A CENTENNIAL

(1882–1948)

Part II

Outside the congregations

Whenever opportunity presented itself, Rev. Kersten lectured to teachers, to university students, to office-bearers and members of the congregations. He felt called to enter politics and many years his warnings resounded in the chambers of the Dutch Parliament. He edited a daily newspaper along with his leadership of a Reformed political party.

He strove to get Christian schools established wherever this was feasible. For this purpose he not only spoke many times to parents but actively encouraged young people to study so that no outside teachers would have to be appointed. He envisioned our own high school, but only after a sufficient number of teachers would have been prepared by academic schooling.

The authority of God’s Word must hold sway not only on the Lord’s Day and in church but in our every endeavour throughout the entire week. This included education. “Every parent has one time solemnly sworn an oath—”YES”—before God and the congregation that he will instruct his child and cause it to be instructed in the aforesaid doctrine. But although this task is given unto others, the parents remain the responsible persons. We have to ask ourself, therefore, to which school our children must be entrusted. Not to the State school as we know them now with its so-called neutral education. There the praises of the LORD may not be shewed.” To the critics of our own Christian schools he replied: “Better no religion than a wrong religion, is the cry. But that is wrong. The public school is not neutral. Look at the leaders, watch the instruction in physics and natural history. At the public school they sow the seed of unbelief. … Are then the children of the Christian school so much better than those of the public one? it is often asked. We answer resolutely, ‘No.’ Why, then still a Christian school? Because there all instruction stands under the breath of the Word of God.”

Publications

Amidst all these activities, Rev. G.H. Kersten remained pre-eminently a minister of the Divine Word. In his own congregation first of all, but in the others as well, he was both pastor and teacher. The pastoral work is that of a shepherd who diligently tends his sheep with loving care. As much as he was able he used his talents for this part of his office, too. After Meliskerke, he was called to Rotterdam, then to Yerseke, then to Rotterdam again. Countless were the sermons he preached in his own and in the vacant congregations. He yearned to proclaim the everlasting Gospel, for necessity was laid upon him and the need was so great.

Goaded by others, he wrote. Rev. Kersten, though, thought the republication of old writers of greater importance and he consequently saw many an old book through the press. But he also wrote prolifically himself, notably in De Saambinder. In this connection his modesty in publishing his own writings should be noted. In 1907, an Ascension Day sermon appeared, six years after he first began to speak in the congregations. The next few publications were by order of the General Synod. From 1913 on, occasionally a sermon was published, mostly in connection with a special event, such as the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the threat of revolution in 1918, his departure from Yerseke and installation at Rotterdam in 1926. In the twenties and thirties, annual brochures were printed with some of his political speeches.

In November 1919, when the first issue of De Saambinder appeared, Rev. Kersten’s writing began in earnest. He was then 37 years old and had been ordained 14 years. Soon he wrote an explanation of the Heidelberg Catechism in installments in De Saambinder, but when he was asked at the conclusion in 1927 whether he would publish them as a book of sermons, he pushed the request to the background for he would then like to revise those articles into sermon form. As it stood, his exposition of the Heidelberger in sermons did not appear until 1948 and 1949, partly after his death.

Rev. Kersten, moreover, wrote a series of meditations on Hebrews 11 which were published in book form in 1953, entitled More than Conquerors. Still another series of meditations on the book of Zecha-riah was compiled in book form in 1954. A Treatise of the Compendium appeared in 1940 after many of his catechism students had lost their catechism notes in the bombing of Rotterdam. After the Second World War this book has been reprinted time and again. Just as the horror of war came to the Netherlands in 1940, the manuscript of the Reformed Dogmatics explained for the congregations was ready for the printer. Rev. Kersten was 57 years old, had been ordained minister for 35 years, and had taught theological students for over fifteen years. Still, the time for this great work had not come. War intervened and the first pages of print rolled off the presses as Rev. Kersten lay dying. He wrote many individual sermons as well, which were published in installments in De Saambinder. Together with others, this valuable collection of 74 sermons was not compiled and published until the seventies. Together with Rev. J. vanZweden he wrote a brief history of our denomination which appeared shortly after the war.

All this shows Rev. G.H. Kersten evidently did not rush into print; the thoroughness and high standards of the old writers held him back. Views and opinions have to mature. The material had to be worthwhile and practical for the congregations. He endeavored to be edifying and instructive. It further shows that Rev. Kersten did not seek a prominent place in print; he sooner recommended old writers, for in his estimation they excelled in grace and learning.

In our North American congregations we have already benefited tremendously from Rev. Kersten’s writings. The Treatise of the Compendium is profitably used for many confession classes as an explanation of the questions and answers to be learned. The Heidelberg Catechism sermons instruct many vacant congregations. The history of our congregations is really the only one available in English. The first volume of the Reformed Dogmatics is out with the second on the way. Though several sermons have been translated to date, the completion of the entire sermon collection should rank high on our list of priorities.

The End of His Life

Always we ought to guard against honouring man so we should not put Rev. G.H. Kersten on a pedestal for us to worship. Nonetheless, we may, and indeed we should, remember gratefully what the Lord has given us in Rev. Kersten. Undaunted he stood in the battle for the truth. Unbelief and show-religion he opposed boldly as a lion. Founded upon God’s eternal Word and led by God’s Spirit, he fulfilled his chief calling to comfort God’s people. He was not without faults, but his shortcomings were washed clean in the blood of the Lamb. In his sermons he could so movingly stir up God’s people in all their misery to look upward and forward to that great day when the Lord will call His people home in glory.

Rev. Kersten also neared the end of his life; his strength began to fail. The final sermon he preached was from Deuteronomy 33, a marriage service of one of his daughters. The chapter begins, “And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.” He knew his departure was near. Afterwards he travelled to a small village in Zeeland, to a farm where his son lived. There he was struck with a final heart attack while making the catechism sermons ready for print. The night before his death, the Lord comforted him wonderfully with Psalm 16:6, “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.” On September 6, 1948, Gerrit Hendrik Kersten entered into the joy of his Lord.

With David we are inclined to lament, “How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!” Nevertheless, though darkness prevails more and more, the Church of God need not despair. God remains faithful and His Covenant He will not forsake. The congregation of His poor He will not forget for ever. Would that a living cry were born that the LORD might build the walls of Jerusalem and raise up men to execute His counsel in feeding His flock.

Lethbridge Church News

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Question: What do we believe regarding cremation?

Answer: The body returns unto dust. It was taken out of the earth, and in the grave it is again entrusted to the earth. The burial of the dead is linked to this. Israel never practiced cremation, except as a special punishment. Judah spoke of burning Tamar because she had committed whoredom, (Genesis 38:24). In Leviticus 20:14 the Lord commanded the man and the women to be burned if the man had taken both a woman and her mother to wife. Achan and all that he had were stoned with stones and then burned with fire. (Joshua 7:15, 25).

If a special sentence did not require them to burn the body, the bodies in Israel were buried. It was a grave dishonor and a token of God’s holy wrath when a person was not buried. A curse was pronounced upon the house of Jeroboam that he who died in the city would be eaten by the dogs; and he who died in the field would be eaten by the fowls of the air. Only Abijah would be buried, because in him was found some good thing for the Lord. (I Kings 14:11, 13). On the other hand, a burial was denied the wicked Jezebel. (II Kings 9:10).

The church, whom the enemy had cast down and reproached, complained, “their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.” (Psalm 79:3). Since then the people of old times whom the Lord had chosen to be a peculiar people unto Him above all nations on earth did not burn their dead as many heathens did, but buried them; the Church of the New Testament did likewise. Christ sanctified the grave. He was buried; according to Isaiah’s prophecy He was “with the rich in His death”, and He did not see corruption. (Psalm 16:10). Thus Christ sanctified the grave for His people. They shall rest in their beds until the day of His return, when they shall arise to enter eternal life.

We do not refuse to cremate our dead for fear of making their resurrection impossible, but we bury them because burial typifies the returning to dust as a result of sin and because the Lord was buried, and thus by Him the grave is sanctified.

(Rev. G.H. Kersten)

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