Please turn with me in your Bibles to Genesis 23.  Today is our last Sunday looking at the life of Abraham and what he learned about faith.

God made amazing promises to Abraham.  Promised him a land - a place for Abraham and his descendants to dwell in relationship with God.  Promised him descendants - changed Abram’s name to Abraham - meaning father of a multitude of nations.  Promised to bless Abraham and that through him all nations would be blessed.

Incredible promises - just as God promises to dwell in relationship with us - now and forever.  Promises to use us according to His purposes.  Promises to bless us and make us a blessing to others - the greatest blessing which is life and salvation in Jesus Christ.

God’s condition on His promise to Abraham was pretty simple - go forth to where I will show you.  Move forward through life trusting Me.

We’ve seen - as we’ve been looking over Abraham’s shoulder - we’ve seen that trusting God is the opposite of the foolishness of trusting ourselves.  Because life isn’t about us.  What we are and what we have in life isn’t about our cleverness or abilities or strength or wisdom or even worthiness.  Life is about God.  Who we are and what we are is because God is gracious to us.

In life - in every circumstance - no matter what the turmoil in our lives - no matter what our past is - what sins we’ve committed - the burdens we drag around with us - in life there are always two choices - trust ourselves and the wisdom of the world - or trust God.

That really is Plan A - which is what?  Trust God.  Utter dependence on God.  Doggedly determining to trust God.  Prayerfully trusting God.  Without any conditions placed on God - as to when and how He’s suppose to come through for us.  To give God complete - irrevocable - control over who we are.

Do you know who this is?  This Darrel Pace - two time Olympic gold medalist in archery.  Not too many years ago Darrel gave an archery exhibition in New York City’s Central Park - an event that received coverage by all the news stations.  True story.  Maybe you’ve heard this.

Shooting steel-tipped hunting arrows, Pace punctured bull’s-eye after bull’s eye without a miss.  Then he called for a volunteer.  “All you have to do,” said Pace, “Is hold this apple in your hand, waist-high.”

ABC correspondent Josh Howell took a bold step forward.  Josh stood there - a small apple in his hand - a larger one in his throat.  Pace took aim from 30 yards away - then THWACK-a clean hit that exploded the apple before striking the target behind.

Everybody applauded Howell - who was all smiles - until his cameraman came up and said, “I’m sorry, Josh.  I didn’t get it.  Had a problem with my viewfinder.  Could you do it again?” (1)

Faith is the act of daily committing ourselves to God.

Coming to chapter 23 we’re coming to the last events in Abraham’s journey of faith - his daily commitment to following God.

Genesis 23 - verses 1 to 16 focus on Abraham’s Negotiation.  Try that together, “Abraham’s negotiation.”

Verse 1:  Now Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.  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.

The custom of Abraham’s day - when someone died - was to place the body - by itself - in a tent.  We read that Abraham “went in” to this tent to mourn for Sarah - to weep for her.

Abraham was torn apart when he had to send Ishmael away.  Struggled deeply with the reality of sacrificing Isaac.  But this is the only place in Scripture where we read that Abraham wept.  The heart of Abraham poured out at the loss of Sarah.

Sarah and Abraham knew each other from childhood.  Maybe from day one - 127 years ago.  They’ve been married for decades.

As Abraham enters the tent and bows over the body of Sarah.  Memories come back - memories of a childhood together.  Memories of the beautiful young girl that caught his eye - that captured his heart.  What it meant to leave Ur and Haran - leaving their family behind - following God down to Canaan.

The pain of how he’d let her down - tried to pass her off as his sister - twice.  The tears of her barrenness.  The conflict with Hagar.  The birth of Ishmael.  The birth of Isaac.

Retraced images of love.  Laughing together.  Suffering together.  Growing together - becoming one body, mind, and heart - learning to trust God - to rely on His blessings.

Abraham wept.

Its hard to imagine a harder season of life than the loss of someone we’ve deeply loved.

Death also brings us face to face with our own mortality.  Causes us to think about our lives - how we’ve lived - what we leave behind.  What comes next - if anything.

David - in Psalm 23 - about walking through the valley of the shadow of death.  Walking through the shadow of death is a very - very - difficult place to be.

Verse 3:  Then Abraham rose from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, “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.”

We can almost see Abraham take in a long deep breath - gather himself together - rise and move outside the tent. 

Abraham describes himself as a what?  “a stranger and a sojourner.”  In the Hebrew its a description of someone who belongs someplace else - a resident alien.  “I’m living here.  But, my home is someplace else.”

That Abraham sees himself as a foreigner isn’t because he’s from Ur or Haran.  Its because he’s recognized that he dwells in the land because of God.  He’s learned that life is about God.  Death and the temporary stuff of this life aren’t the bottom line.  Abraham is looking beyond all that to his dwelling with God - to the promises of God.

If there’s a shadow - in the valley - if there’s a shadow there’s light.  Faith is turning from the shadow to look at the light - God’s light pouring into the darkness of this world.  The valley of the shadow of death isn’t our home.  Abraham is looking for something much greater. 

Abraham rises from his dead and moves outside the tent.  Forward into the promises of God.

In verse 4 Abraham addresses the elders of the sons of Heth - making a request for a place to bury Sarah.  The sons of Heth - are descendants of Ham - Noah’s son.  They’re Hittites who lived in Canaan - who possessed the land that Abraham was sojourning on.  What follows here - beginning in verse 5 - is a negotiation for a burial site.

Verse 5:  The sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, “Hear us, my lord, you are a mighty prince among us - in Hebrew this translates as something like “You are God’s tribal chief.”  There’s a lot of respect and honor being shown here - 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.”

This is a little like going to a restaurant and arguing over the bill.  “I’ve got that.”  “No I’ve got that.”  Ever been there?

With Armenians the argument begins by sneaking off to negotiate with the waiter for possession of the bill - or leaping across the table to grab the bill before the other guy can.  Then the argument has to go back and forth 3 times until the final, “Well okay.  But, I’ll get it next time.”  It would be a generations long scandal if on the first go round someone said, “Okay.  All yours.”

“We’ll give you whatever land you want” sounds generous.  But its just round one.

Verse 7:  So Abraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth - again respect - honoring the leadership of the community - And he spoke with them saying, “If it is your wish - only if this is something that you might desire to see take place - more respect - more honor - if its your wish for me to bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and approach Ephron the son of Zohar for me, 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 our presence for a burial site.”

According to custom - after the seller offered to give away the property the issue of a price was brought up.  “Let him give it to me for the full price.”

Verse 10:  Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth - in the hearing of who?  the sons of Heth; even of all who went in at the gate of his city - who?  all who went in at the gate of the city, saying, “No, my lord, hear me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it.

Notice Ephron adds the field along with the cave.  They’re negotiating for how much real estate Ephron can unload.

In the presence of the sons of my people - in the presence of who?  the sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead.”

Do you get the impression there were a lot of people listening to this?  This is a public contract.  If Abraham is going to own this land there’s going to be no question of what he bought - how much he bought it for - that he bought it honestly and through the process of negotiation that everyone agreed on.

Verse 12:  And Abraham bowed before the people of the land.  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 - I’ll pay your price - accept it from me that I may bury my dead there.”

At this point - according to custom - the seller is suppose to suggest a price.  A price that the seller would claim is very reasonable.  But everyone knew was outrageous.  Once the price is given then the real bargaining begins. 

Verse 14:  Then Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, “My lord, listen to me; a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and you?  Bury your dead.”

400 shekels of silver today is about $2000.  In those days - price gouging.  Like the price of oil going down and the price of gas going up.  According to custom - what everybody knew what was suppose to happen next - Abraham is suppose to try to negotiate Ephron down in price.

Verse 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 - what was generally accepted by the merchants of the time.

Do you remember back in chapter 14 - after Abraham had defeated the four powerful kings from the east - when Abraham paid a tithe to Melchizedek?  Abraham recognizing that it was God who’d given Abraham the victory - and all the spoils of war.

Do you remember that the king of Sodom approached Abraham with an offer of paying Abraham a reward for rescuing the people of Sodom.  “Abraham, you take all the goods - all the wealth and spoils of war - even what used to belong to us in Sodom -  and just return our people to their homes.”

Abraham tells the king of Sodom, “No way am I going to accept any stuff from you.  People might say that its was the king of Sodom who made Abraham rich.”

Same deal here.  That Abraham negotiates with the sons of Heth shows great respect for these people - their customs.  That he pays an outrageous price for the land demonstrates that Abraham knows he isn’t getting the land because of Ephron or the Hittites - or any cleverness on his part.  There will be no future entanglement with these people because he’s received some kind of favor from them.

There’s no way that Abraham is going to seek to become wealthy of acquire land apart from the promises of God.  God - not man - was the source of Abraham’s hope and blessing.  That piece of land is about God and God’s promises - what Abraham is looking forward to because of God.

Hold on to this.   Bottom line:  In the midst of crushing circumstances - what drives Abraham’s negotiation and the purchase of this land is the loss of Sarah and Abraham’s faith.

Verses 17 to 20 focus on Abraham’s Possession.  Try that together:  “Abraham’s possession.”  What exactly did Abraham get for his 400 shekels?

Verse 17:  So Ephron’s field, which was in Machpelah, which faced Mamre, the field and the 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 to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of the city.

If you look at the map you’ll see that Hebron and the Oaks of Mamre are just west of the Dead Sea.  Looks like this today. (S6E1)  Same area - after Abraham let Lot choose what land to graze his flocks on - Abraham settles at the Oaks of Mamre - builds an altar there - worships God.

The word “mamre” means “fatness” or “strength.”  “Hebron” is a word that means “association” or “fellowship.”  Its descriptive of a place where a person’s soul is made fat - strengthened - supplied with all that’s needed.  A place of spiritual supply and fellowship with God where Abram pitches his tent and builds an altar - worships God - dwells with God - experiences the strength and supply of God in his life.

The cave that Abraham acquired is this one.  Today - if you go to Hebron - there’s a mosque over the site.   This is a real - known even today - historical place. 

Verse 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.  So the field and the cave that is in it, were deeded over to Abraham for a burial site by the sons of Heth.

We need to grab on to the significance that this site has for Abraham - his family - for God’s people.

Reading on through Genesis this cave is where Ishmael and Isaac came to bury Abraham.  Isaac and Rebekah were buried there - also Leah and Jacob.  But, death isn’t the bottom line.  God’s promises are. 

It was very near this cave - at the Oaks of Mamre - that  God spoke with Abraham about the 400 years of slavery his descendants would endure.  It was here that God promised Abraham that his descendants would return to the claim this very land.  (Genesis 15:13-21)

Joseph - when he was dying in Egypt - Joseph made the people promise that they’d carry his bones back to God’s promised land - to bury him in the parcel of land Jacob had purchase from the sons of Hamor.  (Joshua 24:32)

In a different time the prophet Jeremiah - on the eve of the Babylonian captivity - when everything looked like impending hopeless disaster - Jeremiah purchase a piece of property.  Jeremiah was confident - even though God’s people would be led off into captivity - one day they’d be back.  They’d return and enjoy the land God had given them.  (Jeremiah 32:6-15)

Abraham purchased only a fraction of the land that God had promised to his descendants.  But that purchase is significant - the one parcel of land that this sojourner owned.  That small purchase embodies faith in God’s promise.  Abraham looking forward to the day in the future the whole land would belong to his descendants.

Bottom line:   To those who have faith in God - who are committed to daily living by faith in His promises - the grave is a place of great hope - a place of looking forward past the shadow of death to all of what God has promised to His people.

How can the life of Abraham apply to our own lives?

The writer of Hebrews writes of Abraham moving forward by faith when God called him.  How Abraham followed God not knowing where he was being led.  But because of faith Abraham lived as an alien in a land of promise - dwelling in tents - but looking for a city which has foundations - who architect and builder is God.  What Abraham longed for was a land better than anything this earth can offer.  He was looking for a land called heaven where God’s people dwell in God’s presence forever.

Hebrews tells us that God’s people - down through Old Testament history - were tortured, stoned, sawn in two, mocked, imprisoned, put to death, went around in sheepskins and goatskins.  They were destitute, wandered in desert and mountains, lived in caves and holes in the ground.  Men and women who lived their lives daily committed - daily trusting - in God. 

People who lived looking forward beyond the temporary stuff of this world that can never fully satisfy.  God’s people who lived knowing that dying and death are not the end - knowing that God has great eternal purposes for His people.  People who - because of their relationship with God experienced life - more fulfilling and real - than anything this world can offer.

And yet they lived and died looking forward - by faith - to the fulfillment of God’s promises.  Jesus Christ - crucified in our place - paying the penalty for our sins - opening up to us the certainty of life with God - now and forever.  (Hebrews 11:8-10, 35-40)

Revelation 21 - starting at verse 1 - the Apostle John writes, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away”  

John writes that in that new heaven and new earth we’re going to live where God lives.  That’s better than any place on this earth.  More beautiful - more awesome - a place of great joy - peace.

There’s a river that runs through that dwelling - the river of life - refreshing - renewing water - the purist crystal clear water - coming right from the throne of God.  We’ll be able to see God - right there on His throne and drink from that river.  God’s presence - God’s glory - will shine so there’s no night - no darkness - no shadows - no sin.

All the crud of this world will have been wiped away.  The baggage of sin that pulls us down each day of our lives - that entangles us - that works against us - sin will be no more.  Our relationships will be free of the struggles we have now.

There’ll be no more death.  When we get to heaven we’re going to get new bodies.  Bodies that aren’t subject to disease - that don’t wear out and break down.  Amen?

God Himself will wipe away our tears.  Wipe them away for good.  No more mourning - no crying - no pain - all the physical stuff that drags us down - all the those things will have died with this world.  (Revelation 21:1-22:9)

Are you looking forward to being there?  Amen?  God has us here today for a purpose.  But, I have to confess - more and more each day I’m looking forward to being there.

There are people I’ve never met - that I’ve heard so much about - who I know will be there.  I’m looking forward to being with them.  There are people that I really miss and I am so looking forward to seeing them again.  Will you say amen to that?

Point Being:  God has committed Himself to meeting our deepest needs - salvation - His presence and power as we walk through this life - an unimaginable eternity with Him.

Does that reality shape how you live out your faith daily with God?

In faith Abraham negotiated for a burial site - to possess a place to bury his wife - trusting in God’s promises of what was to come.

We can succeed in all that life throws at us if we will learn to live trusting God.

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1. Bob Teague, Live and Off-Color: News Biz