During the month of April 2017, for the first time this writer experienced losing two members of our congregation on the same day. These faithful sisters took their heavenly journey within hours of each other. It left us reeling because one was “expected,” but the other was not.
Death is the great equalizer. It happens every few seconds all over the planet. Yet, it is a subject some of us will do almost anything to avoid talking about and facing that irrevocable new reality. Our lives are never the same; perhaps that is why denial seems the only way we are able to cope. Funerals, memorials, graveside services and scattering of ashes are the ways the majority of us have chosen to deal with saying our final and formal goodbyes.
One of the most detailed accounts of a funeral and a burial was the death of Jacob as recorded in Genesis 49:28-50:1-14. Shortly before his death, Genesis 49:1-2 records, “And Jacob called his sons and said, ‘Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days: Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, and listen to Israel your father.” In Genesis 49:3-27, Jacob pronounced his individual blessing upon each of his 12 sons. Verse 28 records, “All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them. And he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing.”
In Genesis 49:29-30, Jacob instructed his sons to bury him in the field of Machpelah which Abraham had bought in the land of Canaan. Jacob says in verse 31, “There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah.” Chapter 49 ends stating, “And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.”
Genesis 50:1 reads, “Then Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him.” Verses 2-3 record the details of Jacob’s 40-day embalming followed by the 70 days of mourning. Joseph had asked permission from Pharaoh to bury his father as he had sworn; Pharaoh granted Joseph’s request. This funeral procession was massive! Genesis 50:7-10 records:
So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen. And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen, and it was a very great gathering. Then they came to the threshing floor…and they mourned there with a great and very solemn lamentation. He observed seven days of mourning for his father.
Jacob’s sons did for him as he had commanded them. They carried Jacob to Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah that Abraham had bought as property for a burial place. Genesis 50:14 records, “And after he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who went up with him to bury his father.”
Other Old Testament accounts of public grief and mourning were at the deaths of Aaron, Moses, Samuel, King Saul, his son Jonathan and Abner.
- Numbers 20:28-29 reads, “Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain… Now when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, all the house of Israel mourned for Aaron thirty days.”
- Deuteronomy 34:5-9 records, “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, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day… And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. So the days of weeping and mourning for Moses ended. Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.” Verses 10-12 read, “But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, in all the signs and wonders which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, before Pharaoh, before all his servants, and in all his land, and by all that mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.” The obituary of obituaries—praise God!
- First Samuel chapters 1 and 2 are the account of Hannah’s prayer for a son and her vow to dedicate him to God all the days of his life. God granted her request, and Samuel was brought to the temple after he was weaned. He served Israel as a prophet, priest and judge. First Samuel 7:15-16 notes, “And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. He went from year to year on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and judged Israel in all those places.“ First Samuel 25:1 records, “Then Samuel died; and the Israelites gathered together and lamented for him, and buried him at his home in Ramah.”
- Second Samuel 1:1-10 chronicles the deaths of King Saul and his son Jonathan. After Saul’s death, a man came from his camp to David and told him that many of the people were dead and Saul and Jonathan his son were dead also. David asked the man how he knew this. The man said Saul was leaning on his spear and asked him to kill him because anguish had come upon him, but his life still remained in him. The man told David he stood over Saul and killed him because he was sure Saul could not live after he had fallen. Upon hearing this, David tore his clothes and so did all the men who were with him. Second Samuel 1:11-12 reads, “Therefore David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the people of the LORD and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.”
In 2 Samuel 1:17-27, King David wept and mourned over the deaths of Saul and his son Jonathan. “How the mighty have fallen!” David stated this three times in his eulogy. “Then David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son.” “The beauty of Israel is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!” (19). “From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not turn back, and the sword of Saul did not return empty. Saul and Jonathan were beloved and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions” (22-23). “O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with luxury; who put ornaments of gold on your apparel” (24). “How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan was slain in your high places. I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; you have been very pleasant to me; your love to me was wonderful, surpassing the love of women. How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!” (25-27).
- Joab, commander of David’s army, murdered Abner, commander of Saul’s army, in retaliation for Abner killing Joab’s brother. When David heard that Joab had murdered Abner, he said, “My kingdom and I are guiltless before the LORD forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner” (2 Samuel 3:28). “Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, ‘Tear your clothes, gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn for Abner.’ And King David followed the coffin. So they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. And the king sang a lament over Abner and said, ‘Should Abner die as a fool dies? Your hands were not bound Nor your feet put into fetters; As a man falls before wicked men, so you fell.” “Then all the people wept over him again” (2 Samuel 3:31-34).
In his tribute, David had spoken very highly of Abner. Then all the people came to persuade him to eat while it was still day, but he refused. Verses 35-39 read:
David took an oath, saying, “God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else till the sun goes down!” Now all the people took note of it, and it pleased them, since whatever the king did pleased all the people. For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king’s intent to kill Abner the son of Ner. Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? And I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too harsh for me. The Lord shall repay the evildoer according to his wickedness.”
Two noteworthy examples of lives well lived in the New Testament were Stephen and Dorcas. Stephen was one of the seven men appointed to care for widows who were being neglected in the daily distribution (Acts 6:1-6). Stephen’s address before the council is recorded in Acts 7, which caused him to be stoned to death. Acts 8:2 reads, “And devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him.”
Acts 9:36-43 records the account of a woman named Dorcas, a woman full of good works and charitable deeds, but she became sick and died. Two men from Joppa went to nearby Lydda and urgently pleaded with the apostle Peter to come with them. Verse 39 reads, “Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.” Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed, and she was raised! Verse 42 states, “And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord.”
This well-known hymn states the thoughts very well of how funerals speak to the lives we have touched.
May the Work I’ve
Done Speak for Me!
(NameThatHymn.Com)
May the work I’ve done speak for me!
When I’m resting in my grave,
There is nothing that can be said.
May the work I’ve done speak for me!
May the life I live speak for me!
When the best I try to live,
My mistakes He will forgive.
May the life I live speak for me!
May the service I give speak for me!
When I’ve done the best I can,
And my friends don’t understand.
May the service I’ve given speak for me!
All that I’ve done,
The service I have given,
And the life I have lived,
May all seem small,
But when I stand before my God,
I want to hear Him say, “Well done.”
May the life I live speak for me!
Revelation 14:13 proclaims, “Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, ‘Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.’”
