Saturday, December 8, 2018

Genesis 23:10-20 Tomb Of The Patriarchs

10Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth. So in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city, Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham, 11“No, my lord. 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.”
12Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land 13and said to Ephron in their presence, “If you will please listen to me, I will pay you the price of the field. Accept it from me, so that I may bury my dead there.”
14Ephron answered Abraham, 15“Listen to me, my lord. The land is worth four hundred shekelsb of silver, but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”
16Abraham 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 standard of the merchants.
17So Ephron’s field at Machpelah near Mamre, the cave that was in it, and all the trees within the boundaries of the field, were deeded over 18to Abraham’s possession in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city. 19After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20So the field and its cave were deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site.

Abraham and Ephron were using the bargaining technique of the day. The seller would first offer as a gift and the buyer would graciously refuse. Then the seller would state his price. Abraham being a man of God didn’t haggle, he gave Ephron his asking price.

The land was legally deeded over to Abraham as a burial site. This was the only land Abraham ever purchased even though it was Promised to him from God.

The cave of Machpelah near Mamre was the great tomb of the Patriarchs. This is where Isaac and Ishmael buried Abraham (Genesis 25:9). Isaac and Rebekah were both buried there (Genesis 49:31). Jacob buried Leah there (Genesis 49:31), and Joseph buried Jacob there (Genesis 50:13).

George H W Bush was buried at the Presidential Library @ A&M University, Texas next to his wife Barbara Bush.

It is believed that Jesus’s tomb is below the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City. You can read about it here. 
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/10/jesus-christ-tomb-burial-church-holy-sepulchre/

Blessings, David 


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