered a "cost effective," "hygienic" and "land-saving" method. Cremation is now so widely accepted that some consider burial to be a strange and deviant teaching of certain churches!

But what does the Bible say? In Genesis 23, the Bible records the extent to which Abraham went to purchase a piece of land from the sons of Heth to bury Sarah. Abraham initially wanted to purchase only the cave of Machpelah (Gen 23:9), but Ephron insisted that Abraham should purchase the whole land (field and cave included) for the burial (Gen 23:11). Abraham could have easily solved the problem by adopting the practice of cremation just like the surrounding cities and nations. But Abraham willingly fulfilled the legal obligations of buying both the field and the cave so that Sarah could be buried. The burial not only expressed Abraham’s and Sarah’s faith in the land promised in God’s covenant to Abraham, but also their faith that they would one day be resurrected and be found in the heavenly land above (cf. Heb 11:16).

Besides Sarah’s example, it is worth noting that all the Old Testament patriarchs were buried (Gen 25:8-10; 35:19-20, 29; 49:31-33; 50:1-13). Note Deuteronomy 21:23: "His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day..."

The New Testament saints also practised burial (Matt 14:10-12; John 11:17; Acts 8:2). In addition, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself was buried in the tomb of Joseph, and not cremated.

THOUGHT: God has saved both my soul and my body.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I wait for the hope of the resurrection.