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Genesis 23:

The burial place

We saw last week that Abraham had to buy the only part of Canaan he ever owned.  Now we read the story of that experience in the narrative between the thought of Isaac’s marriage and the actual event.

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Genesis 23:

1 And Sarah was a hundred and twenty-seven years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah [this is how long she lived]. 2 And Sarah died in Kirjatharba [“the city of Arba”]; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan [now]: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. [Isaac was 37 years old at this time, Abraham 137.]

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Abraham wished to have a special place, a field with a manmade cave, as a permanent sepulchre for his family, so he came to the Philistines to make the funeral arrangements.  After Sarah, Abraham himself was to be buried there (Genesis 25:9), and then Isaac, Rebekah and Leah (Genesis 49:25-33).  Later still would come Jacob (Genesis 50:12). Today it is a revered site amongst both Muslims and Christians and has a mosque built on it.  But it was NOT a gift from the Son of God and therefore did not fulfil His promise.  Genesis 12:6-7.

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Genesis 23:

3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth [Genesis 10:15, aka the Hittites or Canaanites], saying, 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.”

5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, 6 “Hear us, my lord: you are a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury your dead; none of us shall withhold from you his sepulchre, but that you may bury your dead.”

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The people of the land loved Abraham so much that they were all willing to give him their own burial grounds.  But he had a preferred spot near where he had met with Jesus and for this he wanted to negotiate, so he refused the offers and pleaded to be able to buy his choice. 

Jesus had given to Abraham a view of his immortal inheritance, and with this hope he was content.  We are told, "By faith he sojourned in the Land of Promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles [in a tent as a nomad] with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: for he looked for a city which has foundations [which will last], whose builder and maker is God." Hebrews 11:9-10. 

Of the posterity of Abraham it is written, "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." Verse 13.

We must all dwell as pilgrims and strangers here if we would gain "a better country, that is, a heavenly." Verse 16. Those who are children of Abraham will all be seeking the city which he looked for, "whose builder and maker is God." 

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Genesis 23:

7 And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth. 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 entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah [“the double cave”], which he has, 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.”

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So Abraham offered to buy the place at the going rate.  He was not willing that any heathen might be credited for supplying him with any of the Promised Land for free.  That honour must go to his Friend.

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Genesis 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 [the public discussion place], saying, 11 “Nay, my lord, hear me: the field I give you, and the cave that is therein, I give it you; in the presence of the sons of my people I give it you: bury your dead.”

12 And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land. 13 And he spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, “But if you will give it, I pray you, hear me: I will give you money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.”

14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15 “My lord, hearken to me: the land is worth four hundred shekels [weight] of silver [at that time about 11 grams per shekel]; what is that between me and you? [I will accept your offer.]  Bury therefore your dead.”

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Ephron, who was present at these negotiations, agreed with the proposal and began the process of handing over the land.

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Genesis 23:

16 And Abraham hearkened to 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. 17 And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre [the place where Jesus had lunch with Abraham, Genesis 18], 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 18 to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city. 

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. 20 And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure to Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.

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When Ephron accepted the offer then all was made legal and the purchase finalised.  Not much has changed in human nature over 4,000 years, has it?

See you next week,

Ron

Some of the comments in these readings are adapted from books in my library.  No recognition is given because they are not intended as authorities, but are used because they express my understanding clearly. All the ideas expressed in these readings, right or wrong, are my own.

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