SMALL THINGS
Have you ever scratched your head and said, “How does a person have an opinion so clearly based upon faulty evidence?” A person’s perspective is governed by the lens they look through. Physiological, environmental, and sociological factors, play a major role in the manufacture of every lens. Because humans have the unique ability to process information and create on an unmatched scale, perspective has a amazing impact upon the future. Let us pause and meditate upon this question, “What if I create a future that is uninhabitable?”
The wilderness provides a pure lens, uninfected by the other’s perspectives. Over a short time, this purity can wash away the role destructive perspectives have played in the manufacture of our lens. Our mind is emptied of many voices, providing a moment of clarity that may gift the pioneer with the ability to discover “The Way” to an abundant life. Abraham had a very special lens through which he discovered the way to claim God’s promise.
The story of Sarah’s death and burial is one of the most profound in the Bible. It is the moment Abraham claimed ownership of God’s promise. Sarah’s death is covered by two verses in Genesis 23, whereas the remainder of the chapter describes the purchase of her burial place. Immediately following the purchase of Sarah’s burial place, the biblical narrative moves to the transition from Abraham to Isaac and Abraham’s death. The purchase of Sarah’s burial site was the first time a Hebrew was allowed to purchase a deed of ownership to what would become Israel. The wilderness lens enables the owner to know the power of small things.
Then Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, “I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, “Hear us, my lord: You are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. None of us will withhold from you his burial place, that you may bury your dead.” Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he has, which is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me at the full price, as property for a burial place among you.” Now Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the presence of the sons of Heth, all who entered at the gate of his city, saying, “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field and the cave that is in it; I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. I give it to you. Bury your dead!” Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land; and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If you will give it, please hear me. I will give you money for the field; take it from me and I will bury my dead there.” And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, “My lord, listen to me; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. What is that between you and me? So bury your dead.” And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out the silver for Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency of the merchants. So the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place. Genesis 23: 3-20
The wilderness provides a pure lens, uninfected by the other’s perspectives. Over a short time, this purity can wash away the role destructive perspectives have played in the manufacture of our lens. Our mind is emptied of many voices, providing a moment of clarity that may gift the pioneer with the ability to discover “The Way” to an abundant life. Abraham had a very special lens through which he discovered the way to claim God’s promise.
The story of Sarah’s death and burial is one of the most profound in the Bible. It is the moment Abraham claimed ownership of God’s promise. Sarah’s death is covered by two verses in Genesis 23, whereas the remainder of the chapter describes the purchase of her burial place. Immediately following the purchase of Sarah’s burial place, the biblical narrative moves to the transition from Abraham to Isaac and Abraham’s death. The purchase of Sarah’s burial site was the first time a Hebrew was allowed to purchase a deed of ownership to what would become Israel. The wilderness lens enables the owner to know the power of small things.
Then Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, “I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, “Hear us, my lord: You are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. None of us will withhold from you his burial place, that you may bury your dead.” Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he has, which is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me at the full price, as property for a burial place among you.” Now Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the presence of the sons of Heth, all who entered at the gate of his city, saying, “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field and the cave that is in it; I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. I give it to you. Bury your dead!” Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land; and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If you will give it, please hear me. I will give you money for the field; take it from me and I will bury my dead there.” And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, “My lord, listen to me; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. What is that between you and me? So bury your dead.” And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out the silver for Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency of the merchants. So the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place. Genesis 23: 3-20
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