Transcendence

Eight: A Sad Goodbye

Abraham, Sarah and their son Isaac lived peacefully and were happy in the land. Everything Abraham touched was blessed by God. He had faith, and he obeyed, two things that made God very happy. 

Our God is just and right and good, but he is also a jealous God. He wants his people to depend on and worship only him! God wanted to make sure Abraham was willing to sacrifice anything for His sake, so he called out to him.

God told Abraham to take his young son Isaac, whom he loved very much, and go to the region of Moriah. God commanded him to sacrifice Isaac there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains he would be directed to.

With a heavy heart, and complete distress, yet willing to be completely obedient, Abraham got up the next morning and saddled his donkey. He took with him two servants and his son Isaac, and set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day of traveling Abraham saw the place in the distance. He told his servants to wait while he and the boy go on up and worship. 

Abraham gave some wood to his son to carry, and he carried the fire and the knife. As the two went along Isaac asked his father, "Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

Abraham replied, "God will provide."

When the two of them reached the place, Abraham built an alter and arranged the wood on it. In complete obedience to God, and with a burden so strong he could hardly breath, he bound his young son and lay him on top of the wood. Through the pleading and screams and cries Abraham stayed focused on God. Imagine the young boy's terror as Abraham reached out his arm and raise the knife preparing to slay him.

Just then an angel of the Lord called out to him, "Abraham! Abraham! Do not lay a hand on the boy. Now I know you fear God, you are faithful, and are willing to obey. You did not withhold your son from me. Because of this you will be rewarded with descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. They will take possession of cities and overcome their enemies. All nations on earth will be blessed because you have obeyed."

Abraham immediatly released the knife and tears streamed down his face. Breath returned to him and relief filled both their hearts as Abraham quickly untied his son. After a long embrace, he looked up and saw a ram caught by his horns in a thicket. He happily used the ram as the burnt offering, saying again, "The Lord will provide." (To this day it is said, on the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.)

After the offering Abraham and his son returned to his servants and they set off together to Beersheba where they stayed.

Some time later Abraham was glad to learn that his brother Nahor , who had stayed on in a different region, had eight sons with his wife Mikah and four sons with his concubine Reumah. He was glad to know he had extended family in the regions of Ur - where he was from.

Abraham's wife Sarah lived to be one hundred and twenty-seven years old. She died in Hebron, in the land of Canaan. After mourning her, Abraham wanted to bury her properly in land that he would also be buried in one day. He wanted it to be a very special place, a place he owned so that his family could visit when they chose and also be buried there as well. He asked the Hittites to please sell him some land so that he may bury his wife. They all reassured him that he was a mighty prince among them and that he could choose any of the choicest tombs - and would not be refused.

However, Abraham did not want to bury her just anywhere. He wanted to purchase land, make it officially his. In particular, he wanted to buy the cave of Machpelah, and possibly the field before it. Abraham was well aware of how the land owners in the region would not want to sell land to a foreigner. Though he was well respected there, he was still an alien. They would refuse to sell him the land because he would then gain a legal foothold in their country. But Abraham was a smart man, and he made a wise decision by focusing in on Ephron who was a landowner who was motivated by money. Abraham knew if the man stood to gain financially from the sale it would benifit him. 

When he asked to buy the land, Ephron answered Abraham, "The land was given to me as a gift, use it as you want." That was not the answer Abraham was lookin for. So he refused the gift and again asked to buy the land. The land owner insisted, "The land is worth 400 sheckles of silver, but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead." Still, Abraham refused. Abraham kept on until the land owner eventually gave in and they finally entered into an agreement. He paid Ephron the price he mentioned, and became owner of the field, the cave and surrounding trees. 

Finally he was a land owner in a foreign country. 

Finally he was able to bury his beloved Sarah in a place he believed was special enough for her.

So Sarah was buried in the cave near the field of Machpelah near Mamre which is in Hebron, in the land of Canaan.

(Life question: I imagine it was impossibly hard to obey God when he asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, the one son he had prayed for and waited for. The son, a promise from God that wasn't fulfilled until Abraham was one hundred years old, and yet Abraham was willing to obey - though it tore out his heart. Could you pass a test that hard? Is God first in your life? )