OUR
FATHER'S
WORD
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light
unto my path."
Psalm 119:105
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Genesis
A Message For The End Time
by
Jim Lisenby
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CHAPTER
23
The Death And Burial Of Sarah
In this chapter the sad event of the death and burial of
Sarah is recorded, but if you read between the lines you can gather
some other information that is very interesting, to say the
least. One
important thing that you will notice right away is that Sarah and
Abraham were estranged at the time of her death. In the previous
chapter it was stated that Abraham dwelt at
Beersheba, but notice here that Sarah died at Hebron. I
believe this separation was caused by Abraham's willingness to
sacrifice Isaac at Moriah on instructions from God.
If you haven't studied the lesson on chapter 22 that deals with that
rather bizarre event yet, then you should do
so now before
continuing.
Gen. 23:1 And
Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the
years of the life of Sarah.
Sarah had a long life indeed, but Abraham outlived her by another 38
years. He lived 175 years so his total life span was actually 48
years
longer than Sarah's because he was 10 years older than she.
Gen. 23:2 And
Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan:
and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
Abraham dwelled at Beersheba and Sarah died in Hebron, so they were
not living together at the time of her death. She had been
Abraham's love and life companion, and he loved her dearly.
This had to be the saddest day of his life. Isaac was profoundly
saddened by the death of his mother also and mourned her passing
greatly.
Gen. 23:3 And
Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth,
saying,
Gen.
23:4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a
possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of
my sight.
He was a stranger and a sojourner among them primarily because he no
longer lived in the area and had not for some years. Sarah
obviously had old friends there because that is where she lived when
she died, and curiously, they were all likely to have been Canaanites,
as were the sons of Heth.
That is another reason for Abraham to say I am a stranger and a
sojourner with you, because he was not a
Canaanite, and as you will see a little later, he made a definite
distinction between his people and the Canaanites with regards to the
wife of his son Isaac.
And, there is yet a third reason for Abraham to confess that he was a
sojourner among them as the apostle Paul explained.
Heb. 11:8 By
faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he
should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not
knowing whither he went.
Heb.
11:9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a
strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the
heirs with him of the same promise:
Heb.
11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose
builder and maker is God.
Abraham knew intuitively that this life in the flesh was a temporary
one, and in that sense he was only a sojourner here for a brief time.
Gen. 23:5 And the
children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto
him,
Gen.
23:6 Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in
the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold
from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.
Some of these children of Heth undoubtedly were confederate with
Abraham when he pursued and defeated the four Babylonian kings.
They respected him, and they knew that he was truly was a mighty prince
among them, even though he was not one of them. That is, he was
from Mesopotamia and he was not a Canaanite, nor of their patriarchal
father Ham. He was a Semite, and a Hebrew.
Gen. 23:7 And
Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people
of the land, even to the children of Heth.
He was being very courteous with these Canaanites, some of whom were
his friends, and friends of Sarah and Isaac. The rest of this
chapter is concerning the
purchasing of a burial site for Sarah. Later it also became the
burial site for Abraham, Isaac and Rebekah, and for Jacob and
Leah. No
commentary is necessary on the remaining verses.
Gen. 23:8 And he
communed with them, saying, If it be your mind
that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me
to Ephron the son of Zohar,
Gen.
23:9 That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he
hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is
worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst
you.
Gen.
23:10 And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and
Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of
Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,
Gen.
23:11 Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the
cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my
people give I it thee: bury thy dead.
Gen.
23:12 And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of
the land.
Gen.
23:13 And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people
of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I
will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my
dead there.
Gen.
23:14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,
Gen.
23:15 My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four
hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury
therefore thy dead.
Gen.
23:16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed
to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of
Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant
Gen.
23:17 And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which
was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all
the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round
about, were made sure
Gen.
23:18 Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the
children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.
Gen.
23:19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the
cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the
land of Canaan.
Gen.
23:20 And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made
sure unto Abraham for a possession of a burying place by the sons of
Heth.
God bless with
understanding
of His word.
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2006 by Jim
Lisenby. All Rights Reserved