The Shocking Deaths of Abraham and Sarah: Genesis 23:1-20 & 25:7-11

Well, so much about their lives had been about the reversal of curse of death. Isaac their son was the heir through which their descendants would receive that gift. But yet they died without God’s promise of the end of death fulfilled.

Is God then really faithful? Will this promise be fulfilled for us? Will we believe it will even in the face of death?

Abraham did. When Sarah died, he didn’t attempt to claim God’s promise of the land being his by force, by taking a burial site for her from the Hittites. Instead, he humbled himself by trusting in God’s provision of the land and a tomb by begging for a place to bury his wife. He did this even when forced to buy more property than he needs at a very steep price. He submited to God by believing the promise.

We should note here that the first property Abraham receives in fulfilment of God’s promise of the land as a place for his occurring offspring to live is a grave in which to bury his wife. But this in also shows the faithfulness of Good because it was given to Abraham as property, or as an inheritance. An everlasting inheritance for his offspring.

The Israelites in the desert also would have heard this story and been encouraged by it. They would have learned in it that they already owned part of their inheritance. A cave offered them hope.

A cave also offers us hope today. But unlike Abraham’s cave which contained his bones and those of his family, the cave that brings us hope is an empty cave. Jesus got up and walked out of His cave. And because of this, we can know that God will be faithful to us.

Another difference difference from Abraham is that while he was an exile, we are not. Unlike the Canaanites and Hitites, today’s unbelievers are the interlopers, not us. Today we walk on an inheritance that is already our possession. Christ is not just our King in heaven, but is the King of the Earth and rules over it today. He took it for Himself when he ascended to the throne at God’s right hand. Which means that it also behind to us.

Of course, it doesn’t always look like that. But we must remember this is all true whatever our circumstances. Our confidence is not in our circumstances, but in our hope, the hope of an empty tomb that helps us remember that Christ our savior is risen and lives.