Sarah Dies (Genesis 23)

Abraham and Sarah had their ups and downs. She encouraged him to have a baby by their housekeeper. They suffered greatly because of it. Abraham deceived two kings and was tested probably more than many of us could handle in offering his son. Yet in the end, their marriage survived. They had an heir, and Abraham buried his wife with great effort that showed his true love for her. Would our marriages and our faith survive such trials?

Sarah died. What did Abraham request of the Hittites?

Now Sarah lived 127 years; these were all the years of her life. Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. Then Abraham got up from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites: “I am a foreign resident among you. Give me a burial site among you so that I can bury my dead.” (Genesis 23:1-4 HCSB)

Which site did he choose? How highly respected was Abraham?

The Hittites responded to Abraham, “Listen to us, sir. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our burial tombs. None of us would refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.” Abraham rose and bowed before the Hittites, the people of the land, and addressed them, “If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, listen to me and make a request of Zohar’s son Ephron on my behalf. Give me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him, at the end of his field. He should sell it to me in your presence at full price for a burial site.” (Genesis 23:5-9 ISV)

What was Ephron’s answer? Was there once such honor and respect between peoples in the Middle East?

And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying, Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead. And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land. And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there. And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead. (Genesis 23:10-15 KJV)

Was a formal deed made? Would many of us go to such great lengths to honor a deceased loved one?

Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver which he had named in the presence of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency acceptable to a merchant. So Ephron’s field, which was in Machpelah, which faced Mamre, the field and the 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 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who entered the gate of his city. After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field of Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave that was in it were deeded over to Abraham for a burial site by the sons of Heth. (Genesis 23:16-20 NASB)

Abraham and Sarah had their ups and downs. She encouraged him to have a baby by their housekeeper. They suffered greatly because of it. Abraham deceived two kings and was tested probably more than many of us could handle in offering his son. Yet in the end, their marriage survived. They had an heir, and Abraham buried his wife with great effort that showed his true love for her. Would our marriages and our faith survive such trials? Is such mutual respect and honor between peoples in the Middle East possible again? You decide!