Memorial

Memorial

  

This is a monument that speaks every day.

What if it never existed?

What would it mean to liberty

for us as Americans?

The other day I was thinking about the Statue of Liberty.

On October 28th 1886,

the dedication of the Statue of Liberty

took place in front of thousands of spectators.

Since that time,

Americans have been reminded

of the value of liberty.

I questioned what would Americans be like

without that Lady

standing in the New York harbor?

A couple years ago,

Sandy and I walked through a cemetery.

I have always enjoyed reading tombstones

and that day was no exception.

That day I was impacted by the testimonies

to the faith in God

and heaven on the stones.

Maybe the cemetery is the greatest place to evangelize.

I have always been cost conscience

and spending money on things

that don’t have a practical function

are rarely on my shopping list.

But I think the Statue of Liberty

and the headstones with testimonies to God

are worth every penny.

That is the story of our Scripture Reading today.

When Sarah died,

Abraham was very concerned that Sarah’s body

would be properly buried.

Abraham picked the best tomb and setting.

He demanded that he pay for it

so that he owned the deed.

There is a song that says:

“This world is not my home

I am just passing through.”

I am sure Abraham believed that Sarah

had just passed through

and the earth was no longer her home.

Never the less,

he was very concerned

that she had a proper burial

to honored her in death

and create a memorial.

I like the idea that after I die,

I can still have an effect

on people’s lives.

Scripture Reading

Genesis 23 The Message

23:1 Sarah lived 127 years.

2 Sarah died in Kiriath Arba, present-day Hebron, in the land of Canaan.

Abraham mourned for Sarah and wept.

3 Then Abraham got up from mourning his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites:

4 "I know I'm only an outsider here among you,

but sell me a burial plot so that I can bury my dead decently."

5 The Hittites responded,

6 "Why, you're no mere outsider here with us, you're a prince of God!

Bury your dead wife in the best of our burial sites.

None of us will refuse you a place for burial."

7 Then Abraham got up, bowed respectfully to the people of the land, the Hittites,

8 and said, "If you're serious about helping me give my wife a proper burial,

intercede for me with Ephron son of Zohar.

9 Ask him to sell me the cave of Machpelah that he owns,

the one at the end of his land.

Ask him to sell it to me at its full price for a burial plot, with you as witnesses."

10 Ephron was part of the local Hittite community.

Then Ephron the Hittite spoke up,

answering Abraham with all the Hittites who were part of the town council listening:

11 "Oh no, my master! I couldn't do that.

The field is yours — a gift. I'll give it and the cave to you.

With my people as witnesses, I give it to you.

Bury your deceased wife."

12 Abraham bowed respectfully before the assembled council

13 and answered Ephron:

"Please allow me — I want to pay the price of the land;

take my money so that I can go ahead and bury my wife."

14 Then Ephron answered Abraham, 15 "If you insist, master.

What's four hundred silver shekels between us?

Now go ahead and bury your wife."

16 Abraham accepted Ephron's offer

and paid out the sum that Ephron had named before the town council of Hittites

— four hundred silver shekels at the current exchange rate.

17 That's how Ephron's field next to Mamre

— the field, its cave, and all the trees within its borders —  

18 became Abraham's property.

The town council of Hittites witnessed the transaction.

19 Abraham then proceeded to bury his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah that is next to Mamre, present-day Hebron, in the land of Canaan.

20 The field and its cave went from the Hittites

into Abraham's possession as a burial plot.