Abraham had to buy a burial plot for Sarah. This cave became the purchased place of rest and future hope. We understand a burial plot to be a resting place, but how could it be a future hope? We must understand the burial practices of the day to begin to see how there could be hope in a burial plot.
The standard practice was to take at least the bones of the deceased back to one’s homeland. In the case of Abraham and Sarah, this would have been Mesopotamian. Even though Abraham was a foreigner among his neighbors, his hope was in the God-given promise of the land of Canaan. Abraham wasn’t presumptuous about God’s promise and paid for the plot. He refused the offer of the Hittites to bury Sarah in their cemeteries (Genesis 23:7-9) and refused to take the plot as a gift.
Promises Beyond Death
The cave Abraham purchased for Sarah’s burial became the family’s permanent burial place. Later, Abraham (25:9), Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and Jacob and his wife Leah (49:29–31; 50:13) were buried there. This burial plot was a down payment on what was to come. The land of Canaan was now Abraham’s family’s homeland.
Ironically, this was the only land that Abraham ever owned in the land of Canaan. But when he bought land to bury Sarah, he knew that God’s promises did not end with this life. Death had entered because of sin. In an earthly sense, death brings an end to hopes and dreams on this earth. But Abraham understood that God’s promises extend beyond death, and in that sense, he had hope.
Our Hope in Death
Abraham described his life in a temporary way. Genesis 23: 4 I am a sojourner and foreigner among you.[1] The word “sojourner” refers to a person living in a place other than their own home or country.[2] As human beings, our time on this earth is only temporary. King David also knew this. 1 Chronicles 29: 15 We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace. [3]
Jesus was born from the family of Abraham and is the blessing for all people. Abraham did not see it fulfilled in his lifetime, but he looked forward to it. God created us to be eternal beings. Since this earthly life is only temporary, God’s promise of eternal life demands a resurrection. We mourn death, but at the same time, as believers, we have hope.
Jesus gave a promise that still stands. John 5: 24 “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. [4]
To learn more about the purchased place of rest and future hope, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/a-journey-through-grief-and-hope
[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Ge 23:4). (2016). Crossway Bibles.
[2] Myers, A. C. (1987). SOJOURNER. In The Eerdmans Bible dictionary (p. 959). Eerdmans.
[3,4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.