City Life Starter

Written by Scott Fiddler

The Word

1 Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 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. 3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites, 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.” 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.”

Genesis 23:1-9

Reflection

Sarah died while she and Abraham were in a foreign land. When Sarah died, Abraham had a few options in deciding where to lay her to rest. He could have buried Sarah where she died in Hebron. For one like Abraham who was living a nomadic life and who couldn’t predict where he might be staying the next week or the next month, this might have been the natural inclination. 

Another option would have been to return to bury Sarah in Ur, the place where he and Sarah were from. There would have been some security in that, knowing it was familiar, family territory and a place to which they could have always returned to visit her tomb.

Instead, Abraham purchased land in Canaan, a foreign land, and laid Sarah to rest there in the cave of Machphelah. That cave would become the burial grounds for Abraham and his descendants. See Gen. 25:9-10 (Abraham); Gen. 35:27-29 (Isaac); Gen. 49:29-32 (Rebekah and Leah); Gen. 50:12-14 (Jacob). Abraham’s decision to purchase land in Canaan for a permanent family burial spot demonstrated Abraham’s trust in God’s promise that He was giving Abraham and his descendants the Promised Land.

Application

Faith ultimately manifests in action, and action is the credible evidence of what we really believe. Another way of saying that is that faith without works is dead (see James 2:17). Sarah’s death and the choice of where to bury her was another test of Abraham’s faith. Did he really believe God was going to give him and his descendants Canaan (See Gen. 17:8)? Abraham’s decision to purchase the cave of Machpelah was evidence he truly believed God would fulfill His promise. 

Maybe you have received a promise from God that has not yet been fulfilled. If so, at some point you will likely come to a place where, like Abraham, you will have a choice to make. It is such choices that separate the credible from the merely curious. 

Prayer

Lord, please guide me in the path and give the wisdom and grace to make the decisions that are consistent with my faith in You. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.