Previous Lesson -- Next Lesson
GENESIS 23
Sarah died and Abraham bought land near Hebron to bury her. -- (DATE: Around 1814 before Christ)
DISCOVER Genesis 23: At the age of 127 Sarah died in Kiriath-arba, which is Hebron, leaving Abraham to mourn her passing away. -- After he overcame his initial grief, Abraham went to the gates of Mamre, that is Hebron, to speak with the Hittites there. And Abraham said to them, that he, as a sojourner and traveler in their land, desired to purchase a plot of land from them, so he could bury his dead there. The Hittites answered that among them they knew him to be a prince of God. Therefore they would not withhold even the best of grounds from him, as none would try and hinder him from burying his dead. At that Abraham rose and bowed down before the Hittites, the owners of this land, saying that if it is as they said, he’d like them to entreat Ephron the son of Zohar on his behalf, for he desired to buy the cave of Machpelah from him. This cave is at the end of a field he owns, and Abraham would like for him to give it to him for its full price in the presence of the people gathered here. And it so happened that Ephron was among the people gathered by the gate that Abraham spoke to. And he came forth and answered Abraham that he would not only give him the cave to bury his dead in, but also the field before of it. And he added that he would give it to Abraham now, here in front of all the people without a price, so Abraham could go and burry his dead. To that Abraham bowed again to the people of the land, and replied to Ephron’s offer that he would pay the price for the entire property here in front of the people, if he would only let him bury his dead there. And Ephron answered Abraham, saying that among the two of them a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver where no big deal. Abraham should go and burry his dead. When Abraham had heard this offer, he went and weighed the demanded price in the weights common among the merchants of the land and gave Ephron the four hundred shekels of silver he had asked for. Thus Abraham acquired the cave of Machpelah east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, together with the field before it and all the trees growing on it as a property from the Hittites. And Abraham buried Sarah there.
PRAYER: Our holy God, our lives come to an end, because of our sin and the sins of our forefathers. So also you allowed the life of Sarah, the wife of your chosen servant Abraham to die. Thank you that Abraham was able to buy a land from the Hittites to bury Sarah there, for she is dust from the ground, as you said to her forefather Adam. Also, thank you for the resurrection from the dead and the eternal life, which you promise to all those, who believe in Jesus Christ. In you we trust that we will live eternally with you. Amen.
QUESTION 23: How did Abraham negotiate with the Hittites to buy a graveyard to bury his deceased wife?