All right, let's take our Bibles
and turn back to the 23rd chapter of Genesis. Tonight, I'd like to, according
to the good pleasure of our Lord, consider the death and the burial
of Abraham's wife, Sarah. But before we look at these verses,
I'd like to consider a few passages of scripture concerning Sarah. Her name is said to come from
a word that means a female noble, a lady, a princess, a queen. And certainly her name would
definitely set forth her character, not her character found within
herself, But that character, according to her, being a believer,
a type of the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ. The bride washed
in the precious blood of the Lamb and robed in His righteousness. She's a beautiful picture of
the bride being set forth in Galatians 4 in that allegory
of being that which was the free woman, not the woman of bondage,
but that woman found to be according to God's covenant of grace, the
bride of the Lord Jesus. First Peter chapter 3 and verse
6, we behold her as a type of the bride in her attitude toward
Abraham, who is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ himself,
even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, that is, following his guidance,
acknowledging his authority over her. And the scripture says,
calling him Lord, my leader. whose daughters ye are as long
as you do well, and are not afraid with any amazement." That last
phrase right there, meaning that she followed by example to others
to be secure in her husband. And that's a picture to us, the
bride, being secure in our husband, the Lord Jesus Christ. She's
spoken of, turn to Hebrews 11, Hebrews chapter 11. She's spoken
of by the Holy Spirit to be one who knew and believed God, who
walked in this life as a believer and left this world in peace. Hebrews 11, 11 to 13 says, through
faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed and
was delivered of a child when she was past age. Now listen
to this, because she judged him faithful, who had promised, therefore
sprang there even of one and him as good as dead, so many
as the stars of the sky in multitude and as the sand which is by the
seashore innumerable. These all died in faith. not having received the promises
but having seen them afar off and were persuaded of them and
embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims
on the earth. So having considered a few things
about this woman, Sarah, I want us now to look at Genesis chapter
23 and it deals, as I said a moment ago, completely, this whole chapter
deals with the subject of Sarah's death and burial, and Abraham's
purchasing a particular passage of, I mean, a particular place
for her to be buried. Now, as we consider each verse,
and I'll just go through these verses and try not to labor them,
but to get the heart and context of that, may we behold the glorious
Lord Jesus Christ mercy and grace to us. Now, I want us to see
that as we consider her and as we see the walk that she had,
may the Lord be pleased to teach us something of our walk and
our dying in this world. The scripture begins in Genesis,
let's read verses one, two, and Sarah was 107 and 20 years old. These were the years of the life
of Sarah. And Sarah died in Kirjath Arba,
the same as Hebron, in the land of Canaan. And Abraham came to
mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. Now, the thing that we notice
is that Sarah, like all born in Adam, died. She died because she was a sinner. a redeemed, loved sinner of the
Lord, but one that would go the way of all men, all women. Ecclesiastes
3, 1, and 2 says to everything, there's a season, a time to every
purpose under the heaven, a time to be born, and a time to die. Sarah's time was 127 years. The days of her pilgrimage were
accomplished And the Lord took her. 127 years, that's what she
had. That's what the Lord gave her.
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts
unto wisdom. We're gonna die. We're all gonna
die. She died in a place, according
to the scriptures, that was originally called Kerjath Arba. Now, I've looked it up. to see what it meant, and basically
this is what it meant, the four giants, place of four giants. But after the nation of Israel
came in and conquered this area right here, it was called then
Hebron, Hebron. And the significance of that
name is that Hebron was one of the cities of refuge that were
found in the land that God gave them. And the city, the name
of that city, Hebron, means association. So it was one of the cities of
refuge, but what a picture of Sarah being a type of a believer
in the Lord Jesus Christ, who's died and now will be buried in
a place that's pictured of being that security and refuge that
we have chosen in Him, redeemed in Him, walked in Him, died in
Him. What association? We're of the
Lord, found in Christ, in Christ. We read that so often, book of
Ephesians, having chosen you in Him that we should be. praise
of the glory of his grace. So when she died, the scripture
says that Abraham came and mourned and wept for her. Now, this was
the wife of his youth. And he felt the natural pain
and sorrow of her being gone, but he wasn't without hope. Turn
with me to 1 Thessalonians 4. We have our our loved ones, those that die
in the Lord, and we are, we're sorrowful. We love them, we want
to be with them, but Abraham believed God. Abraham was taught
of God, and he knew Almighty God to be the God of life. And
he saw, beheld, Sarah had died. She died physically, but he knew
that she would be alive forever in Christ. She's gonna rise again.
1 Thessalonians chapter four, verses 13, 14. The apostle Paul
says, but I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning
them which are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others which
have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus
died and rose again, and we do, even so them also which sleep
in Jesus will God bring with Him." Now that's a comfort. Those that die in the Lord, those
that die in the Lord, they're going to rise again. Their bodies
are going to be changed. It was sown corruptible. It was
corruptible, but it's going to be raised incorruptible. It's
coming out of the ground and the scripture says she died and
Abraham came, verse 2, to mourn for her and to weep for her. But look what it says in verse
3, and Abraham stood up from before his dead and spake unto
the sons of Heth, saying, now Abraham stood up. He stood up. volumes. I considered that and
I thought to myself the volumes that could be written or said
concerning the mercy of Almighty God in those words. Abraham is a picture of the Lord
Jesus Christ. He stood up. His mourning was
real. He was mourning. But his mourning
was respectfully done. He stood in submission to the
will of the Lord. Whenever one of our own leaves
this world, well, it's appointed unto man once to die. Time is
a season for everything. No one dies apart from the appointed
time of the Lord. Sarah didn't, no one else does.
And Abraham knew that. And he mourned for her, he grieved,
he wept for her. But he got up. He got up. Submissive
to the will of the Lord. But do we not behold the wonder
of the Lord Jesus Christ of whom Abraham was the type who stood
up submissively. Abraham was submissive unto the
Lord. Who took Sarah? The Lord. All people are mine. It's appointed, and Abraham submitted. But when the Lord Jesus Christ,
in absolute submission unto his father, that stood up, it means
to rise, to abide, to accomplish, to continue, to endure, to help,
hold, and raise up. He, at the call of Jehovah, he
was appointed, appointed the servant of Jehovah to rescue
his people from the bondage of their sin, the surety. He ever
stood. But I want you to notice, Abraham
stood up, verse 3, from before. Now look at this. He is dead. He is dead. She was dead. She died. But she
was Abraham's. That was Abraham's wife. That was Abraham's beloved. Eight
times in this passage, this chapter, we see Sarah being referred to
in this way. She, being dead, was a picture
and type of God's sheep. That was Abraham's wife. And
God's people are his sheep. He said in John 10, 16, the other
sheep I have. Which are not of this fold, them
also I must bring and they shall hear my voice. There shall be
one fold and one shepherd. His sheep's always been his sheep.
They're born in this world lost sheep. They're born in this world
wandering sheep. They're born in this world rebellious
sheep, children of wrath even as others, but they're his sheep.
And he said, I have them and I'm gonna bring them. They're
gonna hear my voice. They're his. And then verses
three in the first line in verse four, it says, and Abraham stood
up from before his dead and spake unto the sons of Heth saying,
I am a stranger and a sojourner with you. Abraham actually owned
no land of his own in this place, but it was promised to him of
God, and they would possess that land according to God's will
and purpose. But again, look at the picture. Here's Abraham, he's going to
come and he wants to purchase a piece of property to bury his
wife. He says to the sons of Heth,
sons of Terah, I'm a stranger and I'm a sojourner with you. Look to Matthew 8, look at Matthew
8. Matthew 8, verses 18 to 20. I mean, it's just so amazing
how these scriptures just bear out the glory of the person of
our Savior. Matthew 8, he said, I'm a stranger
and a sojourner in here. I'm just not of this world. Matthew 8, verse 18 to 20. Now
when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment
to depart unto the other side. And a certain scribe came and
said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou
goest. And Jesus saith unto him, The
foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the
Son of Man hath not where to lay his head. He said that of Himself. But concerning His people, are
they not in association? Turn to John 17. John chapter
17, verse 14. John 17, verse 14 to 17. His people in association with
Him. John 17, 14. I've given, this
is His high priestly prayer. Praying unto his father, I've
given them thy word, and the world hath hated them, because
they're not of the world, even as I'm not of the world. I pray
not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that
thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the
world, even as I'm not of the world. Sanctify them through
thy truth, thy word is truth. We're not of this world. And a believer knows that. We're
not of this, the world's ways, the world's religion. We're not
of the world's loves. There's an old man that's in
us that still struggles with it. But there's a new man there.
And that new man knows, this is not my home. This is not my
home. A believer knows by faith, I'm gonna be with him. I'm going
to be with the Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ came into
this world. The Word was made flesh. He came
into the world that he himself spoke into existence and tabernacled
here. In the beginning was the Word
and the Word was made flesh and dwelt, tabernacled. temporary residence in the world
that he made and sustains. This wasn't his home and it's
not ours. Now I want us to read, I wanna
read now, I wanna read verses four to 12. And let's consider
this conversation that took place. between Abraham and the sons
of Heth. And Abraham, I'm sorry, he said,
I'm a stranger, verse four, and a sojourner with you. Give me
a possession of a burying place with you that I may bury my dead
out of my sight. And the children of Heth answered
Abraham, saying unto him, Hear us, my Lord. Thou art a mighty
prince among us. They respected him. Abraham was
a man that had earned their respect. I told you what Brother Henry
said. He said a believer, especially a preacher, he said should be,
though people, you know, by and large won't believe what he says,
but he should be the most respected man in the community because
of integrity. Thou art a mighty prince among
us, in the choice of our sepulchres, bury thy dead. None of us shall
withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy
dead. They told him, said, Abraham, we respect you. You've carried
yourself in a very respectful way, and our sepulchre, that's
your sepulchre. Take it. Abraham stood up, bowed
himself to the people of the land, even to the children of
Heth, and he communed with them, saying, if it be in your mind
that I should bury my dead out of my sight, you hear me, and
entreat from me to Ephron, the son of Zohar. He said, if you
are willing that I have a piece of property, then I want you
to speak to this man, Ephron, son of Zohar, that he may give
me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end
of his field. For as much money as it's worth,
he shall give it me for a possession of a burying place among you."
And he said, now look, if you want this, if you're willing
to, that I have a place, the place I want, it belongs to a
man named Ephron. And I want to buy it. Want to buy it for whatever it's
worth. Nephron dwelt among the children
of Heth, and Nephron the Hittite answered Abraham and the audience
of the children of Heth, even of all that went into the gate
of his city, saying, Nay, my lord, hear me. The field give
I thee, and the cave that's therein I give it thee, and the presence
of the sons of my people give I thee, buried thy dead. And
Abraham bowed himself before the people of the land. He said,
now, you know, this fellow that he wanted to talk to, He said,
I hear what you're saying. I understand you want this piece
of property, and I want you to understand something. I'll give
it to you. I will give it to you. Now, you
know as a general rule, we jump on that, wouldn't we? You know,
you're wanting to buy something. Somebody says, I'd like to have
this, that, or the other, and I'll pay you whatever it's worth.
He said, no, no, no, no, no, no. You want it? I'll let you
have it. But what we're getting ready
to behold is not merely the purchase of a place to bury Sarah, rather
the unveiling of the will and the payment that was made by
the Lord Jesus Christ to secure his own. Abraham, he desired,
he desired a place of possession. What? Well, the scripture says
back in verse four, he said, give me a possession of a burying
place with you that I may bury my dead out of my sight. But now do we not see again a
picture of our Lord that came into this world to put away the
guilt and sin of his people out of his sight? That's what he
said, I'm gonna bury my dead out of my sight. Cast it as far
as the east is from the west. And to do this, the Lord himself
must be made what we are. He's gonna have to be made sin
and he's gonna have to suffer the penalty that was due his
people. He's gonna have to make their
sin his own for him to put away our guilt put it out of his sight,
put it out of the sight of God, he must die and we must die with
him, we must be buried with him, we must rise with him and live
anew in him, we must be born again. For him to put sin, death,
out of his sight, he must suffer the just for the unjust. But the scripture declares when
Abraham was talking to this Ephron, Ephron said, I'll give it to
you. And Abraham, verse nine, he said, middle part, he said,
you tell him that I'll give him as much money as it is worth,
that he shall give it me for a possession of a burying place
among you. He's gonna pay, I'm willing.
I'm willing to pay to the last degree, whatever it costs, whatever
it's worth. You just tell me what it is. Now, let me ask you this. Was
there anything in the redemption of God's people before God, was
there anything not paid? No, sir. No, sir. I've said many times, there's
a high cost to free grace. There's a high cost. It wasn't
free for nothing. What did it cost? It cost, the
scripture says, Acts 20, the blood of God. It's always amazed
me. The blood of God. He was made sin. That right there was what he
had asked his father. If there be any other way, let
that cup pass from me. He was going to be made sin.
He was going to die. Nevertheless, not my will, but
thine be done. It was going to cost him being
made sin. It was going to cost him being
forsaken of his father. Forsaken of his father. And you
think about our natural fathers, our natural parents, something
like that. To be forsaken of them, that
would hurt. That'd be painful, wouldn't it?
To be forsaken of them. I can't even enter in. My God,
my God, why hast Thou forsaken me? Thou art holy. That's what the Spirit of God
said in the Book of Psalms. Because you're holy. He's a just
God. He's a just God, a Savior. But
He's holy. He must be made sin. He must
be forsaken of God. He must die. He must die under
the judgment and wrath of God because he was made sin. What God demanded must be paid. The law must be satisfied. The law has got to be satisfied.
The soul that sinneth, and he knew no sin. But he was made
sin. And where sin was found, the
law demanded death. No questions asked. No plea bargain. Death. He must satisfy the law. Himself, as I said a moment ago,
he had no sin. But he bore the guilt of all
of his elect in his own body suffered, bearing their sin. Then also, what was demanded
of his people, he had to satisfy the law and they had to be righteous. He bore their guilt, but they
needed to possess the righteousness of God. And he robes them. What's it going to cost? I'll
give it to you. No, no, no, no, no. No, this
is going to be done right. This is going to be done according
to the law. It's going to be done according
to fairness and righteousness and truth. Verse 13, 16, he spake
unto Ephron and the audience of the people of the land saying,
but if thou will give it, I pray thee, hear me. I will give thee
money for the field. Take it of me, and I will bury
my dead there. And Ephron answered Abraham,
saying unto him, My Lord, hearken unto me. The land is worth 400
shekels of silver. What's that betwixt me and thee? Bury therefore thy dead. And
Abraham hearkened unto Ephron. And Abraham weighed to Ephron
the silver which he had named. And the audience of the sons
of Heth, 400 shekels of silver, current money, with the merchant, The sons of Ephron knew well
the value of the cave of Machpelah. They knew what it was worth.
Current money, that's what it says right here. What's it worth
currently? I want today's money. I wanna know what it's worth
today. I don't wanna know what you paid for it. I wanna know
what's it worth right now, right now. But it was worth more to
Abraham than it was to them. To them, it was worth 400 shekels
of silver. To Abraham, it was priceless. Why? Because it was a picture
of the earnest of his everlasting inheritance. The cave, I want you to turn
back. to verse two, Sarah died in Kerjath Arba, the same as
Hebron in the land of Canaan. Where were they? They were in
the land of promise, that's where they were. They were in the land
of promise, they're in Canaan. Did Abraham own it? Humanly speaking,
no. Was it his by promise? Yes. What was he gonna do? He's gonna
buy a cave that's found in the land of promise. This is where
I'm gonna bury her. This is where we are, Canaan.
A picture truly of heaven, glory, a picture of our Lord. He is
our inheritance. God, we're heirs of God. The Lord Jesus Christ, God, joint
heirs with him. How much is it gonna cost? Well,
I'm willing to give it to you, but really 400 shekels of silver. There you go. Let's get it all
squared away. The cave was in Canaan, the cave
of Machpelah. That place which was God's promise
of inheritance. Even that beautiful name, Machpelah. You know, I love looking up words.
I always encourage everybody, look them up. It's Machpelah. Again, I've told you before,
I don't speak Hebrew, but I do have a concordance. I've got
a concordance, I can look them up. It's from a word, and the
word H3717, that doesn't mean anything except if you want to
look it up. It means to fold together, to repeat, or to double. The cave of folding over, covering. Now, one might ask, well, what's
the significance of that? What's that? The cave of Machpelah. Well, when Isaiah was moved,
turn with me. Isaiah 40, verse one and two.
Isaiah 40, verse one and two. He said, I want that cave of
Machpelah, that's what I want. I want that cave whose name means
the folding. Isaiah 40, verse one and two. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,
saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem,
and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished. Now listen,
you think about this. This is what I cry, right here.
I need to hear this. The warfare is accomplished.
Battle, where was that battle fought? Well, it was fought and
accomplished, if you want me to so say it, Calvary. God saw
it from before the foundation of the world. Satan's sin was
defeated, death was defeated. Your warfare's accomplished.
The Lord said it's finished. It's finished. It's finished. Her iniquity's pardoned. Now
that's some good news. You comfort my people, you tell
her her warfare's accomplished her iniquity's pardon, and she
has received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins." Now,
that word, double, it means to fold, to fold over. Repeat is
in there, but to fold, to double. That word double is used three
times in the scriptures. And one of those times was when
a man named Zophar turned with me to Job. I'm gonna wrap this
up. Job chapter 11. Job 11. I'm convinced, I'm gonna
tell you what I believe and try to prove it, try to make good
on it from the scriptures right here. What it means is, I'll
tell you where I'm going with this. Machpelah, the cave of
Machpelah, it means to fold. It means to cover, Neal. To cover
over, cover over. To hide it. I want the cave of
Machpelah. I want to buy that cave that
pictures my Lord, who put away my guilt and covered my sin. That's what I want. How much?
How much? How much for that cave? 400 shekels. Okay, I'll pay. I'll pay. You
tell my people that her warfare's accomplished. Her iniquity is
pardoned, and she's received at the Lord's hand for her sins
double. What does that mean, double?
Job 11, Job 11, one to six, here's one
of the only, there's three times it's mentioned, Isaiah and two
times in Job, I'm gonna read this one in Job. Job 11, verses
one to six. Then answered Zophar, he gonna
reprimand, he gonna reprimand Job. Then answered Zophar the
Naamathite and said, should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talk
be justified? Should thy lies make men hold
their peace? And when thou mockest, shall
no man make thee ashamed? For thou hast said, My doctrine
is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes. But, O, that God would
speak, and open his lips against thee." Now he's reprimanding
Job. Job was right, but here he is. But what Zophar's reprimanding
him for, you know, Job was truly innocent, but what Zophar is
saying is good. But listen, all that God would
speak, he's telling Job, what you said, you ain't right. All that God would reveal to
you things. All that God would speak and
open his lips against thee, that he would show thee the secrets
of wisdom, that they are double. to that which is. Know therefore
that God exacteth thee less than thine iniquity deserveth. He
said, oh, that God would open his lips against thee, and verse
six, and show thee the secrets of wisdom that God would expose
to you, that which is concealed, that which is hidden, that they
are double, that they're double. Now Zophar was saying to Job,
reprimanded him, all that God would manifest, announce, or
expose, the secrets of wisdom, those things that are hidden,
that they are double, they're folded together. Can't you see them? They're folded.
To that which is, who can behold or understand That which is,
according to God, folded, folded. So according to the meaning of
the word, Christ has borne the guilt of his people. Our warfare,
we're more than conquerors. Through him has loved us. gave himself. Christ has borne
the guilt of his people. The bride's sin has been covered,
covered in the precious blood, atoning blood of his sacrifice.
Turn now a few more verses and I'll close. Hebrews 10, Hebrews
10, 11 to 17. Hebrews 10, 11 to 17. And every priest standeth daily,
ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can
never take away sins. But this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool. For by one offering he had perfected forever them
that are sanctified, whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness
to us, for after that he had said before, this is the covenant
that I will make with them. After those days, saith the Lord,
I'll put my laws into their hearts and their minds, I'll write them,
and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Romans 4, Romans chapter 4. Romans chapter 4, verses 4 to
7. Now to him that worketh is the
reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that
worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly,
his faith is counted for righteousness, even as David also described
it, the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputed righteousness
without work, saying, blessed are they whose iniquities are
forgiven and whose sins are I want the cave of Machpelah.
That's the cave I want. Last few verses in Genesis 23,
17 to the end. And the field of Ephron, which
was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, the cave, which
was therein, all the trees that were in the field, that were
in all the borders round about were made sure Abraham bought
what he wanted. Unto Abraham for possession and
the presence of the children of Heth before all that went
into the gate of his city. And after this, Abraham buried
Sarai his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before
Mamre, the same as Hebron in the land of Canaan. And the field
and the cave that is therein were made sure unto Abraham for
a possession of a burying place by the sons of Heth. Abraham
bought the cave of Machpelah. He bought all the borders The
boundaries and all the trees were secured, made sure, established. It reminded me when David said,
he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things,
made sure, made sure. But you know what? Sarah was
buried in that cave. Flip over to Genesis 25, verse
eight and nine. Genesis 25, verse 8 and 9. Then
Abraham gave up, Lord willing, we'll look at this in the next
few weeks. Then Abraham gave up the ghost and died in a good
old age, an old man, full of years, and was gathered to his
people. And his sons, Isaac and Ishmael,
buried him in the cave of Mactabila, in the field of Ephron, the son
of Zohar, the Hittite, which is before Mamre. Isn't that sweet? Isn't that precious? He was buried
in that same cave where Sarah, his wife, buried in Christ. Found in him the cleft of a rock. What a blessing to see that.
Flip over to Genesis chapter 49. Genesis 49. Genesis 49, verses
29 to 30. Jacob is gonna give some instruction.
He's getting close to dying. Genesis 49, 29. Here's Jacob
speaking to his family, and charged them and said unto them, I'm
to be gathered unto my people, bury me with my fathers in the
cave that's in the field of Ephron, the Hittite. In the cave that's
in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land
of Canaan, which Abraham bought. with the field of Ephron, the
Hittite, for possession of a burying place. There they buried Abraham
and his Sarah wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah,
his wife. And there I buried Leo. So he said, you bury me there
too. Last verse, chapter 50 of Genesis, verse 12 and 13. And his sons did unto him according
As he commanded them, his sons carried him into the land of
Canaan, buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which
Abraham bought with the field for possession of a buried place
of Ephron the Hittite before Mamre." What a type of picture
of all God's people who die in the faith. They're all in him. They're all in the same place.
They're in him. That cave of Machpelah, That
place of the folding over, the hiding of the sins of His people
cast as far as the east is from the west, cast behind the back
of God. They're not seen anymore by God.
I pray God bless this to our heart for Christ's sake.