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26 - Commentary on The Book of Genesis · Philosophy and Faith

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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty three. Here is Roman one Abraham, a mourner
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  Speaker 1: for the death of Sarah Verses one and two. Roman
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  Speaker 1: two Abraham, a purchaser of a burying place for Sarah. One,
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  Speaker 1: the purchase humbly proposed by Abraham Verses three and four. Two,
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  Speaker 1: fairly treated of and agreed to with a great deal
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  Speaker 1: of mutual civility and respect Verses five to sixteen three.
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  Speaker 1: The purchase money paid verse sixteen four. The premises conveyed
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  Speaker 1: and secured to Abraham Verses seventeen, eighteen, and twenty five.
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  Speaker 1: Sarah's funeral verse nineteen. The death of Sarah b. C.
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  Speaker 1: Eighteen fifty seven Verses one and two. And Sarah was
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  Speaker 1: one hundred and seven and twenty years old. These were
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  Speaker 1: the years of Sarah's life, and Sarah died in kirriath Arba,
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  Speaker 1: the same as hebron in the land of Canaan. And
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  Speaker 1: Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
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  Speaker 1: We have here one Sarah's age verse one, almost forty
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  Speaker 1: years before she had called herself old. Chapter eighteen, Verse
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  Speaker 1: twenty Old. People will die never the sooner, but may
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  Speaker 1: die the better for reckoning themselves Old. Two her death
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  Speaker 1: Verse two, the longest liver must die at last. Abraham
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  Speaker 1: and Sarah had lived comfortably together many years. But death
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  Speaker 1: parts those whom nothing else could part. The special friends
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  Speaker 1: and favorites of heaven are not exempted from the stroke
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  Speaker 1: of death. She died in the land of Canaan, where
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  Speaker 1: she had been above sixty years. A sojourner. Three Abraham's
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  Speaker 1: mourning for her, and he was a true mourner. He
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  Speaker 1: did not only perform the ceremonies of mourning according to
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  Speaker 1: the custom of those times, as the mourners that go
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  Speaker 1: about the streets, but he did sincerely lament the great
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  Speaker 1: loss he had of a good wife, and gave proof
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  Speaker 1: of the constancy of his affection to her. To the
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  Speaker 1: last two words are used. He came both to mourn
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  Speaker 1: and to weep. His sorrow was not counterfeit, but real.
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  Speaker 1: He came to her tent and sat down by the
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  Speaker 1: corpse there to pay the tribute of his tears, that
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  Speaker 1: his eye might affect his heart, and that he might
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  Speaker 1: pay the greater respect to the memory of her that
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  Speaker 1: was gone. Note it is not only lawful, but it
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  Speaker 1: is a duty to lament the death of our near relations.
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  Speaker 1: Both in compliance with the providence of God, who thus
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  Speaker 1: calls to weeping and mourning, and in honor to those
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  Speaker 1: to whom honor is due. Tears are a tribute due
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  Speaker 1: to our deceased friends. When a body is sown, it
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  Speaker 1: must be watered. But we must not sorrow as those
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  Speaker 1: that have no hope, for we have a good hope
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  Speaker 1: through grace, both concerning them and concerning ourselves. The Cave
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  Speaker 1: of Machpela b. C. Eighteen fifty seven, Verses three to fifteen.
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  Speaker 1: And Abraham stood up from before his dead and spake
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  Speaker 1: unto the sons of Heath, saying, I am a stranger
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  Speaker 1: and a sojourner with you. Give me a possession of
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  Speaker 1: a bearing place with you, that I may bury my
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  Speaker 1: dead out of my sight. And the children of Heath
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  Speaker 1: answered Abraham, saying unto him, hear us, my lord, thou
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  Speaker 1: art a mighty prince among us, in the choice of
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  Speaker 1: our sepulchers, bury thy dead. None of us shall withhold
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  Speaker 1: from thee his sepulcher, but that thou mayst bury thy dead.
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  Speaker 1: And Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people
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  Speaker 1: of the land, even to the children of Heath, And
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  Speaker 1: he communed with them, saying, if it be your mind
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  Speaker 1: that I should bury my dead out of my sight,
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  Speaker 1: hear me and entreat for me to Ephron, the son
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  Speaker 1: of Zohar, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah,
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  Speaker 1: which he hath, which is in the end of his field,
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  Speaker 1: for as much money as it is worth. He shall
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  Speaker 1: give it me for a possession of a bearing place
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  Speaker 1: amongst you. And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heath.
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  Speaker 1: And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of
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  Speaker 1: the children of even of all that went in at
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  Speaker 1: the gate of his city, saying, nay, my lord, hear
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  Speaker 1: me the field I give THEE and the cave that
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  Speaker 1: is therein I give THEE. In the presence of the
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  Speaker 1: sons of my people. I giveth THEE bury thy dead.
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  Speaker 1: And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land,
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  Speaker 1: and he spoke unto Ephron in the audience of the
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  Speaker 1: people of the land, saying, but if thou wilt give it,
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  Speaker 1: I pray THEE hear me, I will give THEE money
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  Speaker 1: for the field. Take it of me, and I will
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  Speaker 1: bury my dead there. And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,
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  Speaker 1: My lord, hearken unto me the land is worth four
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  Speaker 1: hundred chuckles of silver? What is that betwixt me and
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  Speaker 1: thee bury therefore thy dead? Here is Roman one the
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  Speaker 1: humble request which Abraham made to his neighbors, the Hittites,
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  Speaker 1: for a bearing place among them, Verses three and four.
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  Speaker 1: It was strange he had this to do now, But
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  Speaker 1: we are to impute it rather to God's providence than
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  Speaker 1: to his improvvidence, as appears Acts Chapter six, verse five,
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  Speaker 1: where it is said God gave him no inheritance in Canaan.
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  Speaker 1: It were well if all those who take care to
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  Speaker 1: provide burying places for their bodies after death were as
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  Speaker 1: careful to provide a resting place for their souls. Observe
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  Speaker 1: here one the convenient diversion which this affair gave for
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  Speaker 1: the present to Abraham's grief. He stood up from before
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  Speaker 1: his dead. Those that find themselves in danger of over
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  Speaker 1: grieving for their dead relations and are entering into that temptation,
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  Speaker 1: must take heed of pouring upon their loss and sitting
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  Speaker 1: alone and melancholy. There must be a time of standing
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  Speaker 1: up from before their dead and ceasing to mourn. For
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  Speaker 1: thanks be to God, our happiness is not bound up
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  Speaker 1: in the life of any creature. Care of the funeral may,
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  Speaker 1: as here be improved to divert grief for the death
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  Speaker 1: at first, when it is most in danger of tyrannizing.
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  Speaker 1: Weeping must not hinder sowing. Two the argument he used
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  Speaker 1: with the children of Heath, which was this, I am
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  Speaker 1: a stranger and a sojourner with you. Therefore I am
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  Speaker 1: unprovided and must become a humble suitor to you for
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  Speaker 1: a burying place. This was one occasion which Abraham took
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  Speaker 1: to confess that he was a stranger and a pilgrim
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  Speaker 1: upon earth. He was not ashamed to own it thus
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  Speaker 1: publicly Hebrews chapter eleven, verse thirteen, Note the death of
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  Speaker 1: our relations should effectually remind us that we are not
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  Speaker 1: at home in this world. When they are gone, say
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  Speaker 1: we are going. Three. His uneasiness till this affair was settled,
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  Speaker 1: intimated in that word, that I may bury my dead
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  Speaker 1: out of my sight. Note death will make those unpleasant
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  Speaker 1: to our sight, who, while they lived, were the desire
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  Speaker 1: of our eyes. The countenance that was fresh and lively
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  Speaker 1: becomes pale and ghastly, and fit to be removed into
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  Speaker 1: the land of darkness. While she was in his sight.
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  Speaker 1: It renewed his grief, which he would prevent. Roman too,
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  Speaker 1: the generous offer which the children of Head made to
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  Speaker 1: him Verses five and six. They compliment him one with
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  Speaker 1: a title of respect. Thou art a prince of God
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  Speaker 1: among us, So the word is not only great but good.
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  Speaker 1: He called himself a stranger and a sojourner. They called
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  Speaker 1: him a great prince. For those that humble themselves shall
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  Speaker 1: be exalted. God had promised to make Abraham's name great.
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  Speaker 1: Two with a tender of the best of their bearing places. Note,
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  Speaker 1: even the light of nature teaches us to be civil
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  Speaker 1: and respectful towards all, though they be strangers and sojourners.
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  Speaker 1: The noble generosity of these Canaanites shames and condemns the
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  Speaker 1: closeness and selfishness and ill humor of many that call
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  Speaker 1: themselves Israelites. Observe, these Canaanites would be glad to mingle
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  Speaker 1: their dust with Abrahams and to have their last end
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  Speaker 1: like his Roman three. The particular proposal which Abraham made
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  Speaker 1: to them Verses seven to nine. He returns them his
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  Speaker 1: thanks for their kind offer, with all possible decency and respect.
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  Speaker 1: Though a great man, an old man, and now a mourner,
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  Speaker 1: yet he stands up and bows himself humbly before them
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  Speaker 1: verse seven. Note religion teaches good manners, and those abuse
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  Speaker 1: it that place it in rudeness and clownishness. He then
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  Speaker 1: pitches upon the place he thinks most convenient, namely the
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  Speaker 1: cave of Machpela, which probably lay near him, and had
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  Speaker 1: not yet been used for a varying place. The present
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  Speaker 1: owner was Ephron. Abraham cannot pretend to any interest in him,
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  Speaker 1: but he desires that they would improve theirs with him
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  Speaker 1: to get the purchase of the cave and the field
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  Speaker 1: in which it was. Note A moderate desire to obtain
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  Speaker 1: that which is convenient for us by fair and honest means,
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  Speaker 1: is not such a coveting of that which is our neighbors,
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  Speaker 1: as is forbidden in the tenth Commandment Roman. For the
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  Speaker 1: present which Ephram made to Abraham of his field, the
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  Speaker 1: field I give thee Verses ten and eleven. Abraham thought
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  Speaker 1: he must be entreated to sell it, But upon the
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  Speaker 1: first mention of it, without entreaty, Ephron freely gives it.
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  Speaker 1: Some men have more generosity than they are thought to have.
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  Speaker 1: Abraham no doubt, had taken all occasions to oblige his
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  Speaker 1: neighbors and to do them any service that lay in
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  Speaker 1: his power. And now they return his kindness, for he
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  Speaker 1: that waterreth shall be watered also himself. Note if those
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  Speaker 1: that profess religion adorn their profession by eminent civility and
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  Speaker 1: serviceableness to all, they shall find it will rebound to
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  Speaker 1: their own comfort and advantage, as well as to the
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  Speaker 1: glory of God. Roman five. Abraham's modest and sincere refusal
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  Speaker 1: of Ephron's kind offer Verses twelve and thirteen. Abundance of thanks,
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  Speaker 1: he returns him for it. Verse twelve, makes his obeisance
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  Speaker 1: to him before the people of the land, that they
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  Speaker 1: might respect Ephron the more for the respect they saw
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  Speaker 1: Abraham give him for Samuel Chapter fifteen, verse thirty, but
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  Speaker 1: resolves to give him money for the field, even the
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  Speaker 1: full value. It was not impride that Abraham refused the gift,
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  Speaker 1: or because he scorned to be beholden to Ephron, but
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  Speaker 1: one in justice. Abraham was rich in silver and gold
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  Speaker 1: Chapter thirteen, verse two, and was able to pay for
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  Speaker 1: the field, and therefore would not take advantage of Ephron's generosity,
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  Speaker 1: note honesty as well as honor, forbids us to sponge
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  Speaker 1: upon our neighbors and to impose upon those that are free.
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  Speaker 1: Job reflected upon it with comfort when he was poor,
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  Speaker 1: that he had not eaten the fruits of his land
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  Speaker 1: without money. Job Chapter thirty one, verse thirty nine two.
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  Speaker 1: In prudence, he would pay for it. Lest Ephron, when
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  Speaker 1: his good humor was over, should upbraid him with it
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  Speaker 1: and say I have made Abraham rich Chapter fourteen, verse
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  Speaker 1: twenty three. Or lest the next heir should question Abraham's title,
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  Speaker 1: because that grant was made without any consideration, and claim
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  Speaker 1: back the field. Thus David afterwards refused Orana's offer. Second Samuel,
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  Speaker 1: chapter twenty four, verse twenty four. We know not what
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  Speaker 1: we may hereafter receive from those that are now most
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  Speaker 1: kind and generous. Roman six. The price of the land,
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  Speaker 1: fixed by Ephron, but not insisted upon the land is
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  Speaker 1: worth four hundred chuckels of silver, about fifty pounds of
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  Speaker 1: our money. But what is that between me and thee
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  Speaker 1: Verses fourteen and fifteen. He would rather oblige his friend
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  Speaker 1: than have so much money in his pocket. Here In,
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  Speaker 1: Efron discovers one a great contempt of worldly wealth? What
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  Speaker 1: is that between me and thee? It is a small matter,
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  Speaker 1: not worth speaking of many A one would have said,
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  Speaker 1: it is a deal of money, it will go far
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  Speaker 1: in a child's portion. But Efron says, what is that?
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  Speaker 1: Note it is an excellent thing for people to have
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  Speaker 1: low and mean thoughts. Of all the wealth of this world.
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  Speaker 1: It is that which is not and in the abundance
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  Speaker 1: of which a man's life does not consist. Luke, Chapter twelve,
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  Speaker 1: verse fifteen two. Great courtesy and obligingness to his friend
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  Speaker 1: and neighbor. Ephron was not jealous of Abraham as a
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  Speaker 1: resident foreigner, nor envious of him as a man likely
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  Speaker 1: to thrive and grow rich. He bore him no ill
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  Speaker 1: will for his singularity in religion, but was much kinder
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  Speaker 1: to him than most people nowadays are to their own brothers.
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  Speaker 1: What is that between me and thee? Note? No little
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  Speaker 1: thing should occasion demurs in differences between true friends. When
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  Speaker 1: we are at tempted to be hot in resenting affronts,
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  Speaker 1: high in demanding our rights, or hard in denying kindness,
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  Speaker 1: we should answer the temptation with this question, what is
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  Speaker 1: that between me and my friend? Sarah's funeral b. C.
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  Speaker 1: Eighteen fifty seven, Verses sixteen to twenty. And Abraham hearkened
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  Speaker 1: unto Ephron, and Abraham wade to Ephron the silver which
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  Speaker 1: he had named in the audience of the sons of
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  Speaker 1: Heath four hundred checkels of silver current money with the merchant.
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  Speaker 1: And the field of Ephron which was in Machpela, which
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  Speaker 1: was before Mamre. The field and the cave which was
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  Speaker 1: there in, and all the trees that were in the field,
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  Speaker 1: that were in all the borders round about, were made
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  Speaker 1: sure under Abraham for a possession in the presence of
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  Speaker 1: the children of Heath before all that went in at
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  Speaker 1: the gate of his city. And after this Abraham buried Sarah,
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  Speaker 1: his wife in the cave of the field of Machpela
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  Speaker 1: before Mamra, the same as Hebron in the land of Canaan,
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  Speaker 1: and the field and the cave that is therein were
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  Speaker 1: made sure under Abraham for a possession of a bearing
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  Speaker 1: place by the sons of Heath. We have here the
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  Speaker 1: conclusion of the treaty between Abraham and Ephron about the
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  Speaker 1: burying place. The bargain was publicly made before all the
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  Speaker 1: neighbors in the presence and audience of the sons of
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  Speaker 1: Heath Verses sixteen and seventeen. Note Prudence, as well as justice,
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  Speaker 1: directs us to be fair and open and above board
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  Speaker 1: in our dealings. Fraudulent contracts hate the light and choose
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  Speaker 1: to be clandestine. But those that design honesty in their
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  Speaker 1: bargains care not who are witnesses to them. Our law
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  Speaker 1: countenances sales made in market overt and by deed enrolled.
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  Speaker 1: Observe One Abraham, without fraud, covin or further delay, pays
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  Speaker 1: the money Verse sixteen. He pays it readily, without hesitation,
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  Speaker 1: pays it in full without diminution, and pays it by
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  Speaker 1: weight current money with the merchant without deceit. See how
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  Speaker 1: anciently money was used for the help of commerce, and
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  Speaker 1: see how honestly money should be paid where it is due. Observe,
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  Speaker 1: though all the land of Canaan was Abraham's by promise,
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  Speaker 1: yet the time of his possessing, not having come what
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  Speaker 1: he had now occasioned for, he bought and paid for.
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  Speaker 1: Note dominion is not founded in grace. The saint's title
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  Speaker 1: to an eternal inheritance does not entitle them to the
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  Speaker 1: possessions of this world, nor justify them in doing wrong.
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  Speaker 1: Two Ephron honestly and fairly makes him a good title
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  Speaker 1: to the land Verses seventeen eighteen twenty. The field, with
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  Speaker 1: all its impertinences, is conveyed to Abraham and his heir
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  Speaker 1: forever in open court, not by writing. It does not
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  Speaker 1: appear that writing was then used, but by such a
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  Speaker 1: public solemn declaration before witnesses as was sufficient to pass it.
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  Speaker 1: Note as that which is bought must be honestly paid for,
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  Speaker 1: so that which is sold must be honestly delivered and secured. Three.
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  Speaker 1: Abraham thereupon takes possession and buries Sarah in the cave
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  Speaker 1: or vault, whether framed by nature or art, is not
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  Speaker 1: certain which was in the purchased field. It is probable
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  Speaker 1: that Abraham had buried servants out of his family since
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  Speaker 1: he came to Canaan, but the graves of the common
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  Speaker 1: people Second King, Chapter twenty three, verse six might suffice
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  Speaker 1: for them. Now that Sarah was dead, a peculiar place
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  Speaker 1: must be found for her remains. It is worth noting
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  Speaker 1: socet One, that a burying place was the first spot
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  Speaker 1: of ground Abraham possessed in Canaan note, when we are
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  Speaker 1: entering into the world, it is good to think of
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  Speaker 1: our going out of it, for as soon as we
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  Speaker 1: are born, we begin to die. So two that it
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  Speaker 1: was the only piece of land he ever possessed, though
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  Speaker 1: the country was all his own. In reversion, those that
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  Speaker 1: have least of this earth find a grave in it.
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  Speaker 1: Abraham provided not cities, as Cain and Nimrod, but a sepulcher,
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  Speaker 1: one to be a constant memorandum of death to himself
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  Speaker 1: and his posterity, that he and they might learn to
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  Speaker 1: die daily. The sepulcher is said to be at the
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  Speaker 1: end of the field verse nine. For whatever our possessions are,
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  Speaker 1: there is a sepulcher at the end of them two,
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  Speaker 1: to be a token of his belief and expectation of
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  Speaker 1: the resurrection. For why should such care be taken of
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  Speaker 1: the body, if it be thrown away forever and must
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  Speaker 1: not rise again. Abraham in this said plainly that he
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  Speaker 1: sought a better country, that is a heavenly Abraham is
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  Speaker 1: content to be still flitting while he lives, but secures
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  Speaker 1: a place where, when he comes to die, his flesh
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  Speaker 1: may rest in hope. End of Chapter twenty three