Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.09UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.09UNLIKELY
Fear
0.09UNLIKELY
Joy
0.59LIKELY
Sadness
0.55LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.76LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.63LIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.77LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.53LIKELY
Extraversion
0.21UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.81LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.68LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
The Death of Sarah and Abraham
Read
Note the age of Sarah and if you desire, write it in the margin of your Bible.
Isaac would be about 37 years old at this time.
Discuss.
What was Sarah’s legacy?
Look at the following and list what you learn.
Note: Kiriath-arba is just an earlier name for Hebron.
Find it on your map.
Also locate Mamre.
What is the distance?
Look at Abraham’s response (v 2).
What does this tell you about him and Sarah?
(Note: This is the first time in scripture that someone is noted has weeping.)
Read Genesis 23:3-18
What we see here is a business transaction.
Business was usually conducted within a the gate or near the gate of a town.
Everyone sat together and various people would speak to the business they needed to conduct as they had an opportunity.
The sons of Heth are obviously the leaders in charge of leading the business dealings.
You could say they are the chairmen of the gathering leading the proceedings.
Things sound very polite, but this does not mean that they were as polite as they sounded.
We will see this shortly.
Abraham addresses the sons of Heth regarding the property of Ephron, not because he did not know that Ephron was there, but because this formal manner was the business etiquette of the day.
We will briefly look at some of the important aspects of this deal.
Keep in mind that this is most likely the same day of Sarah’s death as bodies did not keep in that climate.
They required quick preparation and burial due to the hot, arid climate.
How does Abraham refer to himself in v 4? God has promised Abraham all this land, so why does Abraham refer to himself as such?
What does their remarks in v 6 signify to you regarding their opinion of Abraham?
Why do you think Abraham insisted on paying for the land when it was offered to him for free?
Are you ever suspicious when something is offered to you for free?
Why or why not?
Is Abraham’s situation the same or different from today?
Much like today, there is something usually hidden behind an offer of free merchandise.
If Abraham had accepted the land from Ephron, he would have held a certain obligation to Ephron at a later date for service.
Abraham wants to own the cave outright with no future obligation.
However, as polite as Ephron was, he was a shrewd (and greedy) businessman.
If Abraham were to purchase only the cave, based on the laws of the land, Abraham would own it outright and not owe anything further.
However, by law, if Abraham purchased the entire field, there were certain continuing services the buyer had to render to the seller.
These laws were found when excavations were done in present-day Turkey clarifying this passage of scripture.
Ephron is not willing to sell just the cave.
He is wanting to sell the land around it with it due to the reasons mentioned above.
However, he is not done taking advantage of Abraham.
Remember, Abraham is in a bind.
He owns no land of his own and he needs to get Sarah buried quickly.
So Ephron lists a price of 400 shekels of silver knowing Abraham needs to conduct his business quickly and has already stated he would buy this piece of property.
Lets look at some other business dealings in scripture to see if this is a fair price or not.
2 Samuel
Was 400 shekels fair market value?
Why do you think Abraham paid it without trying to bargain?
Abraham was rich.
He was also grieving and needed to get Sarah taken care of.
When a person is in grief, they do not feel like fighting or bargaining.
There brain literally is in shut down.
Abraham just wanted to complete the business and get his beloved wife buried.
For a final note, read “The Cave of Machpelah” from the Archaeological Bible and “Buried in the Cave of Machpelah” from Chronological Bible.
Read Genesis 23:19-20
Are there any clues in this passage of why Abraham chose that piece of land?
It appears to be within view of his normal residence (Mamre).
Perhaps it was a way of feeling like she was nearby.
Imagine the grief Abraham must have felt.
He and Sarah had been together for a lot of years.
Read
Why do you think Abraham married again?
He probably really missed Sarah for one thing.
For another, a wife served a really good purpose in those days in taking care of his needs such as sewing, cooking, etc… As he got older, he probably needed someone to take care of him more.
(There were no nursing homes or home care services in those days.)
Concubines were not paramours.
They were wives taken more out of convenience.
That is to produce children or take care of other needs.
God is still blessing Abraham.
How many more sons does God provide him in his old age?
Six sons.
This does not mean that no daughters were born as daughters were not often listed.
Who got what when Abraham died?
Read article from Chronological Bible, “The Close of Abraham’s Life.”
Why do you think Abraham sent the other children away from Isaac?
Read
How old did Abraham live to be?
How old was he when Sarah died?
How many years after Sarah did Abraham live?
175 years old when he died.
Was 137 years old when Sarah died.
He outlived Sarah by 38 years.
Long enough to desire to have another wife.
Abraham was 140 years old when Isaac married.
He was 160 years old when Jacob and Esau were born.
How many years did Abraham have to appreciate his grandchildren?
15 years.
How did Abraham feel about his life?
(see v 8) What do you think attributed to this feeling?
(also see below)
Who buried him?
Does this surprise you?
Why or why not?
What kind of reception do you think there was?
What is Abraham’s legacy?
You may wish to read through the following verses: ; ; Hebrews 11:8-19
See list on page 95 of Wiersbe commentary.
Read Here Is Love final statement about Abraham.
What does v 11 tell you about Isaac?
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9