Jesus in Genesis: Valley of the Shadow of Death

OUTLINE

1. Tears (Genesis 23:1-2)

2. Truth (Genesis 23:3-4)

3. Testimony (Genesis 23:5-6)

4. Tenacity (Genesis 23:7-20)

QUESTIONS:

1. What stuck out to you from today’s passage? What did you learn about the Gospel?

2. (Genesis 23:1-20) This passage is all about death. Everyone does something with the reality of death. The original lie was about death (Genesis 3:4). How do you process death? How does the reality, finality, and severity of death cause you to be grateful for the beauty of the Gospel?

3. (Genesis 23:1-2) Abraham wept, Jesus wept, we are commanded to weep (Romans 12:15), why do we apologize for crying? How does Jesus set us free to weep until the day He wipes every tear from every eye?

4. (Genesis 23:3-4) Abraham calls himself an alien and a stranger. The Bible calls all believers in Jesus aliens and strangers. How does it help you to know that nothing in this world can fill the void of homesickness for heaven (Philippians 3:20)?

5. (Genesis 23:5-20) Abraham is certain that God is going to keep his promise, so he buys a piece of land in the promised land. Where do you struggle to believe God for His promises? How does this impact how you travel through the valley of the shadow?

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE:

Genesis 23

Death and Burial of Sarah
1Now Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 3Then Abraham rose from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, 4“I am a stranger and a sojourner among you; give me a burial site among you that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” 5The sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, 6“Hear us, my lord, you are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our graves; none of us will refuse you his grave for burying your dead.” 7So Abraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. 8And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your wish for meto bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and approach Ephron the son of Zohar for me, 9that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he owns, which is at the end of his field; for the full price let him give it to me in your presence for a burial site.” 10Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth; even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying, 11“No, my lord, hear me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of the sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead.” 12And Abraham bowed before the people of the land. 13He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If you will only please listen to me; I will give the price of the field, accept it from me that I may bury my dead there.” 14Then Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15“My lord, listen to me; a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.” 16Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, commercial standard.17So Ephron’s field, which was in Machpelah, which faced Mamre, the field and cave which was in it, and all the trees which were in the field, that were within all the confines of its border, were deeded over 18to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. 19After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field at Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20So the field and the cave that is in it, were deeded over to Abraham for a burial site by the sons of Heth.