The Death of Sarah

ME

YOU

GOD

1 Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.

Only woman in Torah whose age is recorded. Probably symbolic- 120 means full life. 7 means completeness or holy. Remember every number in Genesis is a multiple of 5, 60 and sometimes adds 7.

2 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.

As I said last week. Abraham really loved Sarah and likely was married to her for a very long time, but it seems that they separated after he tried to sacrifice their only child together. Still, he mourned for seven days by her side most likely.

Usually a family would return to their homeland to bury their loved ones. By not going back to Ur, Abraham is saying- I live here now. I am in my promised land. I am not wandering anymore!

3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites,

Hittites is literally “sons of Heth”. Could be a clan of Hittites or it could be people with similar names. There are arguments on both sides.

In their article from the Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch, Satterthwaite and Baker discuss the nations of Canaan in detail and conclude that the Hittites of the Bible are not the same as those of Anatolia. The issue is complicated by “at least four different ethnic groups of antiquity” being variously designated as “Hittites.”“Nations of Canaan” Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch• Walton favors a Canaanite origin for the Hittites. He believes their possession of land in Canaan indicates they are likely part of the “indigenous population” and not colonists from Anatolia.“Hittite Land (Gen 23: 1–3)” The NIV Application Commentary: Genesis

4 “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.” 5 The Hittites answered Abraham, 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 12–50 Genesis 23:1–20

However, as a foreigner and sojourner in Canaan, Abraham is at a great disadvantage with respect to land ownership. Land in the ancient Near East was an inheritable commodity, and kinship groups were reluctant to part with land at any cost (compare the story of Naboth’s vineyard and King Ahab in 1 Kgs 21:3). Even if he can acquire land, it is possible that the land will not be transferable to his descendants (compare later law in Lev 25:23). These circumstances help explain the extensive and public legal proceedings between Abraham and the Hittites

Buying land is not always easy. He already had water rights, but he didn’t actually own land. For the first time, He is actually going after the promise that God has given him. He wants to own land. He is already wealthy. Even if they give it to him, he won’t have a legitimate claim for his descendants. Their grandkids could change their minds.

7 Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land. 8 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, 9 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.”

Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 2: Genesis 16–50 Genesis 23:12–13

12–13 Again expressing his gratitude and politeness, Abraham bows to “the people of the land” (cf. v 7). He too is aware of the importance of any agreement being public and attested by witnesses, so he too “spoke to Ephron out loud before the people of the land

This is a formal process. He is speaking in public so that this will be legitimate. He will come away with a deed to the land.

10 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, 11 “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.”

Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 2: Genesis 16–50 Genesis 23:1–20

However, they did not actually offer to sell him land for a grave plot.

By not offering to sell it, they keep the rights to the land. Even though they respect him, by offering to give it to him, it is more of an informal agreement that Abraham can use and live on the land but it won’t legally be his. His descendants won’t get it.

12 Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. 13 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.” 14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “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.” 16 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.

He names a price that will cover the field. It is a lot of money and Ephron is kind of cheeky about it. They are both rich so who cares about that amount, but here it is. Abraham doesn’t haggle. He is still mourning and he has the money. He pays it publicly and for the first time, Abraham owns land in the promised land. God’s promise is fulfilled. It is his burial cave. His ancestors will now come here to be buried.

17 So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre,

Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 2: Genesis 16–50 Genesis 23:1–20

It was at Mamre that the LORD had promised her that she would give birth to a child within the year (18:1–15). Indeed, most of the great promises of land, descendants, and covenant blessing seem to be associated with their years in Mamre, according to 13:14–18:15. And in a sense the purchase of the plot of land at Macpelah was a first step toward Abraham and his descendants’ acquisition of the whole land of Canaan. For this reason, Genesis draws attention twice to the rather obvious point that Hebron is in the land of Canaan (23:2, 19) and repeatedly insists that the negotiations and payment for the land were conducted publicly before the elders of the city (vv 10, 13, 16, 18). There was no doubt that this part of Canaan justly belonged to Abraham and his heirs.

He chooses this place for a reason. Mamre is where this all began for him.

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 18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city. 19 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. 20 The field and the cave that is in it were made over to Abraham as property for a burying place by the Hittites.

So he now sees a glimpse of the promise fulfilled.

YOU

But what about Sarah? She died. She saw God give her a son, but she had been on this journey with Abraham for a long while. Why didn’t she get to see them own a piece of the promised land. God had included her in it after all. Her death was the start of this last promise of a homeland.

When we think of Gods promises we often have expectations of how they will be fulfilled.

No one thought this would be the first actual purchase of land.

Genesis 12–50 (Genesis 23:1–20)

But he insisted on purchasing property at what was perhaps a very high cost in order to establish a permanent foothold in the promised land. Fulfillment of God’s promise to give Abraham and his descendants the land was still hundreds of years away, but Abraham acted in faith that God would do as He had promised.God has also given us many promises, and their fulfillment can seem very far away. Some may not be realized until the resurrection. But our commission, like Abraham’s, is to act on what we cannot see, trusting in the one in whom we believe (Heb 11:6

A follower of Jesus hopes more in the next Life than the current life.

Hebrews 11:11 NLT By faith, even though Sarah herself was barren and he was too old, he received the ability to procreate, because he regarded the one who had given the promise to be trustworthy. 12 So in fact children were fathered by one man—and this one as good as dead—like the number of stars in the sky and like the innumerable grains of sand on the seashore.13 These all died in faith without receiving the things promised, but they saw them in the distance and welcomed them and acknowledged that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth. 14 For those who speak in such a way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 In fact, if they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Life will never make sense this side of heaven.

32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets. 33 Through faith they conquered kingdoms, administered justice, gained what was promised, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, put foreign armies to flight, 35 and women received back their dead raised to life. But others were tortured, not accepting release, to obtain resurrection to a better life. 36 And others experienced mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, sawed apart, murdered with the sword; they went about in sheepskins and goatskins; they were destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38 (the world was not worthy of them); they wandered in deserts and mountains and caves and openings in the earth. 39 And these all were commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised. 40 For God had provided something better for us, so that they would be made perfect together with us.