Khiy-yey Sarah
Torah: Khiy-yey Sarah (Life of Sarah), B’resheet (Genesis) 23.1-25.18
Haftorah: M’lakhim Aleph (1 Kings) 1.1-31
Suggested Messianic Writings reading: Mattityahu (Matthew) 1.1-17
Shalom,
“Sarah lived to be 127 years old; these were the years of Sarah’s life.” Thus begins this parashah, and the Sages note that Sarah is the only woman in Scripture accorded the honor of having her age, death, and burial distinctly noted. But the real point of chapter 23 is to show how Avraham first came into legal possession of a parcel of land in Canaan. Through what I understand is typical middle-eastern haggling that continues to this day, Avraham bought land that had not only a cave in which to bury his wife, but a large field with many trees, referred to in Scripture as “the cave in the field of Makhpelah (Machpelah)”. This particular cave at Hebron later became the burial site also of Avraham, Yitz’khak (Isaac), Rivkah (Rebecca), Ya’akov (Jacob), Leah, and possibly Yosef (Joseph).
In Stephen’s account of Israel’s history in Acts 7, verse 16 gives on a surface read a glaring discrepancy, stating that the patriarchs were buried in a tomb Avraham bought from the family of Hamor in Sh’khem (Shechem). The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge gives this explanation: “The Greek word par-ah, ‘from,’ as it frequently signifies with a genitive, should be rendered, ‘And were carried over to Sychem; and afterwards from among the descendants of Emmor, the father, or son, of Sychem, they were laid in the sepulchre which Abraham bought for a sum of money.’ This agrees with the account which Josephus gives of the patriarchs; that they [meaning Ya’akov and Yosef] were carried out of Egypt, first to Sychem, and then to Hebron, where they were buried.” This is where we see the possibility of Yosef being buried in the same tomb.
Avraham legally bought the parcel of land from Ephron the Hittite; he refused to accept it as a gift. Earlier, at the end of B’resheet 14, Avraham had refused gifts from the king of Sodom. In coming weeks we will see, in B’resheet 33, where Avraham purchased the plot of land near Sh’khem, where he had pitched his tent; this is the land referenced in Acts 7. Sh’khem is located between Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal, where Israel stood to recite the blessings and the curses (Deut 11.29; 27.12-13).
The burial cave at Makhpelah is today the second holiest site for Judaism, following the Temple mount. Unfortunately, the site is under Muslim control, and Jews are given very limited access to the site.
The fact that Avraham purchased these small parcels of land in actuality embodied the hope in HaShem’s promise that one day in the future it would all belong to him and his descendants. As time went along, the land was given to Israel by HaShem, and the land still belongs to Israel. Woe to those who divide the land up and parcel it out according to their own whims, for they are going against the dictate of the Creator Himself. “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!” (Heb 10.31).
I trust that we as believers need no reminder that prayer and unity is so needful these days. Current news headlines make it apparent that the United States government’s support of Israel is deteriorating. While our current President seems to favor Islam and the Arab/Persian world over Israel, it appears that even congressional support of Israel is weakening. In the past, Israel could always count on the support of congress to balance directives against them that came out of the White House, but that support seems to be changing. But we should not be surprised; the prophets warn that at the end of days all nations will come against Yerushalayim (Jerusalem). In Yo’el (Joel) 4.2(3.2) HaShem declares, “I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Y’hoshafat [Adonai judges]. I will enter into judgment there for my people, my heritage Isra’el, whom they scattered among the nations; then they divided my land.” Dividing up the land that He has given to Israel is no small thing in the eyes of the Creator of all. Psalm 83 is getting close!
שַׁאֲלוּ שְׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלִָם – Sha’alu shalom Yerushalayim – Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Pray for the declaration of Yeshua in Mattityahu 23.39 to become a soon reality.