Regarding the relics of saints, especially martyrs (about whom the Bible says, “Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his holy ones” [Ps 116:15]), look at 2 Kings 13:21:
Elisha died and was buried. At the time, bands of Moabites used to raid the land each year. Once some people were burying a man, when suddenly they spied such a raiding band. So they cast the dead man into the grave of Elisha and everyone went off. But when the man came in contact with the bones of Elisha, he came back to life and rose to his feet.
“Regarding the relics of saints, especially martyrs (about whom the Bible says, “Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his holy ones” [Ps 116:15]), look at 2 Kings 13:21:”
Quote the rest of the passage that encourages saving bones, breast milk, preserved bodies, etc., to kiss, fondle pray too, etc..
Oh, wait. I see. It isn’t there.
Has this ever been replicated?
Moses was instructed by GOD to make a brass snake and place it on a pole, and the Promise from GOD was that any who looked upon the snake on the pole would be healed of snake bite. ... And the Israelites made an idol out the snake and kept statues of it in their homes, until God had HIS man sweep away the idolatry and destroy the little ‘icons of their worship’. You see, the Israelites would pray to the little snake statues for healing of sickness, etc. Mariology anyone?
It is not the object. It is The Holy Spirit moving through the hem of Jesus’ garment, or Paul’s napkin. It is God’s Spirit. God is the power.
These objects were not kept and used repeatedly over time for healing, or they would have been worshiped. God doesn’t want that.
Remember the bronze serpent that was lifted up in the wilderness? The Israelites were worshiping it because at one time it had been used by The LORD to heal people, as a types of Jesus Christ, when He would be lifted up for our forgiveness and healing. The word “Nehushtan” means “a thing of brass”.
This is written for our learning and application. We must never pass the line and worship anything material, or even give it undue “veneration”. It isn’t necessary. What is always necessary is to worship God Himself, and only Him.
_____________________________________________________________
2Ki 18:1
Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.
2:Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah.
3:And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did.
4:He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.