Big Idea:

Abraham the sojourner mourns and lives by faith purchasing a cave to bury Sarah in

5 Parts:

1) 20-24 The family of Nahor
2) 1-2 The death of Sarah
3) 3-9 The request of Abraham to buy cave
4) 10-16 The price and Abraham’s payment
5) 17-20 The burial and deed obtained

5 Parts:

1) 20-24 The family of Nahor

5 Parts:

1) 20-24 The family of Nahor
2) 1-2 The death of Sarah

5 Parts:

1) 20-24 The family of Nahor
2) 1-2 The death of Sarah
3) 3-9 The request of Abraham to buy cave

“To weep for a loved one is to show that we have been close, that the loss is keenly felt, that death is an enemy, and that sin has brought this sad punishment upon the human race.”

James Montgomery Boice

5 Parts:

1) 20-24 The family of Nahor
2) 1-2 The death of Sarah
3) 3-9 The request of Abraham to buy cave
4) 10-16 The price and Abraham’s payment

“The point of this event was to ensure that the cave and field would be Abraham’s possession. He was not presumptuous. In faith he bought the land, taking nothing from these people (cf. 14:21–24). It was important then where people buried their dead; burial was to be done in their native land. Thus there was no going back. Though Abraham was an alien and a stranger among the people (23:4), his hope was in the land.”

Allen P. Ross

5 Parts:

1) 20-24 The family of Nahor
2) 1-2 The death of Sarah
3) 3-9 The request of Abraham to buy cave
4) 10-16 The price and Abraham’s payment
5) 17-20 The burial and deed obtained

“The promise of the land made to him back in Genesis 12:1, then, finds its initial fulfillment here. While this is but a cave and field, it nevertheless serves as a down payment on the promise that God will give the whole area to Abraham and his descendants one day.”

Phillip Bethancourt