Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her. Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites. He said, “I am a foreigner and stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.” The Hittites replied to Abraham, “Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.” Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. He said to them, “If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah, which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you.” Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city. “No, my lord,” he said. “Listen to me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.” Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land and he said to Ephron in their hearing, “Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.” Ephron answered Abraham, “Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between me and you? Bury your dead.” Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weight current among the merchants. So Ephron’s field in Machpelah near Mamre—both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field—was deeded to Abraham as his property in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city. Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre (which is at Hebron) in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave in it were deeded to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.

—Genesis 23:1-20 (TNIV)

Here we read the poignant story of Sarah’s death. In seeking to bury her in Canaan, Abraham demonstrates that he has fully embraced God’s promise to give the land to him and his descendants. It is another example of Abraham’s faithfulness in trusting God.

Yet the story is marred by the ugliness of greed, for here we see Ephron taking advantage of Abraham in his grief and his need to bury quickly his beloved wife. Note that Abraham had asked for only a portion of the land but that Ephron insisted that he buy the whole plot. Note too the outrageously high price that Ephron demanded for the land, despite his protestations to the contrary. It is another example of the sin of greed rearing its ugly head, and it is especially despicable given the context. No wonder Paul told Timothy that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10).

But Abraham is gracious. Despite his flaws he must have been a remarkable man.

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

—Hebrews 11:32-12:2 (TNIV)

Here’s a fun little quiz for you to test your OT knowledge. Can you match the names given with the examples (there are more examples given than names and there are some some unnamed persons in the examples)? Answers tomorrow.

But remember, O Lord, that we are dust, and out of dust you made us, and we were lost and are found. Nor could Paul do it of himself, because he was of the same dust, whom I so loved to hear saying through the breath of your inspiration: “I can do all things,” says he, “in [Christ] who strengthens me.” Strengthen me that I also may be able.

—Augustine, Confessions 10.31

Remember that you were made in God’s image; though corrupted in Adam, that image has been restored in Christ.

—Leo the Great, Sermon for the Nativity, 7