Death of Sarah

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<= = = Hello sir, it has been a long time. Have you been busy?

Issy, I desired to come see you sooner, but was constrained, things have been a bit crazy.

<= = = Is that the Iran thing?

To be honest with you Issy, the passing of Michael Jackson had more impact on the the minds of people during the time I was gone than the "Iran thing". But I am glad to be here now. We will be talking about the passing of Abraham's wife Sarah.

Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Several Midrashim connect the near sacrifice of Issac to the death of Sarah, died in a panic, died of sadness, her cries are the six cries of the shofar and such, but actually a hundred and twenty-seven years is a good long time, the plain truth Issy is that she died of old age and a good long marriage to Abraham if you can overlook the being passed of as his sister and the indiscretion with Hagar and what marriage doesn't have its bumps?

This was a very sad moment for Abraham. Issy, they had traveled together for so many years, they were very close so then Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.

Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites, the children of Heth, a Canaanite nation. He said, "I am an alien and a stranger among you. I have no property here, I am a sojourner through this land. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead." The Hittites replied to Abraham, of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead." Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. Please intercede with Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf 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."

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. "No, my lord," he said. "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." Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land 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."

<= = = So this is bartering of some sort? Ephron offers to give the field for free and Abraham offers full price, but this is the reverse of normal bartering, both of them are starting at their bargaining limit.

Wisely said Issy, if it were your fate to become a businessman, you would be most skilled. Abraham is revered, a legend and the Hittites want to show respect. Abraham knows though, that his time on earth is limited and his household is but a few compared to the Hittite nation so he wants to blend in.

The bargaining continues, Ephron answered Abraham, "Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, a vastly overstated price, but what is that between me and you? Bury your dead."

Abraham, who was greatly rich, agreed to Ephron's overpriced terms really surprising the Hittites listening to the negotiation and weighed out for Ephron the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weight current among the merchants.

Ephron's field in Machpelah near Mamre--both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field--was deeded to Abraham as his property in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city, where the elders sat for business transactions just like this one.

This and another field with a cave Abraham purchased in Shechem were the first steps in fulfilling God's promise that all of this land would belong to the descendants of Abraham.

Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre (which is at Hebron) in the land of Canaan.

<= = = Mamre, isn't that where he built the altar. But Mamre is also the name of the Mishneh Torah that my father uses.

Yes, exactly, the place had a very strong significance to Abraham and will have a strong significance to all of the patriarchs. And yes, the Mechon Mamre ( Mamre Institute ) are scholars of the word.

So the field and the cave in it were deeded to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.

Rebekah is born

Good afternoon Issy, that is some story about Iran, yes? What have you heard?

< = = = I understand some folks are calling President Ahmadinejad "The George Bush of the Middle East" because he is such a cowboy, Hamas and Syria were quick to show support. I read that the rival candidate, the more moderate Mousavi has been arrested. Some reports say the election was not fair and there is rioting in Iran. At one point they cut cell phone service, which was interesting because text messaging was a big part of Mousavi's campaign organization strategy.

A very powerful tool for a totalitarian government, cutting cell phone service isn't it? Expect to see that card pulled again in the next few years. And you can expect to see an increase in Qassam rockets fired into Israel. Abraham's children continue to contend with each other. But let's return to the story of Abraham. After the test concerning Issac was complete, Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided."

The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."

<= = = And the Christian faith takes this only son statement as a reference to Jesus Christ, yes?

Yes, though there are differences, they generally state the Angel of the Lord is Christ, speaking about Christ. Issy, we can talk about Christ, Redeemers and Messiah at another time, in fact we should, but there are two points I want you to take from this reading so far.

The first is repetition, God is not senile so when he repeats himself it is not because of memory failure. Rather God is emphasizing how important this promise is, to make Abraham's descendants numerous and that through his offspring the world will be blessed. You have seen this as a unilateral promise, a bilateral covenant, but the point is it will be so.

The second is the only son thing, God is telling Abraham again, that the son of promise, the son of the covenant is Issac. Just because Abraham slept with his wife's handmaiden Hagar does obligate God to bless that offspring. God does to some extent, the children of Ishmael will be numerous, a mighty nation and right now Islam is the fastest growing population group in Europe. But they are not the children of promise.

Then Abraham returned to his servants from Mount Moriah, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba. Some time later Abraham was told about an increase in his tribe back in Ur, "Milcah is also a mother; she has borne sons to your brother Nahor: Uz the firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel (the father of Aram), Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel." Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milcah bore these eight sons to Abraham's brother Nahor. His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also had sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maacah.

God tests Abraham

Hello Issy, that was a terrible tragedy yesterday at the Holocaust Museum. Have you spoken with your parents about this?

< = = = Yes, but I do not understand. He wasn't stupid, he was a member of Mensa like my parents. Yet he did not believe the Holocaust happened. I can't make sense of it, in my own life I have spoken with people that were in the concentration camp. And this after the attempted bombings of the synagogues, why do people hate us Jews? What did we do?

God's chosen race, anyone that is against God is against you. But, make sure you see the positive, despite von Brunn's intelligence, his hatred blinded him. Of course the Holocaust happened, what did President Obama say?, "I am shocked and saddened by today's shooting at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. This outrageous act reminds us that we must remain vigilant against anti-Semitism and prejudice in all its forms. No American institution is more important to this effort than the Holocaust Museum, and no act of violence will diminish our determination to honor those who were lost by building a more peaceful and tolerant world." I don't know that you will see a more tolerant world as God's restraining force diminishes, but the more the saber rattles, the more you will see His hand on Israel. But you do not want to be one of those confused reformed Jews that doesn't know the scriptures from the Wall Street Journal do you? We will not have any more trouble from von Brunn, let us get started shall we?

< = = = May I ask one more question sir. They say von Brunn is a white supremacist, but I am white. I don't understand.

Issy, I say it again. You are sealed, you are different, you are chosen. And not everyone, but many people can see that, sense that, know that. Those that hate God, hate you. And the time is coming soon when those that hate God will vastly outnumber those that love God.

<= = = What happens then?

That, I will share with you after Bar Mitzvah, but the short answer is: God prevails. Now, time is ticking and we must get to the lesson, so some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," Abraham replied.
Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

Now notice this characteristic of Abraham, he embraces each day, he does not sleep when there is work to be done or a mission to be accomplished. Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place, Moriah, in the distance.

Abraham said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you."

< = = = Hold it! "We will come back to you" God has told Abraham to sacrifice Issac.

And so he will, but he believes God's promises as well. All of these years Abraham has listened to God and mostly followed, they have a relationship, Abraham has trust. Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

< = = = Woah, as a son, I would like to comment this is really heavy, especially if you read the news.

Sure Issy, but there was no news and we learn something about Issac's character as well. He trusts Abraham who told him God himself will provide the lamb. Keep in mind Abraham is of seriously advanced age, but Issac is a strapping young man. Who carried the wood? Issac carried the wood. Ever carry wood? Enough for a sacrifice? Issac carried it a long way. Issac was twenty five years old at the time at the peak of the speed of his reflexes. Abraham was an awesome warrior, but Issac had Abraham's genes, in a pitched battle there was only one possible outcome Issac wins. However Issac, who carried the wood, the wood he would be sacrificed on, all the way up the mountain, laid down willingly; trust. And as we see, trust that was well placed. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.

Abimelech and Abraham make a treaty, even two

Hello Izzy, it is good to see you. This afternoon we are going to have an interesting event, Abimelech, as pagan a king as ever, has noticed that Abraham has the call of God on his life. So, Abimelech came with Phicol, his army commander, to visit Abraham. "It is clear that God helps you in everything you do," Abimelech said. "Swear to me in God's name that you won't deceive me, my children, or my grandchildren. I have been loyal to you, so now swear that you will be loyal to me and to this country in which you are living."

Abraham replied, "All right, I swear to it!"

Then Abraham took the opportunity and complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech's servants had taken violently from Abraham's servants. "This is the first I've heard of it," Abimelech said. "And I have no idea who is responsible. Why didn't you say something about this before?" Then Abraham gave sheep and oxen to Abimelech, and they made a treaty.

But when Abraham took seven additional ewe lambs and set them off by themselves, Abimelech asked, "Why are you doing that?" Abraham replied, "They are my gift to you as a public confirmation that I dug this well."

<= = = Sir, you said that Abraham was a great warrior, why didn't he just take the well back?

The scriptural record is clear that Abraham was a great warrior and partly because he never, ever picked a fight. He avoided conflict with Lot, with Pharaoh and with Abimelech. He even tried to avoid conflict between Sarah and Hagar, but that wasn't on the table. If you fight every battle that comes your way, you end up exhausted and unable to fight the battles that matter.

God had told Abraham to come to this place. His descendants would one day own it all if they kept God's commandments. Abraham could dig another well, but this was a godless, lawless place and Abraham used the opportunity to tell Abimelech that. If he had to fight he would. And he would win decisively, Abraham knew that. But after the battle, every third cousin of a fallen Gerarian would slip back in under cover of darkness to avenge family and make off with spoils for their trouble. Abraham gives Issac a special inheritance, in addition to servants and livestock, he gives him a good reputation in the land.

So ever since, that place has been known as Beersheba--"well of the oath"--because that was where they had sworn an oath. After making their covenant, Abimelech left with Phicol, the commander of his army, and they returned home to the land of the Philistines. Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and he worshiped the LORD, El Owlam, the Eternal or everlasting God, at that place. And Abraham lived in Philistine country for a long time.

< = = = Could planting that tree lead to idolatry sir, you said the Philistines worshipped their gods in groves of trees?

"I suppose if you bow down to the tree and call it your god it could be idolatry", Mr. Comfort said with a gentle smile. But planting trees is one thing that sets the people of Israel apart from the rest of the world. You take an American or worse, a South American and show them a tree and they start itching for their chain saw or bulldozer. Show an African a tree and they start breaking off limbs for their cooking fire. Show an Israeli land without a tree and they try to find a way to plant a tree there.

<= = = I guess that is true, sir, when I was born my father planted ten trees in Israel with the Jewish National Fund. I have the certificate in my life scrapbook. And I learned about the importance of trees in school, the roots help prevent erosion and they bring water and minerals to the surface. Abraham set a good example for all of us.