Sarah dies and Abraham is an alien in a strange land
Theme: A Journey with Abraham
Theme Verse: "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." Hebrews 11:8 NIV
Readings: Genesis 23
Memory Verse: In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. (Psalm 18:6)
When we read the Bible, we read it as God's story in which we have a part. A word received: I Am. Start with that. I Am. Call my people into my story. You are my people. I love you and want you to enter into all that I have for you. You are my children. Don't be afraid. I will do what you cannot. Come to me; turn to me.
In the lesson the LORD is trying to show us something out of this event of Sarah's death and burial. Although the chapter is about the death of Sarah, that is not the focus of the lesson. Abraham and Sarah are back in Hebron, roughly twenty-five to thirty miles from Beersheba. Abraham is very aware of being a foreigner, far from relatives and his original homeland. As with Abraham, our citizenship is in God's kingdom. That is our condition as Christians, but we live in a culture that is growing increasingly hostile to Christianity. Jesus said his disciples were to live IN the world but not OF it. How? Psalm 137:4 asks the question, "How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?" A word received: That is the question I want you to ask in prayer. I want you to come to me for my direction on how to be my people among strangers. I will show you the way.
Abraham was very respected by the "people of the land", the Hittites, even though he was a foreigner. They tell him, "You are a mighty prince among us." In those days the elders and rulers of a city would transact business at the city gates so Abraham goes there to try to buy a burial plot from the elders of the community. We too are participants in a larger culture and community. We too are "foreigners" and the world is watching us. Do we act in a way that brings honor to the gospel? Several Bible passages talk about this. Philippians 1:27 says, "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)
Ruth is another example of a foreigner, this time in the land of Israel. She asks Boaz, "Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me, a foreigner?" Boaz replies, "I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law…May the LORD repay you for what you have done." (Ruth 2:10-11) Proverbs 3:3a,4 says, "Let love and faithfulness never leave you…then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man." [Note: it doesn't always work that way. Jesus' enemies falsely accused him, as did Daniel's enemies. In such cases we have to cry out to God to vindicate us and reveal the truth.]
Abraham loved Sarah and mourned and cried for her. He was a very rich man but he didn't own any land even to bury his wife but the LORD provided even for the dead and for Abraham once again. Look at the Memory Verse: God hears our cries. A word received: If you cry out to me, I will hear you. I Am not an idol of gold or silver, wood or stone, that has ears and cannot hear. If you cry out to me, I will hear you. A word received: As you cry out to me, I will provide for all your needs. God sees every need and helps Abraham with each one. The Hittites could have said there was no land, no caves available (to a foreigner).
Cultural aspects: Every culture has rituals about death and about buying and selling.
In this chapter there is a very important practice that is taking place: bargaining. Most Americans are very uncomfortable with bargaining and prefer a set price. Many other cultures prefer bargaining and prize it as a valued form of social interaction. There are many cultural issues that are neither right nor wrong and a Christian has to discern what is a moral issue and what is merely another culture's way of doing business.
An issue here is ownership: can land be permanently sold to someone outside the tribe? Can something that important be permanently alienated from the group? For example, when we considered adopting a child in Liberia, we discovered that while we might "adopt" a child there, the local culture did not see this as in way as the birth family giving up its rights to the child. The child BELONGED to the birth family and would only be PLACED with the adoptive parents. When it came time for us to leave Liberia, we probably would not have been permitted to take the child away permanently. In Genesis 23 Abraham is seeking a clear and permanent title to the burial site. Therefore he is asking to pay the full price, even in the context of the bargaining. This Tomb of the Patriarchs exists today in Hebron. Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah are buried there.
In a bargaining culture, there are very ritualized expressions which do not imply insincerity on the part of either party. For example Ephron says, "No, my lord. Listen to me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead." Essentially Ephron is indicating that he is willing to bargain. The common pattern is bargaining is that the seller names too high a price and the buyer names too low a price and they then work towards a price acceptable to both. Ephron says, "Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between me and you? Bury your dead." Because Abraham wants a full and clear title, he does not attempt to bargain the price down. Also, it is in Abraham's character to be generous in reaching a peaceful settlement. Remember how he settled the issue of the well that had been seized by Abimelech's servants.
We need to respect cultural traditions--ours and other people's but NOT confuse them with the gospel. Some will work fine for Christians but others will be directly opposed.
Teaching Ideas for Lesson 24
Please read the Study Guide first.
Go over Memory Verse to make sure the children understand it and then if they have memorized it.
Remind them their parents need to sign a report slip monthly if they have read the lessons, so they will get credit at the end of the year.
Make sure they know what happened in the story. Get them to tell you.
Basic points of the lesson for little ones:
1.God will always provide for our needs as we cry out to Him.
2. We always need to pay attention and be sensitive to the people we live around. God uses us as witnesses by what we say and do. But we are not to be governed by what the world thinks about something.
3. Respect for cultural traditions is important, both ours and other people's but NOT to confuse them with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
4. As Christians, we are strangers, living in a sinful world. God wants us to ask Him for guidance as to how to live in this situation.
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