Genesis 23
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." The Hittites answered Abraham, "Hear 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 from you his tomb to hinder you from burying your dead."
Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land. And he said to them, "If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as property for a burying place."
Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city, "No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead."
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.
So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was made over to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city. After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. The field and the cave that is in it were made over to Abraham as property for a burying place by the Hittites.
This passage is about Abraham's faithful response to grief and loss, and we can break it down into three subsections.
Sarah's Death and Abraham's Mourning
Genesis 23 opens with the death of Sarah at 127 years old in Hebron. The text tells us that "Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her." Here we see something beautiful about Abraham's character. This man of tremendous faith doesn't suppress his grief or pretend that loss doesn't hurt. He mourns. He weeps.
This teaches us that grief is not the opposite of faith. Too often we think that trusting God means we shouldn't feel sad when we lose someone we love. But Abraham shows us that even the greatest saints experience deep sorrow when death touches their lives. God designed us to form deep bonds with the people we love, and when those bonds are broken by death, grief is the natural and healthy response.
Abraham's mourning also shows us the reality of living in a fallen world. Even though Abraham had received incredible promises from God, even though he had seen miraculous interventions, he still had to face the reality that sin brings death into this world. Sarah, the woman who had journeyed with him from Ur, who had waited decades for Isaac, who had laughed with joy when God's promise finally came to pass, was now gone.
Abraham's Humble Request for a Burial Place
After mourning Sarah, Abraham rises and speaks to the Hittites who lived in the land. He says, "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." Notice how Abraham describes himself. Even after decades in the land of promise, he still sees himself as a sojourner and foreigner.
This reveals something crucial about Abraham's perspective. He understood that his ultimate home was not in this world. The writer of Hebrews tells us that Abraham was looking forward to a city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. Abraham lived his entire life as someone passing through, someone whose true citizenship was in heaven.
The Hittites respond with remarkable respect, calling Abraham "a prince of God among us" and offering him the choicest of their burial places. But Abraham doesn't want charity. He insists on paying full price for a piece of land where he can bury Sarah with dignity and honor.
This shows us how we should live as Christians in this world. We are sojourners and foreigners here, just like Abraham. Our citizenship is in heaven. But that doesn't mean we withdraw from society or act like the world around us doesn't matter. Abraham engaged respectfully with his neighbors. He conducted business with integrity. He sought to be a blessing to those around him even while maintaining his identity as someone whose ultimate allegiance was to God.
Abraham's Careful Purchase of the Cave
The final section of the chapter records Abraham's negotiation with Ephron the Hittite for the cave of Machpelah. What seems like a straightforward business transaction actually reveals Abraham's wisdom and integrity. When Ephron offers to give Abraham the field and the cave, Abraham refuses the gift and insists on paying the full asking price of four hundred shekels of silver.
Why does Abraham refuse what appears to be a generous offer? Because he understands that accepting a gift of land from a pagan ruler could create obligations and complications. He wants clear, legal ownership with no strings attached. He wants to ensure that this burial place for Sarah, and eventually for himself and his descendants, would belong to his family permanently.
Abraham weighs out the silver "according to the weights current among the merchants." Every detail is done properly and publicly. The transaction is witnessed and legally binding. Abraham now owns his first piece of the promised land, and significantly, it's a burial place.
This teaches us about the importance of conducting our affairs with integrity and wisdom. Abraham didn't let grief cloud his judgment or make him careless in business matters. He understood that how we handle practical matters reflects our character and our faith. When the world is watching, we want our dealings to be above reproach.
The fact that Abraham's first owned property in the promised land is a burial place also points us to something deeper. It shows Abraham's confidence in God's promises about the future. This wasn't just about burying Sarah. This was Abraham staking a claim in the land that God had promised to give to his descendants. Even in the face of death, Abraham was acting in faith, believing that God would fulfill his word.
For us today, this reminds us that even our most difficult moments can be opportunities to demonstrate faith. When we face loss and grief, the world watches to see how we respond. Will we lose hope, or will we continue to trust in God's good purposes? Abraham shows us that we can mourn deeply and still act with wisdom and faith.
Let’s Pray
Father, we thank you for Abraham's example of how to face grief with both honest emotion and steady faith. When we experience loss in our own lives, help us to mourn well, knowing that you understand our pain.
Remind us that we are sojourners here, that our true home is with you. And help us to hold onto your promises even when circumstances seem to contradict them. In Jesus' name, Amen.