A LIFE HONORED
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Opening Prayer
Loving and faithful Father, thank you for the hope that is mine because you gave your Son for me. Thank you, for in him, there is peace and joy that surpasses all understanding.
Read GENESIS 23
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Genesis
Genesis 23
1 Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old.
2 She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.
3 Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites. He said,
4 “I am an alien and a stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.”
5 The Hittites replied to Abraham,
6 “Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.”
7 Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites.
8 He said to them, “If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf
9 so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah, which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you.”
10 Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city.
11 “No, my lord,” he said. “Listen to me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”
12 Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land
13 and he said to Ephron in their hearing, “Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.”
14 Ephron answered Abraham,
15 “Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between me and you? Bury your dead.”
16 Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weight current among the merchants.
17 So Ephron’s field in Machpelah near Mamre-both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field-was deeded
18 to Abraham as his property in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city.
19 Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre (which is at Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
20 So the field and the cave in it were deeded to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.
Reflect
Christian funerals are an opportunity to mourn, but they also focus on the hope of eternal life. Read Hebrews 11:1. Pray for those you know who do not yet have this certainty.When the late Queen Elizabeth II passed away at the age of 96, she was mourned worldwide. These words were sung at her funeral: ‘Changed from glory into glory, / ’til in heaven we take our place, / ’til we cast our crowns before thee, / lost in wonder, love, and praise.’* Poignant words, bearing in mind Elizabeth’s royal status, and a great testimony to her deep faith in God!
Sarah also died at a grand age (v. 1). There was no pomp and ceremony, but instead, a special resting place was needed. The way Abraham could honor his wife was to ensure she had a proper burial, in line with customs of the day. It was the end of an era, and Sarah’s grave needed to be revered. Abraham negotiated with the Hittites, who recognized his status, even though he wasn’t a local (v. 4) and honored him and his late wife with ‘the choicest of our tombs’ (v. 6). Abraham insisted on paying for the site and, because of his integrity and the respect with which he was regarded, Sarah was given the grave she deserved. God provided—again! Sarah was remembered as one of the ‘holy women of the past who put their hope in God’ (1 Peter 3:5, 6).
Apply
In what new ways might you be intentional about sharing your faith with the next generation?
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, help me to live my life in ways that show my hope in you. Please make it a testimony to your grace and mercy that will go on and increase for generations.
*‘Love Divine, All Loves Excelling’, Charles Wesley 1747.
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