Sarah's Death 

Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.  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.  And Abraham rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites, “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.” (Genesis 23 1 to 4) 

After Sarah died, Abraham tried to find a burial site for Sarah.  Hebron was close to the oaks of Mamre where Abraham met God and two angels before (Genesis 18).   However, after seeing the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, he moved to Negev (Genesis 20), a place where he used to stay after returning from Egypt (Genesis 13).  Then he moved to Beersheba and made a covenant with Abimelech (Genesis 21).  After experiencing God's provision on mountain Moriah by sparing Isaac from being sacrificed (Genesis 22), he moved back to Hebron and wanted to buy a burial place for Sarah.  It seemed to be a full circle.  It also symbolized the spiritual growth of Abraham at each stage.  We could relay this to our own experiences.  When first being saved, we seemed to meet with God.  Then something occurred to our life that seemed to be unbearable.  So, we leaned to the world to find some comfort until God showed His mercy and brought us back to Him.  Then we reconciled with God and restored our faith again.   

Hebron reminded Abraham of the oaks of Mamre.  So, after Sarah died, he decided to settle down there.  Hebron means to bind, join or team up.  The Bible describes how Abraham purchased the piece of land as below. 

Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land.  And he said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, “But if you will, hear me: I give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.”  Ephron answered Abraham, “My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”  Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants. (Genesis 23: 12 to 26) 

We might think that Abraham overpaid for the land.  After all, God had already promised Abraham the land of the whole Canaan.  However, for Abraham, he didn't just pay for the land but also endorsed the promise that God has made as described in the Bible below. 

By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.  For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. (Hebrews 11: 9 10) 

Abraham knew that he was no longer a sojourner and foreigner.  God would build an everlasting city for him.  He bought the place to show how he was resting on God's promise.  So, after burying Sarah, the work for Abraham was finished too.   

What Abraham did not only showed his passion toward Sarah by spending a fortune for the land but also showed his commitment to settle down with God's promise because that's where he met with God.  Paul said this in his letter. 

If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. (First Corinthians 15: 19) 

Our value system is based on what we can see.  Without Christ, we could only see this world.  So, we could only base our hope on this world in this life.  With Christ, we could see beyond this life to eternal life.  Just like Abraham, he didn't pay for the land for this generation but for many unforeseeable generations to come.  Even though it's unseen, his faith told him that it shall be fulfilled because the promise was made by God.  With Christ, we shall have the same kind of faith to live with the vision that is beyond this world.  Emmanuel. 

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