Years passed, and Abraham watched his son grow into a young man. I'm sure there were plenty of trials and troubles that they went thru as a family. But, the one that was about to hit them, was going to be a big one.
Genesis 23:1-2- And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
Sarah had Isaac when she was 90. She died when she was 127. That makes Isaac 37 years old.
We don't know how long Abraham and Sarah were married, but I'm sure it was a long time! Poor Abraham!
Genesis 23:2-4- And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. 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: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.
Abraham was a sojourner in this country. That means he didn't own any property there. He was about to purchase his first land, and it was to make a cemetary for his family.
Genesis 23:7-9- And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth. And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the 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 is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.
Abraham asked for a specific place- The cave of Machpelah. This cave would become the burial ground for the beginning of the Jewish people. A people that God said would number more than he stars of heaven and the sands of the sea.
Genesis 23:14-15- And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, My lord, hearken unto me: the land[is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.
We are looking at the first recorded real estate sale. Abraham bought a cave for 400 pieces of silver.
Genesis 23:19- And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.
Now that Abraham had taken care of Sarah, he had one more little bit of business to attend to. You see, Abraham wanted to make sure than his son Isaac found a good wife. And, he was going find her where he had found his precious Sarah- back in his old home town.
