In The Word
Read Genesis 23
Death and Burial of Sarah
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.” 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.”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.” 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, 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.
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.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Even though God had promised him that the land would belong to his descendants, Abraham still purchased the field and cave of Machpelah. This established an ancient ownership of this central area of the land of Israel. This area was adjacent to Hebron, which would later become King David’s first seat of his kingdom. It was included in the cities of Judah, which was the tribe that Yahshua descended from. Abraham purchased it for 400 shekels of silver. Silver represents redemption in several places in the scriptures. Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Leah, and Jacob were all buried there (Genesis 25:9, Genesis 49:29-31, Genesis 50:13). This burial place was symbolic of God’s promise to give this land to the nation of Israel forever.
In the resurrection of the dead, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will arise from the same grave in the heart of the Promised Land, Israel (Matthew 8:11). Everything in the Bible is charged with the revelation of the glory of Yahshua the Christ (John 5:39, Luke 24:27). The nation of Israel is God’s focal point when it comes to the fulfillment of prophecy. Yahshua was born there. He was a descendent of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He will return one day and set His feet on the Mount of Olives, which is on the east side of Jerusalem. Yahshua will rule the earth from the tiny nation of Israel. We should watch carefully at what transpires in this tiny nation. It is God’s clock for the world; it tells us Christians what to expect prophetically.