April 18, 2024
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Reading along with us in Genesis? Here’s today’s reading:
Genesis 23 (NIV)
The Death of Sarah
1 Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. 2 She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.
3 Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites.……Continue Reading
Genesis 23
Sarah dies. Abraham insists on buying the burial ground from Ephron even though they want him to have it for nothing. Abraham wants this for all his people to bury them. They want to give this to him because they say Abraham is a mighty prince. Abraham insists that he buy the field and burial ground. wants to buy this so he will have a deed to show all that he bought. Now this is his property.
Genesis 23
Genesis 23 and Luke 9-10.
When I die, Deb will cremate my stinking carcass and scatter my ashes somewhere.
When Deb dies, I am burying her in a nice coffin (toe-pincher). I will erect a twelve foot tall granite obelisk as her tomstone with her life story forever chiseled on it!
Abraham lived Sarah, they lived until death parted them. They were nomadic, no set homestead, moving place to place in Canaan, the land God promised to him. He found a natural cave suitable as her final resting place. Even though it was land promised, it had not yet been possessed. With greatest of love for Sarah, he purchased at cost that parcel. It was forever his property, and her grave. They finally had a possession.
See how he loved her! -reb
Genesis 23
Chapter 22 NIV has printed verse 2 emphasizes “Take your son, your only son, isn’t Ishmael his son too
In God’s understanding…the son of the promise is what mattered…
Genesis 23
Genesis 23
Death, independent of how sad it is, is a part of life. We will all face that end and leave loved ones behind. But how comforting it is for believers to know that we have eternal life through Jesus Christ. So death is not an end, but a beginning. But it is sad and it is fitting for Abraham to reflect His love for Sarah in the sadness he feels as well in his dedication to secure a place for her to be buried. Purchasing it means it can never be taken back.
Genesis 23
Abraham’s reputation as a Godly man came before him everywhere he went. How about us. The only thing you leave this life with is your reputation
Abraham dealt with both the passing of his wife and the handling of her burial with integrity and generosity. Following the customs of buying land at that time, he did not take it for free but when a price was given he did not haggle, just paid the suggested amount which was likely on the high side. He wanted a proper and secured place to bury his wife and future generations.
Genesis 23
Although Abraham was a foreigner in the land, he won the respect of the native people. So much so, that they were willing to give him what he asked for to bury his beloved wife. Figuratively speaking, we are foreigners in this land too. May we behave in such a way that worldly people respect us and are willing to help us when need something that is vitally important to us. “I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” 1 Peter 2:11-12
Abraham mourns for Sarah.
He is well-respected in the land and is offered his choice of burial grounds at no cost. He pays for it anyway and has deed to property.