Set Your Hope on God’s Heavenly Kingdom – Genesis 23:1-20; Genesis 25:1-11
Genesis 23:1-20
23 Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. (2) She died in 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 got up from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites, saying, (4) I am an alien and a sojourner among you. Sell me a piece of property for a burial site here in your land, so that I may bury my dead. (5) The Hittites answered Abraham, (6) Listen to 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 his tomb from you, so that you may bury your dead. (7) Then Abraham got up and bowed before the people of the land, namely the Hittites. (8) He spoke with them, saying, If you are willing for me to bury my dead among you, I ask you to intercede for me with Ephron the son of Zohar, (9) requesting him to sell me the cave of Machpelah, that belongs to him, that is located at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you.
(10) Now Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city, (11) No, my lord, listen to me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is located on the property. 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 presence, But if you will, I beg you, please listen to me. I will pay you the price of the field. Accept the payment from me, and I will 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? Therefore, bury your dead.
(16) So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms. In the presence of the Hittites Abraham weighed out for Ephron the amount of silver he had requested, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the commercial standard. (17) So Ephron’s field which was in Machpelah, that was near Mamre—the field, and the cave that was located in it, as well as all the trees that were in the field—were deeded (18) to Abraham as his property in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city.
(19) After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave located in the field of Machpelah which was near Mamre (which is at Hebron), in the land of Canaan. (20) So the field and the cave located in it, were deeded to Abraham as his property for a burial site by the Hittites.
Genesis 25:1-11
25 Then Abraham took another wife, and her name was Keturah. (2) And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. (3) And Jokshan became the father of Sheba, and Dedan. The descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites, and the Leummites. (4) The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. (5) Now Abraham gave all of his estate to Isaac; (6) but he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines. Then, while he was still alive, he sent them away from Isaac his son, sending them to the east country. (7) Now altogether Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. (8) So Abraham took his last breath and died at a good old age, an old man who had lived a long and full life; and he was gathered to his people. (9) Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, that was located in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is near Mamre, (10) the field that Abraham had purchased from the Hittites. That is where Abraham was buried, and that is also where Sarah, his wife, was buried. (11) After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who then lived near Beer-lahai-roi.
Now proceed to the next section of this study, entitled, Exploring the Passage.
