Sep 19
8
Old Testament Reading: Genesis 23
“Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. And Abraham rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites, ‘I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.’ The Hittites answered Abraham, ‘Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb to hinder you from burying your dead.’ Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land. And he said to them, ‘If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as property for a burying place.’ Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city, ‘No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.’ Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. And he said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, ‘But if you will, hear me: I give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.’ Ephron answered Abraham, ‘My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.’ Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants. So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was made over to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city. After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. The field and the cave that is in it were made over to Abraham as property for a burying place by the Hittites.” (Genesis 23:1–20, ESV)
New Testament Reading: 2 Peter 3:1–13
“This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:1–13, ESV)
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Introduction
The last time that we heard about Sarah, the wife of Abraham and mother of the nation of Israel, was in Genesis chapter 21. There we learned of the birth of Issac and the casting out of Ishmael. That was only two chapters ago in the book of Genesis, but think of this — 37 years passed between the events of chapter 21, and the events recorded for us here in chapter 23. Sarah was 90 years old when Issac was born, and here are told that she died at the age of 127.
I think it is good to be reminded from time to time that the scriptures are not a detailed record of the history of God’s people. Sarah lived for 127 years, and we know nothing at all about her life from the age of 90 to the time of her death. The scriptures are very selective, aren’t they? God reveals what he reveals for a purpose. Moses wrote what he wrote, not so that we might have a detailed record of the history of Abraham and Sarah, but to make a point so that people of God might be edified in every generation.
What, then, is the point of Genesis 23? What does this passage teach us?
As we consider this text carefully we find that it highlights three things: One, Abraham’s sorrow. Two, Abraham’s sojourning. And three, Abraham’s acquisition of a sliver of land in Canaan as a burial place for his wife. And you would do well to notice that it is actually the third of these things that receives the most attention in this text. Yes, Abraham mourned Sarah’s death. And yes, he continued on as a sojourner in the land Canaan. But notice that the bulk of Genesis 23 focuses upon the negotiation between Abraham and Ephron the Hittite, and Abraham’s eventual acquisition of a sliver of land in Canaan to be used as a burial place for his people. The question we must keep in mind is, why this is emphasis upon Abraham’s possession of a piece of land?
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Abraham’s Sorrow
But let us begin by first of all considering Abraham’s sorrow in verses 1 and 2.
There we read, “Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her” (Genesis 23:1–2, ESV).
I would like to make three observations about this sad scene.
One, notice that Abraham and Sarah, as important as they were to the fulfillment of God’s redemptive purposes, were not exempt from the curse of death that has come upon all mankind as a result of Adam’s fall. From our point of view, Sarah lived a very long life. 127 years is a very long time for a person to live. But we should remember that in the world that was before the flood, men and women lived much longer than that! I suppose that some of those pre-diluvian figures — men like Enoch and Adam — would look upon Sarah’s 127 years and say that she died too young! Furthermore, we should also remember that when God made Adam and Eve in the beginning, he created them to live forever and ever. Had Adam past the test he would have been moved out of that probationary period and into glory to live before God forever and ever. But remember, the wages of sin is death. And because all are in sin and have themselves sinned, all die. This is emphasized in the Genesis narrative again and again — so and so lived for this many years, and they died. As significant as Sarah was to the accomplishment of God’s plan of redemption, she still died.
APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, you and I ought to live our lives being mindful of our mortality. There is a ditch on both sides of the road when it comes to this.
Some give little thought to their mortality. They live as if they will never die. And they overlook the fact that when they do they will stand before their maker. This might be particularly true for those who are young. Time moves more slowly for the young. And to them 60, 70, or 80 years seems like such a long way off. They often forget that the LORD might choose to take them at a younger age, and so they give little thought to their mortality. But even those who are advanced in years make the mistake of thinking little of their mortality.
Some slip into the ditch on the other side of the road. These dwell upon the thought of death to the point of being overcome by fear. These are so mindful of the frailty of life that they find it difficult to live.
Brothers and sisters, God’s call us to avoid both errors. We are live being mindful of our morality so that we might live humbly and purposefully, but we are also to live courageously and by faith, trusting ever in our God, knowing that he is able to bring us safely into our heavenly home.
Abraham and Sarah, as important as they were to the fulfillment of God’s redemptive purposes, were not exempt from the curse of death that has come upon all mankind as a result of Adam’s fall.
Two, recognize that the neither were they exempt from sorrow.
This point hardly needs to made. If you have been following along in our study of Genesis you know full well that Abraham and Sarah experinced sorrow.
APPLICATION: Friends, do not be surprised by sorrow when it strikes. Give thanks to God for the good times, and when difficulties arise, cling to Christ and “Count it all joy… [knowing] that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2–4, ESV).
Three, notice that Abraham truly mourned Sarah’s death. He “went in to mourn for [her] and to weep for her.”
This is truly a touching scene. Here we see Abraham’s love for Sarah put on display. Some assume that because the text says “Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah” this means that he was not by her side during her ailment, or as she passed, indicating some separation between the two. But this is not necessarily the case. The language used here refers to mourning conducted in a formal fashion according to the customs of the day.
APPLICATION: There are, of course, relationships that are especially close — the relationship between friends, brothers and sisters, parents and children. But the relationship between husband and wife is most intimate, for in marriage the two become one flesh. It is no secret that Abraham and Sarah had their difficulties in marriage. I can think of three (maybe four) events reordered for us in the pages of holy scripture that must have put a significant strain upon their marriage. And yet here we see Abraham and Sarah together in the end. Abraham truly mourn over her passing. Brothers and sisters, if you are married, cherish your spouse. Protect that relationship. Make it first above all other earthly relationships. Invest into. And when wrongs committed, repent truly and be sure to forgive. May our final moments with our spouses be a touching as the one that we see here.
Abraham mourned Sarah’s death.
APPLICTAION: See, therefore, that you are permitted to mourn even if your hope is set in Christ Jesus.
I have noticed that amongst the Christian community mourning is sometimes frowned upon as if it is an indication of a lack of faith, or the result of forgetting the hope that we have in Christ. Notice how we no longer call them funerals, but celebrations of life. Really, I don’t think it matters what we call them. My concern is that Christian’s be permitted to mourn. Abraham sincerely mourned Sarah’s death. Christ sincerely mourned at the death of his friend Lazarus. “[He] wept. So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’” (John 11:35–36, ESV).
The scriptures do not forbid us from morning. Death is an awful thing. It is, in a sense, an unnatural thing — God created us in the beginning to live forever. Death is the consequence of our rebellion. It is right, therefor, for the follower of Christ to mourn. But the scriptures do warn against grieving “as others do who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13, ESV). In other words, our faith in God and in the Christ whom he has sent should regulate our morning.
When a follower of Christ mourns, he should, in due to time, lift his eyes up from the earth to heaven. The mourner must
When a follower of Christ morns he should do so with the help of others. Notice that Abraham and Christ both morned in the presence of others. They did not isolate themselves from the community. Keep this in mind, friends. We live in an unusually individualistic and private society. We do a lot of things alone. Grieving is not something that we should do all alone,
When a follower of Christ mourns he is to do so as one who’s hope is set firmly in God. This is what the Apostle explicitly calls the Christian to.
Friends, the time comes for us to mourn, let us mourn well and to the glory of our God who has given us hope that goes beyond the grave through the Christ whom he has provided.
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Abraham’s Sojourning
We have considered Abraham’s sorrow. Let us now briefly consider Abraham’s sojourning by looking at verse 3-4.
There we read, “And Abraham rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites, ‘I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight’” (Genesis 23:3–4, ESV).
The Hittites were what the inhabitants of the land of Canaan were called generally. And notice that when Sarah died Abraham had to ask them for a place to burry his dead, for he was still a sojourner. He was a foreigner who owned not a single piece of land in Canaan — not even a plot to burry his dead.
This is significant when we considered it light of the promises of God made to Abraham concerning the land. God promised Abraham that he would have many descendents, and he had provided Isaac. God also promised that his descendents would possess Canaan, but as of yet, Abraham was still a sojourner.
APPLICATION: The fact of Abraham’s sojourning would have an impact upon all of his descendents, physically and spiritually considered.
The Jewish people, once they finally came to possess the land of Canaan, were to be mindful of the sojourners who lived amongst them. They were to be careful not to oppress them in any way. For example, Exodus 23:9 says, “You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 23:9, ESV). Furthermore, the Israelite who lived in the promise land after the exodus and conquest was to live in the land knowing that their hope was truly set in the heavenly Jerusalem, and not the earthly.
And listen to Peter’s words to the Christian living under the New Covenant: “Beloved, 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, ESV)
As children of Abraham we are to maintain the mentality of a sojourner. This does not mean that were are forbidden from acquiring property or from building wealth. But it does mean that we are to live on this earth continually mindful of the fact that this is not our home. We are to store up treasures, not on earth, but heaven.
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Abraham’s Acquisition Of A Sliver Of Land In Canaan
Lastly, let us consider Abraham’s acquisition of a sliver of land in Canaan as described in verses 5 through 20.
I will not walk you though this passage methodically given it’s length, but notice a few things.
One, notice that the bulk of Genesis 23 is devoted to the story of Abraham’s acquisition of this land. This is the thing that Moses wants to highlight. Sarah’s death and Abraham’s mourning is only a precursor to the main story.
Two, notice the respect that Abraham showed to the Hittites.
APPLICATION: May all of Abraham’s children learn how to sojourn from their father. Though it is true that if we belong to God we are to live lives of holiness in the world. Though it is true that there should be a noticeable difference between the way that we live and the way that the world lives. It is also true that we are strive for peace with all men, and to treat others in a respectful way.
Listen to Peter again, when he says, “Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:13–17, ESV).
The Christian sojourner is to give “a reason for the hope that is in [them]; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” The Christian is to have a “good conscience” concerning the treatment of the non-Christian, and even those who persecute them.
APPLICATION: Perhaps you have noticed that our culture is not currently characterized by kind, gentle, and respectful behavior. It seem’s that people have forgotten how to disagree with civility. Perhaps it is the social media that had contributed to it, but there is a harshness that characterizes our discourse. I believe that Christians are called to be better than this. Followers of Christ are called solve their enemies and do good to those who mistreat them. Followers of Christ are to treat people with gentleness and respect. Our speech is to be seasoned with salt. Friends, let us not be conformed to the way of the world, but transformed by the renewal of our minds. Here is one way that we can shine as lights in darkness — we can treat those around us with respect.
Abraham showed respect to the Hittites. And three, notice the honor that they showed to him, saying in verse 6, “Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb to hinder you from burying your dead” (Genesis 23:6, ESV), and again in verse 11 Ephron says, “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead” (Genesis 23:11, ESV).
The offer was really this — I will loan you the field. I will give it to you for your use, is the idea. But the land would not have been Abraham’s possession if he accepted this generous offer. The offer was kind and generous, but Abraham wanted to own the land. And so in verse 11 we read that he “bowed down before the people of the land. And he said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, ‘But if you will, hear me: I give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there” (Genesis 23:12–13, ESV).
Ephron eventually named the price — 400 shekels of silver. It’s hard to know if this was a good price, or an inflated price. We simply don’t know enough about land prices in that time. But the point is this — Abraham bought. He did not negotiate the price. He respectfully paid what Ephron asked.
Listen to the emphasis upon Abraham’s acquisition in verses 17-20. “So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was made over to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city. After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. The field and the cave that is in it were made over to Abraham as property for a burying place by the Hittites” (Genesis 23:17–20, ESV).
Friends, the story of Genesis can be describes as the story of the beginning of the fulfillment of the promises of God made to Abraham.
It was promised to Abraham that his descendents would be like the dust of the earth, the stars of heaven, and the sand on the seashore — nations would come from him. But what did Abraham see? He saw only his son Issac.
And it was promised that land of Canaan would also be his. But what did he himself come into possession of? Only one sliver of land to be used as a burial ground for his people.
I suppose we might emphasize how little of the fulfillment of the promises that Abraham saw. But we mighty also emphaiszze the fact that the LORD did give him something. He blessed him to at least have a taste of the fulfillment. He saw Isaac, and he owned a bit of the land to burry his dead. Abraham was given a taste.
Notice that this is how God has chosen to accomplish his plan of redemption. His plan unfolded progressively. The illustration of a seed is always helpful here. When God gave those promises to Abraham it was like a farmer dropping a seed down into the earth. And when Abraham saw the birth of Issac and when he acquired the land it was like a farmer being blessed to see the plant spout forth from the earth. How invigorating that experience must have been for Abraham to the first fruits. It must have given him hope that indeed God would bring his promises to fulfilment.
APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, the LORD has done the same for you and me. Though it is true that the Christ has come, we still have not received the final fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham. According to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:1–13, ESV).
But God has given us a downpayment. Having believed upon Christ you were “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13–14, ESV).
And we too have seen the firstfrutes when Christ rose from the grave. “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:20, ESV)
Brothers and sisters, just like father Abraham you and I long to see the new heaven and earth and the resurrection of the dead on the last day. And just as he did for Abraham, the LORD has graciously provided us with a foretaste and a downpayment which guarantee the full and final fulfillment of these things — the resurrection of Christ from the grave proves that he will raise the dead who are in him, and the Spirit has been poured out upon us showing that the LORD will bring us to glory.
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Conclusion
Friends, may you be encouraged by these things and continue on faithful to the end. My desire is that “each one of you [would] show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Hebrews 6:11–12, ESV).
