Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

In the specific case of Joseph's request regarding his burial (as referenced in the verse cited in the question), Joseph wanted his remains interred in the ancestral location that he noted as a demonstration of his faith in God's promise that one day the descendants of Abraham would be brought out from Egypt, and would possess the land that God had sworn to Abraham to give to them, in which that ancestral tomb was located (Genesis 15:13-21; Genesis 23).

To me, the same burial concerns would not apply to Christians today (although I would say that it would not be wrong for Christians to request burial in a particular location, such as near that of other relatives or loved ones), because when Christ returns, He will rule the entire world, and He will be able to resurrect and gather for final judgment all who have ever lived from eternity past to eternity future, regardless of their burial location or the state of their mortal remains.

Until then, the priority of Christians should be a willingness to go wherever God leads them in service to Him (regardless of the implications that such service might have for their final earthly resting place), and not let concerns about burial practices limit or restrict that service in any way.

November 09 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report