The Deed Dance
Faith in God's divine word gives us strength and confidence to keep moving forward.
Genesis(45) (Part of the Origins(44) series)
by Stuart Johns(48) on June 22, 2025 (Sunday Morning(59))
Glorifying God(2), Rejoice(1), Trust(8)
Origins
The Deed Dance
(Genesis 23:1-20)
INTRODUCTION
Walt Disney made a statement that is the premise behind the animated movie Meet the Robinsons.
He said, “Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors, doing new things, because we’re curious . . . and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
[#1 – What movie highlights Walt Disney’s idea about moving forward? (Meet the Robinsons)]
BODY
ME
Moving a lot
Since Judy and I have moved around a lot during our 33 years of marriage, we have not really thought about where we would be buried when we die
Most people don’t like to talk about death to begin with, much less, about burial plots
We have discussed it a couple of times over the past 33 years, but we still haven’t settled on anything yet
We haven’t purchased burial plots
We haven’t met with the funeral home to discuss their services
Wills, estates, and burial plots
We started thinking more about it, several years ago when we had the Stewardship Lifestyle Seminar at Idaville UB Church and a meeting with our lawyer to discuss our will and estate planning
My family
Salem Cemetery in Chambersburg, PA (Johns and Rife) – my parents will be buried there
Browns Mill Presbyterian Cemetery in Chambersburg, PA – behind Rhodes Grove Camp & Conference Center (Hykes and Kennedy)
WE
How about you and your family?
Most families have a particular cemetery where most of them have been buried or will be buried
This is usually the case with most families
Long standing tradition
This is not a recent tradition in our lifetime or even the generation before us
The idea of a family burial place comes to us from the Patriarchs
Abraham was just as concerned about securing a family burial space
I’m in good in company, because Abraham did not plan ahead for this either
It wasn’t until his wife Sarah’s death that he secured the family burial plot
Abraham was fully committed to God’s divine plan for him and his descendants. Once he entered the Promised Land, he did not look back – he kept moving forward. As we will see in Genesis 23:1-20, today, Abraham did not take Sarah back to Mesopotamia to bury her. Rather, he purchased property in Canaan. What we will learn from Abraham’s example is that . . .
BIG IDEA – Faith in God’s divine word gives us strength and confidence to keep moving forward.
Let’s pray
GOD (Genesis 23:1-20)
Death (vv. 1-2)
Sarah’s age
Sarah is the only woman in the Bible whose age is revealed
Fun note: perhaps this is why we never ask a woman her age
We know she was 127 years old when she died [#2 – Young people, how old was Sarah when she died? (127)]
“All that we know of Sarah’s activities between the age of 90 and 127 is that she gave birth to Isaac and died thirty-seven years later.” [Hamilton, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, The Book of Genesis, Chapters 18-50, 125]
It is three years before Isaac’s marriage to Rebekah
Abraham is 137 years old
They have been in Canaan for sixty-two years
Where she died
Kiriath Arba
This would have been the name of the town when Abraham and Sarah lived there
The narrator gave the audience the modern city name to help them know where he was talking about
Joshua 14:15, (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba after Arba, who was the greatest man among the Anakites.)
“‘Kiriath Arba’ means ‘city of four’ (qiryat ʾarbaʿ), which may originally have referred to a group of four related cities (Aner, Eschcol, Mamre, and Hebron, see comments on 14:14).” [Mathews, The New American Commentary, Volume 1B, Genesis 11:27-50:26, 315]
In the land of Canaan – the Promised Land
Abraham’s grief
The passage makes it sound like Abraham was somewhere else when Sarah passed away
He was not in Hebron at the time, so where was he?
Genesis 22:19, Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.
This was just after Abraham and Isaac returned from the top of Mt. Moriah, where the Lord tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice Isaac
If you remember, it was a three-day journey from Beersheba to Mt. Moriah (close to Jerusalem) [50-60 miles]
Beersheba is 26.4 miles south of Hebron (it would have been about a day and half journey)
Perhaps Sarah remained in a clan community in the grove of Mamre near Hebron while Abraham and Isaac helped with the flocks and herds in Beersheba
Abraham had dug a well in Beersheba when he and Abimelech struck a contract
It would have been a natural place for them to shepherd their herds and flocks, since the well was there
Abraham followed the mourning rites of the ancient Near East as he mourned and wept for Sarah
Mourning and weeping
The mourning rites would have included “loud weeping, tearing clothes, sitting in dirt, wearing sackcloth, and shaving the head.” [Mathews, 315]
Mourning would “involve crying out, exclamations of grief that may be a ritual lament, although not the cries of a formal poetic lament.” [Mathews, 315]
[#3 – Young people, how did Abraham express his feelings after Sarah’s death? (weeping)]
It was not uncommon in Biblical times for the surviving family members to mourn loudly
The neighbors would have known immediately that someone had died, because of the loud laments of the family
In some cases, there were professional mourners who would join the family in their grief
Our grief today is much more subdued, though I have experienced family members who have wept openly and loudly
There is certainly nothing wrong with expressing our grief openly and loudly
Weeping was how a person would express their grief either over the death of a loved one or a difficult situation – it has the idea of shedding tears
Warren Wiersbe relates this encounter, “The late Vance Havner had a wife named Sarah. Shortly after her untimely death, I was with Dr. Havner at the Moody Bible Institute, and I shared my condolences with him. ‘I’m sorry to hear you lost your wife,’ I said to him when we met in the dining room. He smiled and replied, ‘Son, when you know where something is, you haven’t lost it.’” [Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Pentateuch, 111]
What a great reminder for us today
Philippians 1:21-23, For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;
Read 2 Corinthians 5:1-8
Revelation 14:13, Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
When our loved ones, who have a personal relationship with Jesus, depart from this world, we can rejoice, because they are not lost – they are with Jesus!
#1 – My Next Step Today Is To: Rejoice over my loved ones who have passed away and had a personal relationship with Jesus, because they are with Him now.
This is the hope we have as disciples of Jesus Christ – we will one day be with Him also
Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
As soon as Abraham completed his mourning and weeping, he set his sights on purchasing a burial location for Sarah
Deed (vv. 3-18)
This section is broken into three movements that all begin with the same Hebrew word, qûm (koom) or wayyāqom in the Qal form
It is translated “rose” in verses 3 and 7 (arise: after lying down; from bending over the dead)
It is translated “was deeded” in verses 17 and 20 (stand: especially figuratively; be established, confirmed, of purchase)
First movement (vv. 3-6)
It included the initial round of negotiations with the Hittites
Abraham rose (qûm) – he got up from beside Sarah’s body after mourning and weeping
Abraham’s request
Alien and a stranger
Abraham addressed the Hittites (the sons of Heth)
“A ‘resident alien’ (gēr; cf. 15:13) is someone who does not belong by right in a place; a ‘settler’ (tûšāb) is someone who is nevertheless staying there semi-permanently.” [Goldingay, Baker Commentary on the Old Testament, Pentateuch, Genesis, 367]
Abraham had tenant status with them, since he had been living among them for years (settler idea)
A stranger had some recognition in the community, but could not own property of his own [Kidner cited by Gangel & Bramer, Holman Old Testament Commentary, Genesis, 200]
“The truth was that Abraham owned the whole land. God had given it to him, but there was no way he could convince his neighbors of that.” [Wiersbe, 111]
Imagine going to the current residents of a home and telling them that God has given you their home
How do you think that conversation is going to go?
Instead, Abraham came humbly before the Hittite people
Sell me some property
Abraham humbled himself before the Hittites and asked for permission to buy property in their land, which would give him a permanent foothold in Canaan
Abraham would no longer be an alien and stranger, but rather a land owner and a permanent part of the community
From this little parcel of land, the descendants of Abraham would fill the whole land
“The man has no land of his own, but by acquiring Hittite property he demonstrates his reliance on the prior promise of the Lord (cp. Jer 32:6-15).” [Mathews, 317]
PRINCIPLE #1 – God is pleased when we have faith in His divine promises.
Abraham believed God for the birth of Isaac and it was credited to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6)
Abraham had faith that God would establish his descendants in Canaan and therefore he asked to purchase land in Canaan to bury his dead
God always keeps His promises
He promises to never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6; Matt. 28:20)
He promises to always love us (Jer. 31:3)
He promises to forgive our sins when we confess and repent (1 John 1:9)
He promises to provide for us – supply all our needs according to His riches (Phil. 4:19); He will add all these things to us when we seek His kingdom and righteousness first (Matt. 6:33); God, who didn’t spare His own Son, will also graciously give us all things (Rom. 8:32)
There are so many more promises of God found in His Word
Where do we need to exercise our faith in God’s promises?
#2 – My Next Step Today Is To: Trust by faith that God will fulfill His divine promises in my life.
Faith in God’s divine word gives us strength and confidence to keep moving forward.
Abraham needed some land with a cave on it to bury his dead [#4 – Young people, where did people in the ancient Near East bury their dead? (cave)]
Hittites’ response
Mighty prince
The Hittites recognized Abraham’s status within their community
They called him a mighty prince
In Hebrew it means, “a prince with God,” “a prince of God,”
They saw Abraham as “God’s elect one” [Hamilton, 129]
They recognized God’s protection and provision for Abraham (He was given animals and slaves from Pharaoh and Abimelech and Sarah received a thousand shekels of silver from Abimelech)
Abraham had defeated the five kings that had attacked the region where Sodom and Gomorrah were located and returned all of the people to that region
Abraham had become very wealthy with silver, gold, and animals
Abraham was well known throughout Canaan
Overall he had a good reputation with the people of Canaan
PRINCIPLE #2 – God is glorified when our lives testify about Him.
We have the same opportunity that Abraham did, but in our own communities
Do our lives testify about the Lord’s protection and provision?
Do our lives testify about how awesome God is?
Do our lives show others the transforming power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
#3 – My Next Step Today Is To: Glorify God by living a life that testifies about Him.
Because of Abraham’s reputation in Canaan the Hittites informed him that he could have his pick of any of their tombs
Have your choice of our tombs
The Hittites offered their choicest tombs to Abraham
They were willing to have Sarah buried in any of their tombs
Important note: The offer did not include land ownership, but simply space in their tombs
There was normally a preparation table in each tomb where the bodies were prepared for burial
There were other chambers where the most recently deceased person was laid
Eventually, the remaining bones were piled up in the back of the tomb
So, we see why the Hittites were amiable in offering their tombs to Abraham
Perhaps they assumed that Abraham would take her bones when he moved on [Goldingay, 367]
The first movement ended with the offer of any tomb, but Abraham had a specific cave in mind
Second movement (vv. 7-16)
It included two additional rounds of speeches
First round was addressed to the “people of the land,” but also included the specific piece of land that Abraham was desiring from Ephron (vv. 7-11)
Abraham rose (qûm) – he got up from sitting in the gate of the city (v. 7)
Abraham continued to be respectful and humble as he made his specific request
He stood up only to bow down before the Hittite people, in respect
Abraham’s request (vv. 8-9)
Abraham was still feeling out the situation with the Hittites when he said, “If you are willing to let me bury my dead . . .”
He asked the Hittite leaders to intercede on his behalf with Ephron son of Zohar
Ephron owned a field that had a cave at the end of it
The cave was named Machpelah
The name actually means “double-cave” or “split-cave”
Perhaps there were two chambers in this cave, either side-by-side or one on top of the other
Abraham was only interested in the cave at the end of the field, and was willing to pay the fair market value for it
Ephron’s response (vv. 10-11)
Ephron was sitting among the Hittites that were gathered
At the end of verse 10 the city was identified as his city
Perhaps Ephron was the main leader of the city where he lived
Ephron offered both the field and the cave that was on it to Abraham as a gift
We have to understand that this was the typical bargaining process in the ancient Near East
Ephron was not really offering the field and cave for free
“If Abraham had accepted the land as a gift when it was offered, he would have insulted Ephron, who then would have rescinded his offer. Many Middle Eastern shopkeepers still follow this ritual with their customers.” [NIV Life Application Bible, footnote for Genesis 23:10-15]
Had Abraham accepted the free offer, Ephron’s family could potentially come back after his death and reclaim the field and cave
Abraham understood the bargaining ritual, so he continued his dialogue with Ephron
Second round addressed Ephron directly and the payment for the field and cave (vv. 12-16)
Abraham once again bowed before the people of the land in respect
Abraham offered to buy the field that the cave sat on
Ephron continued the bargaining process by stating that the land was worth 400 shekels of silver
This was an exorbitant price for the field, especially based on other land transactions found in Scripture
“David paid only one-eighth that amount—50 shekels of silver—for the purchase of the temple site from Araunah (2 Sam. 24:24). Jeremiah paid 17 shekels of silver for his cousin’s field in Anathoth (Jer. 32:9). Omri paid fifteen times as much as Abraham—two talents of silver (6,000 shekels)—for the large hill of Samaria (1 K. 16:24).” [Hamilton, 135]
Ephron didn’t consider the price exorbitant, because he stated, but what is that between me and you?
He probably knew how wealthy Abraham was
“The custom of the day was to ask double the fair market value of the land, fully expecting the buyer to offer half the stated price.” [NIV Life Application Bible, footnote for Genesis 23:16]
Abraham agreed to the price without haggling and weighed out the 400 shekels of silver, according to the weight current among the merchants [#5 – Young people, how many shekels of silver did Abraham pay for the field and cave? (400)]
The transaction was done in the presence of the people of the land, so that there were plenty of witnesses
With the purchase completed, the final movement summarized everything that just happened
Third movement (vv. 17-18)
The property and location
The field, cave, and trees within the borders of the field
Machpelah near Mamre
The people
Ephron
Abraham
This was the third time that (qûm) was used
Here it was translated as “was deeded,” “made sure,” “established,” “secured”
“Literally, the phrase is ‘rose [and went over] to.’ That is, the deed ‘rose and went to Abraham.’” [Waltke, Genesis: A Commentary, 321]
Plenty of witnesses – all the Hittites that had come to the gate of the city
The transaction was complete and Abraham could finally bury Sarah
Done (vv. 19-20)
I’m sure that Abraham didn’t waste any time in completing the burial process
The location of the cave was mentioned again
The transfer of ownership was mentioned one last time
YOU
You don’t have to weep like those who have no hope
When your family members, who have a personal relationship with Jesus, pass away, you can rejoice, because they are with Jesus
They are not lost
God keeps His promises
He will never leave you or forsake you
He will always love you and forgive you, when you repent
He will always provide for you, and so much more
So, you can trust by faith that God will fulfill His divine promises in your life
Glorifying God with your life is an incredible way to testify about Him with others
WE
We can rejoice with friends who have believing family that have passed away, because we know where they are at (we can also mourn with them as they grieve)
We can encourage each other with the promises of God, found in Scripture
We can urge each other on in living lives that glorify God
CONCLUSION
“In November 1858, missionary John Paton landed in the New Hebrides to establish a ministry among the people. On February 12, 1859, his wife gave birth to a son; and on March 3, his wife died. Seventeen days later, the baby died. ‘But for Jesus and the fellowship He gave me there,’ said Paton, ‘I must have gone mad and died beside that lonely grave.’
But we do not sorrow as those who have no hope! We have been born again, ‘to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead’ (1 Peter 1:3, NKJV), and we are ‘looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ’ (Titus 2:13).”
[Wiersbe, 113]
