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Teaching Notes:
Chayei Sarah/ Sarah’s Life
Gen.23:1-25:18, 1Kings 1:1-31
11/23/2024
Mark Fallstead
Chayei Sarah/ Sarah’s Life
Gen.23:1-25:18, 1Kings 1:1-31
Genesis 23:1-4 And the life (?Lives?) of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years; [these were] the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died in Kiriath arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to eulogize Sarah and to bewail her. And Abraham arose from before his dead, and he spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, “I am a stranger and an inhabitant with you. Give me burial property with you, so that I may bury my dead from before me.”
~One understanding is she was as beautiful as a 20-year-old at 100 and as innocent as a 7-year-old at 20.
~There is another possible understanding. Sarah’s life was divided into 3 distinct periods of time.
~Till she was 100 years of age she was as a young woman in appearance, vitality, and passivity. “The wife of Abraham.”
~The next 20year period of her life, she was now a mature woman aging in her appearance, not quite as spry as she used to be but more experienced and authoritative. Fully exercising her position as matriarch. “The mother of Isaac the heir.” (It was at the end of this life transition that Abraham took Isaac to sacrifice him).
~The final 7 year period of her life, she is now old and weakening. No longer as the one to care for others, she needed taking care of. No more traveling with Abraham and Isaac. (also no longer seems to live with Abraham).
Genesis 23:2 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. (Isaac was 37Yrs. Old) (Sarah was 90 when Isaac was born)
Genesis 22:19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba. (Isaac’s age. Talmud:37~Likely:over 20. ~Markmonides:30.)
Genesis 23:3-9 And Abraham rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites (sons of Heth), “I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; give (grant, permit) me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” The Hittites answered Abraham, “Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God ??????? ??????? ???????? (adoni nasi Elohim) among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb to hinder you from burying your dead.” Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land. And he said to them, “If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar, that he may give (grant, permit) me the cave of Machpelah (portion), which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as property for a burying place.”
Genesis 23:10-11 Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city, “No, my lord, hear me: I give (grant, permit) you the field, and I give (grant, permit) you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give (grant, permit) it to you. Bury your dead.”
Genesis 23:16-18 Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants. So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was made over to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
~This is the first of 3 deeds of purchase in the land of promise. Gen.23:16-19, The cave of the patriarchs. Gen.33:18-19 & Josh.24:32, The area near Shechem where Joseph is buried. 2Sam.24:18-25, The Temple area.
~Ironic that these places are not the sole possession of Israel today.
Genesis 24:1-4 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And Yah had blessed Abraham in all things. And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh, that I may make you swear by Yah, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, but will go to my country and to my kindred and take a wife for my son Isaac.”
The theme of this section of the portion is the search for and selection of a bride for the son of promise that meets the qualifications and expectations fit for intimate partnership, who would complement the promised son.
We’re not going to focus on Isaac and Rebekah, but on the greater son of promise and his bride. Following the pattern, being likeminded.
Matthew 25:1-4 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.
Matthew 25:8-12 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
Who is the bride and how does one become the bride?
Every “believer” thinks they are the bride, but are they, and if not, are they even invited into the marriage supper of the lamb?
Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
So who then can become the bride and how?
Ephesians 5:25b-27 Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
1 John 2:1-6 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation (Atonement) for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him if we keep his commandments.
Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.