Biblical Meaning Of Proper Burial

MOST GHANAIANS, especially the Akans, do not joke with the burial of the dead. Bereaved family members often spent huge sums of money to give their dead what is called 'proper burial'.

Interestingly, pastors teach about befitting burial during burial services based on the words of King Solomon. When a Christian dies, pastors often play leading roles in the burial.

King Solomon had written, “A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive PROPER BURIAL, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he” (Ecclesiastes 6: 3, NIV).

Solomon talked generally about a man; he did not say a Christian or a child of God. He simply said “A man…” His emphasis was on the need for humans both male and female to receive burial. In the opinion of the king, it is improper for a human being to die and be denied proper burial. A person who is denied proper burial is worthless than a stillborn child. Some versions of the Bible render “proper burial” as “decent burial” and “honourable burial.”

Now, what is the biblical meaning of proper burial? Does it mean organising solemn wake-keeping for the dead where dirge hymns are sung, officiated by bishops or apostles? Is it getting the deceased put in an expensive casket and sent into the church auditorium for bishops to offer fervent prayers of intercession for the salvation of his soul? Or is it arranging for men of God to dress in decent mourning clothes and personally bury the dead?

For us to understand the proper or decent burial King Solomon talked about, we need to go into the Bible and find examples of what was considered improper and proper burials. Biblically and scripturally, a person is considered to have been given a decent or proper burial if his remains or body was properly covered or wrapped in a fine material, for example, fine linen shroud or put in a casket and was laid in a tomb. So, we can say that Christ Jesus received a proper, decent or honourable burial (Matthew 27: 50,57-60).

Let us also consider the burial of King David. The Bible says, “Brothers, I can tell you with confidence that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day” (Acts 2:29) “…for after David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died and was buried with his ancestors, and his body decayed” (Acts 13:36).

However, a person might be said to have received no burial or improper burial if his body could not be properly covered or wrapped in a fine material, for example, fine linen shroud or put in a casket and could not be laid in a tomb. Very often, such a person would have his body thrown to the fields to be food for animals. Let us consider the passages of Scripture below.

“Therefore thus says the Lord in regard to Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, “They will not lament for him: ‘Alas, my brother!’ or, ‘Alas, sister!’ They will not lament for him: ‘Alas for the master!’ or, ‘Alas for his splendor!’ He will be buried with a donkey’s burial, Dragged off and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem” (Jeremiah 22:18-19).

“They will die of deadly diseases, they will not be lamented or buried; they will be as dung on the surface of the ground and come to an end by sword and famine, and their carcasses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the beasts of the earth” (Jeremiah 16:4).

Now, the Word of God makes it clear what proper burial is, and what improper or no burial for the dead is. Solomon said, “…if he (a person) cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive PROPER BURIAL, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he” (Ecclesiastes 6: 3, NIV). The expression “does not receive proper burial” may be rendered as “if he receives no burial.”

There is no doubt that there are people, who in very strange circumstances, may unintentionally be denied proper burial or receive no burial. For example, people who are killed and eaten by beasts, drown in water bodies or burn to ashes and so on. So, we can say that the small boys who were cursed by the prophet Elisha culminating in bears devouring them for jeering at him received no burial.

A person who suffers such a fate is what Solomon described as being worthless than a stillborn child. But if the body of a dead person is covered with decent material and laid to rest in a tomb, then, he or she can be said to have received proper, decent or befitting burial. Clearly, proper burial is not necessarily expensive burial.

Moreover, do pastors have any duty from God to perform to contribute toward ensuring proper burial of the dead or officiate burial services? In any case, did Christ Jesus command the church to organise burial services for the dead? Was a burial service organised for Christ Himself? What about John the Baptist, Stephen or Ananias and Sapphira?

Well, the Jews in those days might have their own form of burial service, but a command to have burial services for the dead is rarely stated in Scripture.

And who should bury the Christian when he dies? Should it always be the pastor or any member of the church can? We know that when Christ Jesus died, one of His own disciples, Joseph of Arimathea, without any of the apostles, took His body and buried it in his own prepared tomb (Matthew 27:57-60). When John the Baptist died, his disciples took his body and buried it (Matthew 14:12). When Stephen died, the Bible says devout men buried him (Acts 8:2) and finally when Ananias and Sapphira died, some young men buried them (Acts 5:6,10).

By James Quansah

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