In Psalm 103:13-14 we read, “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. We are not independent creatures but are totally and completely reliant on the one who fashioned us and who will ultimately call us home when our mortal bodies fail in this world. While ashes and dust (and the themes of frailty, weakness, temporality, and death that go along with it) hardly seem to be an encouraging thought, the realities of life that “ashes to ashes, dust to dust” invoke are more hopeful than discouraging. With the visual reminder that the body was returning to the dust as it was being buried, the mourners were reminded that the frailty of “our vile body” should direct our hope to the certainty of eternal life and the promised resurrection from the dead.ģ Things Christians Should Remember about Ashes and Dust As the dirt was being “cast upon the body by some standing by,” the Priest presiding over the ceremony recited the following:įORASMUCH as it hath pleased Almighty God of his great mercy to take unto himself the soul of our dear brother here departed: we therefore commit his body to the ground earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile body, that it may be like unto his glorious body, according to the mighty working, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself. The phrase, “Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust,” comes from the “The Order for the Burial of the Dead”, an “order of service” for graveside funeral services. The phrase is derived from The Book of Common Prayer, a compilation of morning & evening prayers, communion prayers, and service orders for baptisms, confirmations, and other events in the Church of England.
What Is the Context and Origin of ‘Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust?’
“Cleanliness is next to godliness,” “God helps those who help themselves,” and “Spare the rod, spoil the child” are just some of the examples.īut it’s not just the fact that “ashes to ashes, dust to dust” sounds biblical, it in fact finds its source in church tradition and liturgy. It’s not uncommon for people to mistakenly attribute common phrases or wise sayings to the Bible. Why Is ‘Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust’ a Misquoted Phrase? In the Old Testament, covering oneself in sackcloth and ashes conveyed sorrow, debasement, and repentance ( 2 Sam 13:19 Esther 4:1,3 Isaiah 58:5 Daniel 9:3). More broadly, the terms are used to convey poverty, humiliation, and lowliness. In summary, the Bible uses dust and ashes to refer to mankind’s humble origin, feeble composition, and temporal nature. When Abraham talks to God in Genesis 18, asking him to spare Sodom, he says, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.” In addition to dust and ashes referring to mankind’s origin and ultimate decay, it’s also used in Scripture to describe mankind’s weakness and unworthiness to stand before God. All are from the dust, and to dust all return” (see also Job 34:13). Solomon summarizes this concept in Ecclesiastes 3:20, “All go to one place. Just as man was fashioned from the dust of the ground, man was cursed to experience death and decay-returning to dust. Then, in Genesis 3:19, after Adam and Eve disobey God and sin’s curse spreads to all creation, God tells Adam, “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken for you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 2:7 says that “God formed man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”
0 kommentar(er)
