Genesis 23 & 24a The Death of Sarah and the search for a Bride for Isaac

Headlines

Prayer

So good to be back with you again after being out of town on business last week. I trust you enjoyed Jeremey’s message.

Well tonight we are going to get back into our journey in Genesis looking at the death Sarah and issues surrounding that and then we will begin to look at Abrahams search for a Bride for Isaac. The Holy Spirit has included prophetic pictures and types in the OT that tell the story of the Gospel. Gen 24 is another incredible picture or type the Holy Spirit has put into His word that reveals the Fathers search for a Bride for His Son our Lord Jesus!

So let’s stand as we read from Gen 23;

Genesis 23:1–4 NASB95

1 Now Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 3 Then Abraham rose from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, 4 “I am a stranger and a sojourner among you; give me a burial site among you that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”

As we age we begin to become more aware that life in this world is not eternal. In fact it is quite short. Even Methuselah, the longest life recorded in the Bible, nearly 1,000 years (969 years) has been dead at least 5,000 years by the shortest estimates. James wrote;

James 4:14 NASB95

14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

Solomon wrote;

Ecclesiastes 3:1–2 (NASB95)

1 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—

2 A time to give birth and a time to die;

A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.

Not a happy subject but one we are all familiar with. Some more than others.

And so here in our text Sarah dies at the age of 127. A good long life that I am sure for Abraham was too soon.

And so in verse 2, we see that see died in Hebron which was none as Kiriath-arba. a place famous for giants. See Joshua. So we see Abraham mourned for her.

This was the wife of His youth. We don’t know how long they were married but perhaps up to 100 years.

So Abraham has to deal with the burial of his beloved wife. Interesting how much cultural norms about physical remains have changed just in our life time. When I was a child virtually everyone was buried, cremation was looked down upon. Mainly due to mis-understandings about the bodily Resurrection. But today you would be surprised if someone was not cremated.

Article- (CNN)The days of most Americans choosing a casket and traditional graveside burial for their funerals are over.

Cremation became the top choice in 2015 and has been climbing in popularity ever since.

According to statistics from the National Funeral Directors Association, or NFDA, more than half of all Americans who die this year will be cremated. In 20 years, the association predicts, nearly 80% of us will opt to have our bodies turned into ash.

What happened to change centuries of burial tradition?

"Cost is a driving factor," said Mike Nicodemus, licensed funeral director and vice president of cremation services for the NFDA. "The decrease in religious restrictions is another one, and it's a very transient world we live in today."

So in our text Abraham goes to the sons of Heth and says

Genesis 23:4 NASB95

4 “I am a stranger and a sojourner among you; give me a burial site among you that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”

In my family my aunt died at the end of January and the service is set for July, but for the people of Abrahams day they did not have the luxury of waiting, The had to deal with the dead immediately.

And so they reply;

Genesis 23:5–9 (NASB95)

5 The sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,

6 “Hear us, my lord, you are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our graves; none of us will refuse you his grave for burying your dead.”

Keep in mind Abraham had defended the people of Canaan against the 5 kings in Gen 14 who he defeated with his own army. On top of that he was probably the wealthiest man in the whole land.

7 So Abraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth.

8 And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your wish for me to bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and approach Ephron the son of Zohar for me,

9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he owns, which is at the end of his field; for the full price let him give it to me in your presence for a burial site.”

Note that Abraham was not asking for the Cave of Machpelah for free as the word “give” suggests. Here he is negotiating with them. Apparently he had this cave in mind already as he names it and its owner, Ephron.

We continue;

Genesis 23:10–16 (NASB95)

10 Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth; even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying,

Note Abraham meets with Ephron and the witnesses in the gate of the city. The city gate was the place of the leadership of the city in ancient days.

11 “No, my lord, hear me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of the sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead.”

12 And Abraham bowed before the people of the land.

13 He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If you will only please listen to me; I will give the price of the field, accept it from me that I may bury my dead there.”

14 Then Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,

15 “My lord, listen to me; a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.”

16 Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, commercial standard.

So the cave of Machpelah and its surrounding area become the only real estate that Abraham would own. Later the Cave would be the burying place, in addition to Sarah, for Abraham, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, and Leah.

Article- Hebron/Machpelah

the Chapter ends with;

Genesis 23:17–20 (NASB95)

17 So Ephron’s field, which was in Machpelah, which faced Mamre, the field and cave which was in it, and all the trees which were in the field, that were within all the confines of its border, were deeded over

18 to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, 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 at Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.

20 So the field and the cave that is in it, were deeded over to Abraham for a burial site by the sons of Heth.

Now, we get to another Holy Spirit inspired picture or type in the life of Isaac. Chapter 24 is the story about Abraham seeking a Bride for his son Issac and the fulfillment of the type is found in the story of the Holy Spirit seeking a Bride for the Son of God, Jesus. So as we read I will point out the similarities. they are truly uncanny.

Genesis 24:1–14 (NASB95)

1 Now Abraham was old, advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in every way.

2 Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he owned, “Please place your hand under my thigh,

3 and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live,

4 but you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

Now at this time Isaac was at least 37, as Sarah died at 127 and had Isaac at 90. Abraham wants to get wife for him but not from the women of Canaan.

In verse 2 , our main character in the story tonight enters. He has a name but in this narrative he remains un-named. This person is Abrahams servant, his chief servant, the one who would inherit all that Abraham had if Isaac had not been born. We learn this back in Gen 15;

Genesis 15:2 (NASB95)

2 Abram said, “O Lord God, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”

Our first interesting clue is, now that we know the name of this servant, is that Eliezer means “helper” or God is Help. Hopefully you are tracking with me. Jesus said,

John 14:16 (NASB95)

16 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;

So here the un-named servant is a type of the Holy Spirit. Who is seeking a Bride for the Son.

Why is He un-named? Because His function is to testify & glorify Jesus,

John 15:26 (NASB95)

26 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,

John 16:13–14 (NASB95)

13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

14 “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.

5 The servant said to him, “Suppose the woman is not willing to follow me to this land; should I take your son back to the land from where you came?”

6 Then Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there!

Why? Jesus like Issac, does not leave His home until we see Him with His bride. Remember in Ch 22 the last time Isaac is in the narrative is at the offering on Mt Moriah. Look at 22:19;

Genesis 22:19 (NASB95)

19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived at Beersheba.

Isaac is not mentioned. Certainly he was there, but for purposes of the type the Holy Spirit removed him from the story until we see him again in Gen 24.

7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give this land,’ He will send His angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there.

8 “But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this my oath; only do not take my son back there.”

9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

This an ancient way of binding a covenant giving his word. Similar to shaking hands.

10 Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and set out with a variety of good things of his master’s in his hand; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.

11 He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water.

12 He said, “O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show lovingkindness to my master Abraham.

13 “Behold, I am standing by the spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water;

14 now may it be that the girl to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar so that I may drink,’ and who answers, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’—may she be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown lovingkindness to my master.”

Here the servant is offering a “fleece” meaning specific outcomes are included to help discern God’s will in a matter. The term comes from Gideon’s prayer in Judges 6 where he prays that God would cause the dew to be on the ground except for his fleece and prays once more that God would cause only the fleece to wet and the ground dry.

Article - Laying out a fleece

Most of us have laid out a fleece at some point. However generally speaking, as one grows in faith they do not pray in this manner any longer.

As we continue notice how gracious God is;

Genesis 24:15–21 (NASB95)

15 Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder.

16 The girl was very beautiful, a virgin, and no man had had relations with her; and she went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up.

17 Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar.”

18 She said, “Drink, my lord”; and she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink.

19 Now when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw also for your camels until they have finished drinking.”

20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran back to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels.

21 Meanwhile, the man was gazing at her in silence, to know whether the Lord had made his journey successful or not.

Occasionally God will really blow your mind and this is such a case for the servant.

Notice watering the camels was not menial task. According to wildlife.com

“Camels have special biological adaptations allowing them to drink up to 53 gallons in one sitting without feeling ill. Camels are like giant hairy sponges.”

So in our text we are not told how many camel were in the group but we are told that there others with the servant. So conservatively 3-5 camels. That’s a lot a water. Also consider that Rebecca was not drawing this from a hose. She had to go down into the well and bring up the water.

We continue;

Genesis 24:22–27 (NASB95)

22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half-shekel and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels in gold,

Probably a nose ring.

23 and said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room for us to lodge in your father’s house?”

24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.”

Handout - Abrahams family

25 Again she said to him, “We have plenty of both straw and feed, and room to lodge in.”

26 Then the man bowed low and worshiped the Lord.

27 He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His lovingkindness and His truth toward my master; as for me, the Lord has guided me in the way to the house of my master’s brothers.”

So the deal is not yet done but it looks to be headed that way. All the servant needs to do is step back and watch God do what He has willed to do.

We are going to end there and complete the story next time.

Pray.