15 April 2010 Devotion for Today "Til Death Do Us Part" Genesis 23:1-14

Thursday, April 15, 2010

6:37 AM

 1 Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. 2 She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.

 3 Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites. [a] He said, 4 "I am an alien and a stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead."

 5 The Hittites replied to Abraham, 6 "Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead."

 7 Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. 8 He said to them, "If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf 9 so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah, which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you."

 10 Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city. 11 "No, my lord," he said. "Listen to me; I give [b] you the field, and I give [c] you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead."

 12 Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land 13 and he said to Ephron in their hearing, "Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there."

 14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 "Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels [e] of silver, but what is that between me and you? Bury your dead."

 
 

Recently, the distinguished Latin-American actor Ricardo Montalban died. Many in my generation remember him for starring the lead role as Mr. Rourke in the TV program "Fantasy Island." His personal life was uncharacteristic of most people in Hollywood. He was devoted to his wife, Georgiana Young, and married to her for over sixty years. He once said that the true mark of a man is to be able to keep one woman interested in him for a lifetime. This he did until Georgiana died two years before he did.

 
 

Truly the concluding words of some of our wedding vows are these words, "Til Death Do Us Part" meant something to them. I say for some, because it is no longer assumed that this is the case as it used to be. Recently I presided over the funeral service of a dear lady who was married to her husband for over sixty years. I read in the newspaper of an elderly couple, both past ninety, who have been married for seventy-five years. Sadly, our present generation will not be hearing or reading of these marital milestones for much longer. Instead the milestones will read of how many times people have been married, rather than for how long. Sadly, for more and more married couples, their vows may read "til death do us part," but they no longer mean them.

 
 

Thankfully this was not the case for Abraham and Sarah. In this chapter we read of the passing of Sarah, Abraham's good and godly wife for nearly one hundred years. At the end of her days, Abraham finds a place of burial for her among the Hittite people among whom he dwelled. From what we read here, it is obvious that Abraham and Sarah were well known and loved by them. Abraham goes to the leader of the Hittites, Ephron, to ask if he may purchase a cave for his wife's tomb. Ephron not only agrees, but desires to give this tomb as a gift. Abraham is grateful but will not accept it as a gift; instead he wants to pay the full price for the tomb as a fitting tribute to his late wife. Ephron accepts Abraham's gesture, and it becomes the official burial plot for Abraham's family. After this, Abraham mourns for his late wife and then goes to focus on his son Isaac to find him a wife like the one he had known.

 
 

Abraham and Sarah's marriage was a long and vivid testimony to their relationship with God. Their's was not a perfect union, for no marriage ever is. There were mistakes that were made, and difficulties at times between them. But their blessings were ever greater so long as they kept God at the center of their relationship. It can be this way for us as well. If you are married, may God give you that kind of relationship that honors the vow, "Til Death Do Us Part."

 
 

Have a blessed day!