2 July 2021

And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. Abraham rose up from beside his dead, and said to the Hittites, ‘I am a stranger and an alien residing among you; give me property among you for a burying-place, so that I may bury my dead out of my sight.’

Genesis 23:1-4,19,24:1-8,62-67, NRSV

As we reach the end of the story of Abraham and Sarah, we hear of two events which show the gradual unfolding of God’s promise to make Abraham the father of a great nation. When Sarah died, Abraham needed to request a burial plot for her. As an “outsider”, Abraham needed to negotiate the purchase of this land which he had no legal right to claim. Gaining this small piece of ground was an important step towards giving him and his descendants a legal standing in the land he had been promised. After arranging for Sarah’s burial, Abraham’s concern then came to his son and his future descendants. Abraham arranged with a trusted servant for a suitable wife to be found for Isaac from his own homeland. The woman selected was Rebekah and when she and Isaac met there seems to have been an immediate acceptance  by each that they were to marry. Without further ado, Isaac and Rebekah were married and Isaac became head of the family.

• • How do you think Abraham felt after finalising the burial of his wife and the marriage of his son?
  • Is it important to prepare for our own succession?

The condensed version of the reading we hear today omits some of the interesting details which can be found by reading the whole chapter.