Genesis 23:1-20
23:1-2 Sarah came
to the culmination of her life on Earth. As we know, she and Abraham were older
when they had their child, Isaac. Abraham mourned for his wife, not because she
was gone but because they would be separate
until he also passed on to Spirit. Children of God are never gone; after Earth,
we join with God in Spirit. 2 Corinthians
5:8 To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
23:3-4 Abraham is
a visitor and a foreigner in the land that he lives and therefore he does not
own space for the burial of Sarah. He requests land from his hosts.
23:5-6 Abraham has
built a reputation for himself: he is honest and kind in his interactions with
them and his host nation offers him its own burial places. They offer him the
best that they have.
23:7-9 Abraham
humbles himself to their offer but ultimately requests land to call his own. It’s
important to Abraham to bury his family in land that is indisputably their own.
2:10-13 Ephron is
adamant; he insists that Abraham accept their generous offer. Abraham is equally
insistent: although grateful for their kindness, he wants his family to own
their own land. After all, there is no assurance that future generations will
be as generous and amiable with Abraham as this current one is.
2:14-16 Abraham
insists on buying the land (even though for an extremely small amount of money)
and does so.
2:17-18 Abraham
therefore became the sole and legal owner of the land: Machpelah.
2:19 Having
secured ownership of the land, Abraham placed Sarah’s body in its resting
place.
