Genesis 23

(Gen 23:1-20): When Abraham and Lot went their separate ways many years ago, Abraham moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD (Gen 13:18). Sarah was about 65 years old when she left the city of Haran for the land of Canaan with Abraham who was 75 at the time. She lived to be 127 years old (Gen 23:1) and died in Kirjath Arba, an older name for Hebron (Gen 23:2). 

Isaac was 37 at the time of her death and unmarried; the only woman in his life was his mother (cf. Gen 24:67). Abraham was 137. There is no record of how long they were married (cf. Gen 11:29), but they left out of Haran as man and wife (Gen 12:5) which means they were married for at least 62 years while living in a foreign land!

After Abraham mourned and wept for Sarah, he proceeded with the burial arrangements. The irony of this chapter is that this piece of real estate he acquired from Ephron the Hittite, for four hundred shekels of silver (Gen 23:16), is the only part of the land of promise that he ever took possession of during his lifetime, and he had to pay for it! Abraham was going to “occupy” a very minute portion of the land of promise located in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan (Gen 23:19-20). 

Being buried in the land of your nativity was very important then, but Abraham and Sarah decided long ago to never return to the world of Mesopotamia. They chose to trust God and leave their family and homeland to live and die in a strange land called Canaan, never seeing the fulfillment of the promise of an inheritance in their lifetime.

So Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah (Gen 23:19). This was also the final resting place of Abraham (Gen 25:9), Isaac (Gen 49:31), Rebecca (Gen 49:31), Jacob (Gen 50:13), and Leah (Gen 49:31).

Father, how tethered to the earth am I? My flesh seeks a place to call its own, but my spirit longs for something beyond anything terra firma (Heb 11:10). Living in tents speaks of the days of Abraham and Sarah as strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Sarah, having not received the promises, died in faith believing. She was precious and priceless in Your sight. LORD, fix my heart toward Your Word and incline my heart to fear Your name. <><