God’s Promises Prevailing Over Death

0:28Let us go to the Lord in prayer and ask him for help. Lord, you are the God of Abraham and Sarah and the patriarchs and you are our God and you have in. So for us in this text, great promises for us. So Lord, open our eyes that we may be hold your goodness, your mercy and your steadfastness. In Jesus' name, amen. In literature and in stories, we tend to gravitate toward characters who are superheroes or invincible. We like the invincible, we like the character who cannot be overcome by evil or injuries and rises up. Perhaps the greatest factual, historical example of someone who is invincible and his empire is Alexander the Great.

1:36Alexander the Great into fourth century BC at the age of only 21 years old, led his Greek empire and conquered the known most of the known world at his time and never lost a single battle. He and his army were invincible. They were undefeated. The Persians couldn't stop him. The Venetians couldn't stop him. The Egyptians neither could stop him. His army was indestructible and undefeated and within only 10 years at the age of 31 and had conquered most of a known world. In fact, several biographies in the past 50 years include the word invincible to describe Alexander on the title of those books in our text this morning.

2:25There are no invincible characters in this plot in chapter 23, but there are God's promises. God's promises have an impeccably perfect track record. God's promises have never been and will never be defeated. They are invincible. God has never once broken any of his promises and no thing or person has been able to thwart or stymie the promises of God. The indestructibility of God's promises are particularly seen this morning in our text on the surface. As you were hearing the text read in chapter 23, it appears on the surface to be a descriptive narrative about Hittite burial practices or ancient near Eastern customs or business transactions.

3:15In fact, we might be tempted to ask why does God have an entire chapter devoted to bearing someone? Why does God have an entire chapter about burial practices and real estate transactions? Indeed, this is the only chapter in the book of Genesis entirely devoted to the death and burial of an individual say in this case, this really is a unique chapter in the Book of Genesis and really an entire Old Testament in many ways. I argue however that this chapter is not merely a narrative on business transactions or real estate agreements. It's much more than that. It's not just a throwaway chapter. All scripture is profitable for doctrine, for proof and instruction and righteousness, including this chapter 23.

4:07God has something for us in this chapter this morning and as we unpack this chapter, there are theological riches and spiritual food here for us and we'll discover in this material that there is a larger connection here to the big picture of Genesis and the message of this book. And there are even relevant applications for us this morning. Who are the readers of or the audience of this chapter? The historical readers of this narrative are Israelites who are on the cusp of conquering the promised land with Moses as their leader. So this narrative would remind those Israelites that they are about to enter into the land of their ancestors.

4:48Abraham and Sarah, the remains of their ancestors reminded them that they owned a portion of this promised land that they were about to enter the land of Canaan. If you were an Israelite in Moses Day, as you enter into this text, this chapter would be very significant for you. This chapter details the beginning of God's fulfillment of the land promise that he made in chapter 13 and chapter 15, God's promise to Abraham regarding the land is beginning to unfold beginning here in this chapter 23 up to his point in Genesis, Abraham has really no legal claim over the land of Canaan. So this account would encourage the Israelites as they wander in the desert on the way to the very land that God promised to Abraham and to them.

5:34So this chapter 23 then provides the historical foundation of obtaining the promised land. So what is the main point of this chapter? Here it is. God's promises are indestructible. God's promises are indestructible and death can never defeat or disrupt. His promises say's death can't do that. A death of a Christian can't do that because God's promises are indestructible. God always keeps his promises. Death can never dismantle his promises. This chapter's all about God keeping his promises in spite of death. We are prone sometimes to not fully trust God's promises. Sometimes we even question God's purposes for us.

6:27There are times that we might even doubt the veracity of his promises or even doubt his goodness. This text reminds us this morning that we can and must trust the promises of God because nothing can defeat God's good promises for us in Christ. So this narrative is divided into two sections as you look at your text this morning, verses one through 16 is the first section which details Abraham's purchase of the field and the cave and the second section is a shorter section verses 17 through 20 where there is a summary. Moses, the author, summarizes Abraham's purchase of the field and the cave as we look at section number one verses one through 16, Abraham purchases the field in the cave.

7:12We see in the first two verses Sarah's death and Abraham's lamentation. Notice the very first phrase of chapter 23 verse one, Sarah lived 127 years this and text indicates that Sarah dies at the age of 1 27. These events of chapter 23 transpire probably around 20 to 25 years after events of chapter 22 last week as we discovered Isaac and the the almost sacrifice of his life and the provision of a ram on that mountain. If we do the math using Genesis 17 verse 17, Sarah dies 37 years after giving birth to Isaac, which it makes Isaac three, seven years old at a time of his mother's death. The text stresses the death of Sarah by repeating the word dead eight times.

8:04I want you to see that in this text there's gonna be eight occurrences of that word dead. Sarah is the first one of that patriarchal generation who dies. So this is a monumental, significant moment in the history of God's people and the patriarchs. The question is here, where will she be buried? That's a significant question and decision that you'll see in this text. Sarah, remember is not from Hebrew, we assume like Abraham, she is from er. Sarah's death is a result of the fall in chapter three and it follows the pattern of death that we have already seen earlier in this book. For example, the genealogies of chapter five, we see the repetitions of he died and he died and he died this drumbeat rhythm of death because of the fall of Adam and Eve.

8:53In chapter three, the text emphasizes further in verse one or verse two, excuse me, that Abraham went into mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. Notice the verbs here. Mourn and weep the lamentation and tears is an appropriate reaction to death and that's still true today. When someone we love passes away, we shed appropriate tears and express grief. And yet in one Thessalonians four 13, we are reminded that we do not grieve but we grieve but not as others who have no hope. Now notice the location of her death. He according to Genesis 13, verse 18, we saw that he was the home of Abraham Sarah. Now they're not originally from there, they're from er and Harran.

9:41But notice the reference that Moses makes to Canaan. We'll see that one more time later on at the end of the text. But Sarah's bear on Canaan is a big deal and is signaling. This is the promised land. She will be the first of the patriarchal debt generation that would be buried in the promised land and that is highly significant. This event signifies a watershed theological moment into the history of God's people as we will see a little bit later. Moving on from verses one and two, we get into a series of dialogues or a set of dialogues, two dialogues. In verses three to nine we see the first dialogue between Abraham and a group of hit heights.

10:21We don't, we're not told in text how many hitite, but Abraham begins a negotiation with a head heights over some property. There are two separate dialogues and each one is tightly and predictably organized into A, B, a structure, a being original speaker, B, being response to speaker. So it's the range like this, the original speaker response to the speaker and then the original speaker speaks. So A, b, a, the first dialogue in verses 3 0 9 is arranged. In this way Abraham speaks A, the Hittite speak, B and a again, Abraham speaks, even though this text does not explicitly mention God's working in the purchase of land, it's clear that the providence of God is everywhere in the sale, in the purchase of this property.

11:07The Hittites are pagans and don't understand the underlying theological ramifications of this purchase. Yet God used Abraham and orchestrated the legal customs of the Hittites to secure the land for Abraham and his offspring. This moment is indeed the work of God. So look with me at verses three and four as Abraham is the one who initiates the negotiation with the Hittites for the purchase of a bearer ground. Look at verse three, and Abraham rose up before us dead and he said to the Hittites, I am a sojourner and a foreigner among you. Give me property among you for a bearing place that I may bury my dead, uh, my sight.

11:48So who were the Hittites? This is a second time in the book of Genesis. They are mentioned by name, the first being Genesis chapter 15, verse 20, in the middle of God's second rehearsal of his covenant with Abraham. And in that rehearsal God mentions 10 different people groups and their land that will be eventually Israel's one day. And one of those people groups is the Hittites. God says that the land of the Hittites will be the very land of the promised land and of Israel eventually the Hittites are not originally from this land. We believe, we believe they come from modern day Turkey, but they're clearly the residents and owners of this land as they have the legal claims for it.

12:29So Abraham begins his negotiating speech in verse four, acknowledging that he is not from Canaan, he calls himself a sojourner and a foreigner emphasizing that he is not from those places. We already learned in chapter 11 that he was from the distant city of er, not the land of Canaan. Er was about one, uh, 800 miles away from Hebrew. Now, 800 miles away from our twin cities would be the city of Louisville, Kentucky. And I'm not suggesting for a moment that those of you who are from Kentucky or further are foreigners or sojourner, uh, to Minnesota. Uh, but that is a very, that's a significant, uh, amount distance from the homeland.

13:05So Abraham is submitting as a foreigner a official former request to purchase property from the Hittites in order to bury Sarah. So the idea behind the word give as you look in verse four give me property, the idea behind this word give is sell. This is not Abraham asking for a free gift. He actually wants to purchase it as we'll see in just a moment. So he is asking for the availability of land. Are you willing Hittites to sell me this property that I'm interested in? In other words, Abraham is not looking for a free real estate property, he wants to purchase it and this is gonna be extremely important to to bookmark in our minds right now as we look at later the idea of purchasing in legal titles as to the phrases Bury my Dead.

13:53You're gonna see this throughout this chapter, bury my Dead and Bury Your Dead occurs six times as a constant reminder that Sarah is dead and needs to be buried. You'll see this in verse 4, 6 8, verse 11, verse 13 and verse 15, bury your dead. Bury my dead. Abraham's quick speech ends verses five through six we get the Hittites response with their formal invitation, Abraham, for him to take a tour. Look with me at verse number six, the hit I say, Abraham, hear us my Lord. You are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choices of our tombs, none of us will withhold from you his tomb to hinder you from bearing your dead.

14:36The idea of this verse is that there's a tour of the properties and a suitable one is going to be selected by Abraham to bury Sarah. It's similar to a cemetery sales representative today giving a tour of the various plots that are available to bury a family member in. That's what's going on here. Notice that throughout this narrative you're gonna hear these phrases, hear us, hear me or listen to me. This is the language of the marketplace, this is the language of haggling a try and negotiate for a good deal. And the hitite recognize that Abraham is a prince of God. The phrase can be also translated mighty prince, which is a title of reverence.

15:22There's a respect, a reverence that's shown Abraham here probably because he, he's both wealthy and noble in his character. Well Abraham responds to this, this the A section here of the A BA verses seven through nine. Abraham responds with propriety as an ancient near eastern person would by prospering himself down. Bows used twice in his chapter here in verse seven as well. On verse 12, look at verse seven, Abraham rose and he bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land and he responds by expressing interest in the cave of mc. Probably took his tour, selected this cave and he's interested in the cave by itself.

16:02So he makes an offer. A cave at this point in history would've been a hole in the side of a hill or a small mountain in the ancient near Eastern. This time a cave was used in a similar way that a family plot in the cemetery today would be used. Descendants of one family would be buried in individual caskets in one single cave. And archeologists uh, have discovered these in the Palestinian Middle Eastern region actually in the past a hundred years. This leads to the second dialogue. The first dialogue is now done Abraham and the Hittites dialogue. And now the second piece of negotiation, negotiation goes on to verse 10, where now Abraham negotiates with one single hitite named Ephron.

16:48This face-to-face. Negotiat negotiation between Abraham Ephron is also organized in a very tightly structured way. A, b, a, a beginning Ephron speech B Abraham speaks and an A again Ephron speaks look with me at Ephron's speech and counteroffer in verses 10 through 11. In verse 10, Ephron was sitting among the Hittites and ephron the Hittite answer to Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites of all who went in at the gave us city know my Lord here me here is my offer to you. I give you the field and I give you the cave that is in it and the sight of the sons of my people. I give it to you. Bury your dead, even responds to Abraham's interest in the cave by offering and throw it in the field with it probably in order to increase the price the the text was not explicit here, but back in the day there would be a haggling going on to increase or decrease the price.

17:48Now notice the emphasis upon sitting among the Hittites here, this idea of in the hearing of the Hittites, in the sight of the sons, of my people. In verse 11 in the hearing of the people, verse 13 in the presence of the Hittites is repeats five or six times in this chapter. And this emphasis is about witnesses. There's a group of witnesses who are witnessing this legal transaction and this idea of witnesses is critically important to understand what's going on here. There had to be legal witnesses accompanying even in this face-to-face negotiation. This was not a private in the office transaction.

18:24This was a group of people sitting probably in a town or probably by the field and they were transacting together as a community. This is a communal society and every business transaction, every real estate purchase and sale had a go through the group of people. So this is not a boardroom one-on-one setting going on here in verse 11, the haggling and the back and forth over a price begins. We do this sort of thing even today when we purchase a car or a house. Some of you have done this in the past couple of years, you want the best deal. So you're going to haggle and you're going to bring the price down.

18:59Uh, maybe the the other will give you a counter offer to bring the price, uh, higher and you're gonna try to work a compromise somewhere in the middle. That's exactly what's going on here between Abraham and Ephron. Abraham at his point is only interested in the cave. You saw this in verse seven and eight. He's only wants the cave but ephron throws in the field. So Abraham in verses 12 and 13, accepts the fact that the field is now part of the transaction and deal and he responds this way. Look with me at verse 13. He says to Ephron, in the hearing of the people of the land, if you will hear me, I give the price of the field accept it from me that I may bury my dead there.

19:39So now he makes an offer for both the field and the cave for an unspecified amount. The text is not clear, but clearly he's offering some type of amount of of money for this. So in other words, accept my offer and my money for both cave and field. Verse 14 and 15, this is Ephron's response. Ephron makes a counter offer to Abraham the price 400 shekels of silver. The dialogue and the narrative officially ends here with Ephron's counter offer. Look at verse 15, my Lord, listen to me. A piece of land worth 400 shekels of silver. What is that between you and me? Bury your dead. So as the conversation ends, we have Abraham's decision.

20:22He makes his move, he's satisfied with this. Verse 16, Abraham accepts those terms in the price. He weighs out the precise price of 400 shekels. Look at verse 16. He weighs out for Aron to silver that had he had named in the hearing of the Hittites 400 shekels of silver according to the weights current among the merchants. Now the shekel is not a silver coinage back in Abraham's day, but a unit of weight, a shackle weigh about 11 grams. So the total weight of silver for this transaction then was about 10 pounds of silver based upon other historical accounts and records During this time, this amount to be appears to be a fairly sizable amount for a piece of property.

21:04So Abraham then was willing to pay top dollar or shall we say top silver, uh, for this real estate because of what it meant to him symbolically in terms of God's covenant to him to purchase this land that is the promised land. And there are two phrases I want to draw to your attention. I want you to see this in verse 16. There are two phrases here that stress the validity of this transaction. Look at verse 16. Do you see the phrase in the hearing of the hitite right in the middle of verse 16? That is important because that means it was purchased in the presence of witnesses and made it valid, it made it a legitimate transaction.

21:46Ancient near Eastern custom require that. And the second phrase is this phrase at the very end of verse 16. Look with me at that tech, at that phrase. According to the weights current among the merchants, this is a statement confirming that the amount was purchased with legitimacy. It was corroborated by the actual current value of the silver. We have this today in currency, our own US dollars compared to say the British pound or the Euro, and there are various financial mechanisms that determine that value. And the same thing is going on here. Abraham is making sure that he's not fudging with the numbers, he's paying the silver honestly according to the exact exact value of the silver of his day.

22:32These two phrases affirm and confirm that this was done in an honest, fair way and Abraham receives the property as a legal right or in a legal claim to his right name as well as to his family forever. This leads to section number two where Moses, the author summarizes Abraham's purchase of the field and the cave in verses 17 through 20. Look with me at verses 1718 where we had get description, an objective description and the deed of the property. So the field of Ephron and Ella, which was to the east of Maur, the field with a cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field throughout its whole area was made over to Abraham as the possession and the presence of the Hittites before all who went in at the gate of the city.

23:23So the final section uses legal language to summarize this purchase and transfer. Verse 17 specifies the geographical location in legal terms as if you were gonna sign, say you were gonna purchase a house, the address and the city and the state. And your zip code is gonna be on that document, on that title, on that deed, and that's what's going on here. Notice that the cave and the trees are also identified as landmarks on what is now Abraham's property. Beyond the legal significance of that, I believe there's a theological significance of that as well that God is highlighting for his people. Every single tree, every single blade of grass, every single landmark in this property belongs now to Abraham and to Israel is God's gift to Israel.

24:12According to Hitite custom, the transaction would've been most likely recorded on a clay tablet. Now we don't see any records of the uh, we don't see any uh, reference to this here in this text, but in those days a clay tablet would've been used almost as a title or a deed where you signed a document and the parties was signed seller and buyer. And this would be for the purpose of physical evidence for the purchase and sale to prove that this was legal. So the transfer of ownership of the property is now complete in verse 18. Due to the kindness and providence of God, Abraham now legally owns the small plot of the promised land.

24:46The fulfillment of God's promise, therefore to Abraham is unfolding little by little in the book of Genesis, but surely. And then finally in verses 19 to 20, we get the burial of Sarah. Now that the transfer of ownership is complete, Sarah can be buried in the cave. Look it with me at verse 19. After this, Abraham buried Sarah, his wife, in the cave of the field of Meela, east of Maor that is Hebrew in the land of canon. Notice land of can against signals to the Israelites that this is their land that they're about to conquer in the book of Joshua, reminding his people that he always keeps his promises even when it comes to the promised land.

25:29So now Abraham is a legal claim on this land. He's buried Sarah, and we get this repetition in verse 20 that basically repeats verse 17, reiterating that Abraham is now the rightful legal owner of the property. So that being a narrative, we wanna ask the question, why is the purchase of the cave me PT so significant? Why is this such a big deal theologically in the book of Genesis? I'm gonna articulate three reasons now why this moment is truly a big deal. Number one, Abraham's purchase of this land demonstrates his faith in God's covenant promise to him, the promise to inherit the land. Now, how do we know that the sale and purchase of land is such a big deal in the unfolding of God's promise to Abraham?

26:20Because of Genesis 13, God made a promise to Abraham in Genesis 13 verse 15, which states this all the land. God says that you see Abraham, I will give to you in your offspring forever including this land that he purchases. Abraham was determined to make this purchase from the beginning. Abraham could have backed away, he could have buried Sarah in Haran or her where the family plot probably would've been, but he does not. Instead he starts a new family burial plot in this cave of macello where Sarah would be the first one to be buried and others would be buried thereafter her. It appears from this text that Abraham had faith that his family would indeed return one day to this very plot of land.

27:04So he purchases it and according to God's promise in Genesis 15, verse 13, that 400 years of affliction would pass in Egypt before the land would be possessed by all of Abraham's descendants. So Abraham's purchase accentuates his faith in God's promise. We likewise must put full confidence in God's promise because he never breaks his promises. Secondly, why is this purchase so significant? Number two, the purchase of the field and the cave validates Abraham's claim and his stake in the promised land. The plot of land is now legally and forever in Abraham's family. Israel in reality possesses the land by this purchase.

27:51The claim and ownership is indisputable. That's why Moses goes at great lengths to highlight key details such as the witnesses and the hearing of all these people. Those details matter To validate Abraham's ownership, he went through the proper legal channels and the financial hoops to purchase and obtain this property and there are multiple witnesses that could ascertain and corroborate that and it was in most likely a clay tablet writing. Thirdly, the cave Meela in particular is a reminder that God always keeps his promises. This story of Sarah being buried in the cave, meela is not the end of the story.

28:32In the book of Genesis, Sarah is the first, but not the last of the patriarchal family to be buried in the promised land. Turn with me actually to Genesis chapter 49 to the right of your Bible. Want you see this played out that Sarah is not the first one to be buried here. This will indeed become a family burial plot and will testify to God's faithfulness in keeping his promises. Genesis 49 and look with me at verse 29.

29:10Then Jacob commanded them, his 12 sons and said to them, I am to be gathered to my people, bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of eon the Hittite. That sound sound familiar? That's a very cave that his grandmother, Sarah would've been buried in the cave that is in the field at Ella to the east of Maor in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron, the Hittite to possess as a bearing place. Verse 31. There they buried Abraham and Sarah's wife. So Abraham is buried there. We learned from Jacob there. They buried Isaac and Rebecca, his wife, and there I buried Leah, let me ask you this question.

29:52How many generations is Barry there? According to Jacob, how many generations? Three. So we have Abraham, Sarah, first generation, Isaac and Rebecca, second generation and then Leah. And then further in verse three, two, the field and the caves in it were brought from the Hittites. And then look at chapter 50 to the right of you on your Bible. Look at verse 13.

30:18For Jacob's sons carried him to the land of Kenan after Jacob's death and they buried him where? In the cave of the field at Ella to the east of Maor, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron, the head tight to possess as a bearing place, thus completes the three generation cycle of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all be buried in this cave of Mc the cave. Mc then becomes symbolic of God's covenant faithfulness to his people. Israel, the cave of mc, I would argue as an ebenezer of sorts. It's a testimony of God's of faithfulness, steadfastness the fact that he always keeps his promises. And as you look at this cave, the Israelites were to see aha.

31:02This is God's faithfulness to us. This cave represents that God always keeps his promises. God's promises are indeed indestructible. So now how do we apply this text to our own lives? I said earlier there is relevance here for us today. I would submit three ways this text applies to us as God's people today. First, if you are not a follower of Jesus here this morning, we are so delighted that you came to be with us here at the North Church. But if you're not a follower of Jesus or believe in him, the author and giver of eternal life, we point you to Jesus himself. Death is inevitable for each of us.

31:47The Bible teaches that the fall of man and Genesis three brought death for all no exceptions say's death and a death that we experience today is because of sin and its curse. Physical death then is inescapable, but it's not just limited to physical death, sin brought spiritual death and which with that brought separation from God forever. We learn in Hebrews 9 27 that is appointed on man to die. And after this, the judgment, but God through his son Jesus Christ provide a way to escape that spiritual death and judgment. Jesus Christ, the seed of the woman crushed death and the devil by his own death, Christ tasted death to deliver us from eternal death.

32:31John three 16 declares that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. So my friend, if you don't know Jesus, turn to Jesus. He is the author of life. He's the one to rescue you from impending spiritual death. Repent from your sins and turn to Jesus and receive the promise, eternal life that he gives to those who believe in his name. Secondly, for those of us who are believers here this morning, God will keep every single one of his promises to you. So don't doubt his promises. For all the promises of God find there yes in him.

33:20Death will never cancel God's promises to you. Sarah's death and a death of each of the patriarchal generations never disrupted God's plan or his promises to give the land of Canaan to his people. Neither will your own death or a death of someone you love disrupt God's promises to you. What are some of the promises that he has made to his children? Promises that he'll never break. We can spend times going through hundreds of them, but let's suffice to look at four, at least four. Hebrews 13, five, I will never leave you nor forsake you. If you are anxious, this is your ballast. Matthew seven, seven, ask and it will be given to you.

33:59Seek and you will find. Knock and it'll be open to you. What a wonderful promise. This promise for all of us who wrestle night and day for the salvation of our parents or our children or relatives, or for those who are struggling with chronicle illness, we wrestle and we say, God, I ask. I knock and I seek. Romans 8 38 and 39. Neither death nor life nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God and Christ Jesus our Lord. And John 10 28, Jesus says, I give them eternal life and they will never perish and no one will snatch him outta my hand. For those of you who are wrestling over the assurance of your salvation claim, this promise aren't those precious promises.

34:47Our sinful human tendency sadly though is to doubt, is to doubt and question God's good promises. When we go through a challenging or frustrating situation or a disappointment, we sometimes wonder if those promises are really true. We fail to trust God and sometimes we listen to the tempter who whispers in our ear just like to E even the garden did actually, did God actually say that? Did God actually say at the core of our very own sin? It is the not trusting in God's good promises, but believing a lie about those promises. Did God actually say every sin ultimately is an abject failure to believe God's promises, but the fact of the matter is that all of God's promises are true, good and healing for our souls.

35:43Like medicine, My daughter needs certain medications for her health condition and so we've been making lots of runs to the pharmacy recently and our local pharmacy frequently runs out of her medications and we end up calling and calling and calling and waiting and showing up in a line and realizing that the medication's not gonna come unless we call again and wait again. And this cycle continues on and on. But friends, God's pharmacy of his promises never runs out. God's medicines of his promises are available 24 7 365 and there is no delay with God's promises. Listen to these words of Charles Spurgeon.

36:30The promises of God are to the believer, a surgery in which he will find all manner of restoratives and blessed elixirs. He shall find therein an ointment for every wound, a cordial for every faintness, a remedy for every disease. Blessed is he who is well skilled and heavenly pharmacy and knoweth how to lay hold on the healing virtues of the promises of God. May each of us avail ourselves of the promises of God because they are truly medicine to our souls. Thirdly, the resurrection of Jesus Christ gives you as believers feed your hope of resurrected bodies and eternal life with Jesus In our culture, even sadly in our Christian culture, I fear that there's a palpable discomfort and repulsion in talking about our own death.

37:23Yet Genesis 23 reminds us of our own mortality and causes us to pause and to think about the true meaning and purpose of our life here on earth. And that's a good thing. So how are you and I going to live the life that God has sovereignly given us? How should we live and die as a Christian? The world constantly feeds us this line. Follow your heart, but God calls us to trust his purposes and will for our lives. The death and resurrection of Jesus gives us a purpose for living that is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever until the Lord takes us home to be with him. Because of Jesus's resurrection, death is swallowed up in victory.

38:10Some of you have recently lost a spouse or a parent or a child, and that separation is understandably painful. I have a word of hope for you. God has not abandoned you Just as God did not abandon Abraham in his moment of lamentation after Sarah's death. So God has not abandoned you. I know that some of you're walking with a parent right now who is at the end of life. God has not abandoned you either, and I know that some of you are under the weight of some really heavy trials and heavy burdens. You may be even contemplating your own mortality because of what you are personally experiencing in your own body with effects of the fall on your physical body.

38:59God again, has not abandoned you because of the resurrection of our Lord. God has promised you as a believer of future hope. The grave and the cemetery is not the end of the story for the Christian. Revelation 21, 4 promises us that death shall be no more. Neither shall th be mourning nor crying, nor pain anymore. For the former things have passed away. That means no more death, no more mystery diseases, no more cancer, no more chronic pain, no more doctor's appointments, no more treatments, no more paralysis.

39:42Some of you are frustrated with what God is allowing in your life, the people, the family, the trials. You're ultimately frustrated with God himself and you don't trust his good promises for you because of what is transpiring in your life. If you are in Christ, God has not abandoned you. He invites you to trust completely in him and his good promises and purposes for you. If you're trusting in Jesus alone for salvation, God will keep his promise to you to give you eternal life at the very end. Death for you as a Christian is a passing through the river into the celestial city. Genesis 23 reminds us that on this earth there will always be death and suffering because of the fall in the garden.

40:23And yet the word of God reminds us that Jesus has reversed the curse of sin. Jesus has conquer death and he will save his people from eternal death and condemnation. Ultimately, I argue Genesis 23 points us to Jesus Christ himself, the physical remains of Sarah and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, Rebecca and Leah. They remain the cave of Mac, but Jesus Christ, the promise of Abraham did not remain in his cave. He did not remain in a tomb. The tomb is empty. He arose. As we approach Easter, we rejoice in the fact that a tomb is empty, death cannot keep its pray. Jesus my savior, he tore the bars away. Jesus, my Lord.

41:09There was 18th century Baptist pastor by the name of Samuel Pierce that serves as a godly example of facing death with a godward focus. Pierce caught a cold on his horse one day as he was making a preaching journey in England, he got drenched in a snow in a rainstorm. He eventually contracted tuberculosis and he died at the age of 33 in the year 1799. But his final words that he penned, listen to these, point to a godward focus of death. Listen to these words. Blessed be his dear name who shed his blood for me. Now I see the value of the religion of the cross. It is a religion for a dying sinner.

41:51Yes, I tasted sweetness and I enjoy its fullness with all the gloom of dying bed before me. And far rather, would I be the poor, emaciated and emaciated creature that I am than to be an emperor with every earthly good about him, but without a God. Brothers and sisters, the promises of God are indeed invincible and indestructible, and they are the very precious and very great promises that God has for you. Your God always keeps his promises. Therefore, claim and lay hold today of the promises of God in all areas of a life. Reflect on his promises, read his promises, pray His promises relish in them.

42:38What matters the most in this life is living and walking in the promises of God. Find enjoyment and satisfaction in Jesus Christ. Live as a Christian embracing God's promises to you today and die as a Christian clinging to God's promises and to Jesus himself, who is the resurrection and the life. May God help us to be a church that treasures the promises of God and the God of those precious promises. Let us pray. Our Father, you are the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love you and keep your commandments to a thousand generations. Help us as your people to trust you and your promises, to treasure your promises, and to live in full enjoyment of your promises.

43:33Enable us to live and to die in a way that brings you glory. In Jesus' name, amen.