And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; - Job 19:26

Today's Scripture Reading (July 17, 2021): Job 19

Some years ago, I listened to a friend preach a well-intentioned sermon about the benefits of burial after death, in opposition to the practice of cremation. My friend believed that the Christian tradition should be burial and that cremation was against biblical instruction. He had several reasons for his belief, but the one that stuck with me leaped off Paul's words in 1 Corinthians. 

So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15:42-44).

For my friend, the key words were that a body needed to be sewn to be raised. When we bury the bodies of our loved ones, he believed we are sewing the body so that the body can be brought back to life. But, when we cremate a body, there is no body to be raised. Therefore, resurrection becomes impossible.

It was an interesting proposal, but one filled with holes. Did my friend's assertion meant that all the Christians who died accidentally in fires could not be resurrected? Or that the Christian heroes who were executed by burning are now beyond the promised protection of God? What about the Christians who died in the twin towers on September 11, 2001? Are they beyond the power of God to resurrect?

For that matter, what about the Prophet Job himself?  Job lived around 4000 years ago. When Job did die, he was likely buried quickly and without any preparation. As a result, after four millennia in the grave, there wouldn't be anything left of the Prophet even if we could find his grave. Is he beyond the resurrecting power of his God?

Job didn't think so. The Prophet has given up on any hope of restoration. Nothing could preserve him; he would never recover from the losses that he suffered, nor from the illness that tormented his body. All that was left was death. Job understood none of what was going on around him. He didn't know why God would allow him to go through this time of trial at the end of his life.

But this he knew. He would die, possibly in the not-too-distant future. His flesh and bones would do what flesh and bones do; they would return to the dust from which they were created. And yet, Job seemed to believe that he would see God in his flesh. How could that happen? Job didn't know. But he had put his faith in his God, even despite everything that he didn't understand. And he knew in the end that his God would come through for him, and in his flesh, Job would see God.

It is that kind of faith that we need as we move into tomorrow, and even through the Valley of the Shadow of Death because it is that kind of faith that God can use to move to mountains.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Job 20