Genesis: Lesson 8
Overview
Three Passages in the Life of Abraham: Genesis 23–25
Life is marked by passages—the moments when we know a page has turned and what was is now different. Genesis 23–25 unfolds three such passages in Abraham's family: a death, a marriage, and a second death. Together they reveal a God who keeps his promises across generations and who anchors his people in something far more enduring than the soil beneath their feet.
The Passage of Death: Sarah and the Promised Land
Genesis 23 records the only time in Scripture a woman's age at death is given—Sarah lived 127 years—a detail that signals her unique importance in God's redemptive plan. When Abraham buys the cave of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite, paying a steep 400 shekels of silver for the field, he secures the first parcel of the land God had promised to him and his offspring. Yet his deepest hope was not in real estate. According to Hebrews 11:8-10, Abraham lived as a stranger and sojourner because "he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God." Our truest homeland is heaven. Whatever years the Lord grants us here, our occupations, neighborhoods, and daily schedules are not ends in themselves—they are arenas in which we serve him, minister to those he places before us, and bring him glory.
The Passage of Marriage: Faith Carried into the Next Generation
In Genesis 24, Abraham, blessed by the Lord in all things, sends his servant under solemn oath to find a wife for Isaac—not from among the Canaanites, but from his own kindred who worshiped the true God. His chief concern was that Isaac's wife share his faith, lest a pagan spouse pull his son away from the Lord. The servant's prayer at the well, and Rebekah's gracious response in watering his camels, display God's providential guidance at every step. Even Laban and Bethuel acknowledge, "The thing comes from the Lord."
This passage anchors a pastoral conviction repeated throughout Scripture: the most important quality in a future spouse is faith in the Lord Jesus. As Paul warns in 2 Corinthians 6:14, believers are not to be mismatched with unbelievers, "for what fellowship is there between light and darkness?" Parents and grandparents do well to pray—starting early and continuing faithfully—for the future spouses of their children and grandchildren. And for those already married to an unbeliever, 1 Peter 3:1-2 offers hope: a spouse may be "won over without a word" by a life of purity and reverence. This does not replace verbal witness; rather, a Christ-shaped life becomes the bridge over which the gospel travels.
The Passage of Death: Abraham Gathered to His People
Genesis 25:7-10 closes Abraham's earthly story: 175 years, "an old man and full of years," buried beside Sarah by his sons Isaac and Ishmael. The phrase "gathered to his people"—repeated later for Isaac and Jacob—is more than a euphemism for death. It points to the believer's hope of being reunited with the saints who have gone before. There will be no need for introductions in heaven; we will know one another and rejoice together in the presence of our Lord.
Looking Back, Looking Forward
The first twenty-five chapters of Genesis have introduced us to God's power in creation, his patience amid human rebellion, his preservation of the line that would lead to the Messiah, and his gracious call of Abraham from a pagan world. Through tests, doubts, deaths, and marriages, the theme holds steady: judgment and grace, with grace having the final word. Abraham's seed leads us forward to the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom every promise finds its yes.
Transcript
Well, good morning. 3s
What a beautiful day the Lord has given us today, huh? 5s
Wow, 70 degrees and the blue skies, what a great day the Lord has given us. 9s
Let's pray together, please. 14s
Gracious Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for your inerrant and infelible Word. 16s
We give you thanks, O Lord, for the surety of your promises. 21s
Bless us now as we open up your Word, speak to us, your servants listen in Jesus' name. 25s
Amen. 34s
Well, we studied last week, chapters 20 to 22 of Genesis, and we focused on a time of great, great testing in the life of Abraham. 35s
We talked about that there's a difference between a test and a temptation. 46s
A temptation is meant to destroy faith, a test that comes from the Lord is meant to strengthen faith. 50s
So this was a test of the Lord for Abraham, and Abraham clung to the promises of God. 58s
Even though God had said to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham believed that then God would raise him from the dead. 65s
How do we know that? Because the book of Hebrews tells us that. 74s
As Isaac was laid on the wood, Jesus was laid on the wood of the cross. 80s
As the ram died in Isaac's place, so also Christ was our substitute. 86s
As Abraham would not withhold his only son, so also the son Jesus was not withheld and God provided the Lamb. 92s
That's a richness of that story, isn't it? 103s
Well, today I want to take a look with you at chapters 23 to 25 of the book of Genesis. 107s
There are passages in our lives, right? 115s
There are those times when we know that a page has turned. 120s
The birth of a child, sending a child off to school, death of a parent, death of a spouse. 126s
Those are just passages, right? 140s
And there's a whole host of passages where we know that that which has been is now different. 142s
And we are entering into a new time. It's a time of passage. 150s
In our chapters for study today, I want to take a look with you with three passages that we see in these chapters. 158s
There's ways to help form our study this morning. 166s
And the first passage in chapter 23 of Genesis is the passage of death. 171s
So let's turn to Genesis chapter 23 verse 1. 178s
Genesis 23 verse 1. 185s
Sarah lived 127 years. 192s
This was the length of Sarah's life. 198s
Here's a little trivia for you now. 203s
Next time you're playing biblical trivia pursuit. 205s
And the question comes up that says, 210s
Who was the only woman in Scripture that they gave the age that she was when she died? 213s
Sarah, right? 222s
It was Sarah. She's the only woman in all of Scripture where the age was given. 225s
And that helps to highlight the importance of Sarah that she is the only one where the age is given. 230s
Verse 3 of chapter 23. 240s
Abraham rose up from beside his dead and said to the hitites, 246s
I'm a stranger in an alien residing among you. 250s
Give me property among you for a varying place so that I may bury my dead out of my psyche. 255s
Abraham seeks to bury his beloved Sarah in the land of the Canaan. 264s
This is the promised land. 270s
And remember that this is linked here. 272s
The promise of God said that through Abraham is going to come this line here, 275s
so offspring and the land here is linked together. 280s
And so Sarah is to be buried in the land that God had promised. 285s
Verse 7. 291s
Abraham rose and bowed to the hitites, the people of the land. 293s
He said to them, 298s
if you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, 299s
and entreat for me, Ephron, son of Zohar, 304s
so that he may give me the cave of Machbalah, which he owns. 307s
It is at the end of his field. 314s
For the full price, let him give it to me in your presence as a possession for a varying place. 317s
Now Ephron was sitting among the hitites, 325s
and Ephron the hitite answered Abraham in the hearing of the hitites, 328s
of all who went in at the gate of his city. 333s
No, my Lord, hear me. 337s
I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it in the presence of my people. 339s
I give it to you, bury your dead. 346s
Abraham offered full price to the cave, right? 350s
And Ephron countered there. 356s
Did you catch the counter? 359s
He threw in the field in addition to the cave. 361s
So he wants Abraham to buy not only the cave, 367s
he wants Abraham to buy the cave and the field. 372s
The language sounded really nice there, didn't it? 379s
But that was a counter offer that just came back. 383s
Nope. 386s
You're going to buy a little bit more. 387s
You're going to buy the field in which we find the cave, verse 12. 389s
The Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. 399s
He said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, 402s
if you will only will listen to me, 405s
I will give the price of the field, 408s
except it from me, so that I may bury my dead there. 411s
So Abraham agrees not only to buy the cave, 415s
the very Sarah, but the entire field. 418s
Verse 14. 422s
My Lord, listen to me, a piece of land worth 400 shuckles of silver. 425s
What is that between you and me? 430s
Barry, you're dead. 432s
Abraham agreed with Ephron, 435s
and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named 436s
in the hearings of the Hittites. 439s
400 shuckles of silver according to the weights, 441s
current among the merchants. 445s
Abraham did not get a good price. 449s
Wasn't a good price at all. 452s
In fact, the price that was the field that was sold for 454s
was exceedingly high, exceedingly high, 458s
and Abraham buys the cave and the field. 463s
Genesis 23 then records the first purchase of a section of a land 469s
that God had promised to Abraham and his descendants. 476s
But Abraham tells us of the ultimate residence, 482s
or we know what is in his heart of the ultimate residence, 487s
of which Abraham longed for. 492s
And that is in Hebrews 11th chapter. 494s
So let's turn to Hebrews 11. 497s
Good way to find Hebrews is to go to the last book of the New Testament. 500s
Revelation, start working backwards. 503s
We're going to cross over the Johns and the Peters. 506s
We're going to hit James, and then you're going to come to Hebrews. 509s
Hebrews 11. 513s
Verse 8. 522s
By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place 526s
that he was received as an inheritance, 532s
and he set out not knowing where he was going. 535s
By faith, he stayed for a time in the land he had promised 540s
as an afforned land, living in tents. 543s
As did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him, 546s
of the same promise. 551s
For he looked forward to the city that has foundations 554s
whose architect and builder is God. 558s
Abraham moves out to the land that God had promised, 565s
but his ultimate desire is for heaven itself. 569s
So that is a reminder, is it not, that this is temporary. 573s
This is a home. 580s
Our homeland, or as Paul talks about, our commonwealth, 583s
it can also be translated homeland. 587s
Our homeland is in heaven. 589s
That's home. 593s
We're passing through here. 595s
We're passing through. 598s
And however long the Lord gives us breath this side of heaven, 600s
we are to bring him glory. 604s
We are to serve him, serve others, bring him glory. 607s
God has given us breath, not for our occupation, 612s
but for how we can serve him through our occupation. 620s
God has given us breath, not so that we can live in this neighborhood. 624s
No, God has given us this neighborhood to live in so that we can proclaim 632s
the gospel and minister to those around us. 638s
God has given us today, not for all the details that we got to check off, 642s
I mean, hope to get done by this weekend. 651s
No, God had given us today so that through all the details, 654s
we may bring him glory and have eyes to see the serendipitous encounters 661s
that God provides when we come and we see God has placed this person in front of me today, 668s
and it is time to minister to this person. 676s
Have you ever noticed those days in our best laid plans 680s
and all of our perfectly crafted schedule for the day that God had a totally different plan for us that day? 684s
But it's God's plan, and we see then in God's plan what he is called for us today. 693s
It's all temporary. 702s
It all goes away. 704s
Our homeland is in heaven and what we're passing through here. 706s
We live to bring him glory. 713s
The first passage then that we see in this section of 23 to 25 is the passage of death, 716s
the passage of death. 725s
Second passage is the passage of marriage, the passage of marriage. 728s
Let's go back to Genesis 24, Genesis 24, and it opens up with this beautiful panorama of Abraham's life. 734s
Verse 1, Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. 746s
Well that was right back to the promise, right? 758s
Right back to God and his commitment here to Abraham and Sarah through them, 761s
the whole nations of the world will be blessed. 766s
All of the world would be blessed. 768s
And Abraham lives in this life in which there is his blessing of God that falls upon him. 771s
Verse 2, Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his house, 779s
who in charge of old the head put your hand under my thigh, 785s
and I will make you swear by the Lord the God of heaven and earth that you will not get a wife for my son, 789s
for the daughters of the canonites among whom I live. 795s
But will go to my country and to my kindred and get a wife for my son Isaac. 799s
The servant said to him, perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. 806s
Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came? 811s
Abraham said to him, see to it that you do not take my son back there. 816s
The Lord the God of heaven who took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth, 822s
and who spoke to me and swore to me, to your offspring, I will give you this land. 827s
He will send his angel before you. 833s
You shall take a wife for my son from there. 835s
But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine. 839s
Only you must not take my son back there. 845s
Seems pretty clear here, doesn't it? 849s
I mean, he's repeating the same things. 851s
So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham, his master, 854s
and swore to him concerning this matter. 858s
It was assumed here in ancient day that one would rather die than break a sacred oath before God. 864s
So what is occurring here in this picture? 875s
This is very, very serious. 878s
And what was a vital concern of Abraham was that the wife of Isaac would believe in the same God, 882s
the true God, you see, and that indeed there would be an understanding of that, 890s
that she would be a person who was a believer, and they would take part in the same way of life, 898s
of worshiping God. 905s
Abraham's concern was that if Isaac marries a canonite, 907s
if Isaac marries a pagan, that the pagan then will pull Isaac away, 913s
that will influence the belief of Isaac. 922s
The most important quality a Christian should seek in a potential mate is whether or not that person believes 929s
in the Lord Jesus. 942s
The most important quality is belief in Jesus for a potential mate. 945s
Let's look at 2 Corinthians, the 6th chapter, please. 953s
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and Romans, 1 Corinthians, and then 2 Corinthians. 958s
2 Corinthians, chapter 6, verse 14, 2 Corinthians, 6, verse 14. 965s
Here, Paul, writing under the inspiration of the spirit writes this, 976s
do not be mismatched with unbelievers. 983s
For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness, 987s
or what fellowship is there between light and darkness? 990s
What agreement is Christ have with Balaire, or what is a believer, share with an unbeliever? 994s
What agreement has the temple of God with idols? 1000s
For we are the temple of the living God, as God said, 1004s
I will live in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, 1009s
and they shall be my people. 1013s
The most important quality to seek in a potential mate is whether 1017s
is that they believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. 1024s
The believer and the unbeliever should not be mismatched. 1032s
Parents, grandparents, pray for your children, 1037s
and pray for your grandchildren, that indeed the Lord would guide and bless your child, 1043s
your grandchild, to a believer. 1054s
Pray for their future spouse. 1059s
The most beautiful things I ever heard was when my parents, when they met Denise, 1063s
they said, so you are the one that we prayed for all of these years. 1072s
I mean, how gorgeous is that to know that since I was just knee-high to a grasshopper here, 1079s
that they were praying one day for my future spouse. 1088s
That's a great prayer to pray. 1094s
You just kind of continue it. 1097s
You have grandkids, great grandkids, just keep praying there for their future spouse one day. 1101s
What can a Christian who is married to an un-Christian do? 1109s
Scripture answers that. 1116s
Let's go to 1 Peter, the third chapter, 1 Peter chapter 3. 1118s
So turn to Revelation and work backwards, and cross over the John's and he hit the Peter's. 1125s
1 Peter chapter 3, verse 1. 1132s
Wives in the same way, accept the authority of your husbands. 1145s
So that, even if some of them do not obey the word, they may be won over without a word by their wife's conduct. 1150s
When they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 1160s
Now that word there accept the authority, it also can be translated to be subject to or submit to. 1166s
Remember the passage in Ephesians that says submit to one another. 1172s
Scripture does not give us an authority structure within the marital relationship. 1176s
Headship is not who in charge is a word that means source, origin of. 1187s
So when it talks about the husband being the head of the wife, you see in Scripture that that's referring right back to Adam and Eve here. 1194s
That the woman had her source, her origin, out of the man. 1203s
It is not as sometimes you'll hear people teach kind of like the husbands, the general and the wife's sergeant. 1210s
No, no, no. 1220s
That is just such a misuse of Scripture and it's a misuse of interpretive mistake on there. 1222s
Because you're not dealing with the original language in that. 1232s
So here when it's talking about authority of, you translate that submit. 1236s
All you're getting right back is in Ephesians 5 where it says submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 1240s
That's that mutual submitting, counting the other is more important than oneself. 1247s
And the beautiful picture here is if a Christian is married to a non-Christian, 1254s
one can witness without words, right? 1260s
Don't take that too far to say we don't witness without words. 1267s
Because the Scripture has two truths here that indeed we witness through even non-verbaly, right? 1272s
But there almost always must be the verbal witness. 1280s
It's kind of a non-verbal and image is a bridge over which the word travels. 1284s
So sometimes you'll hear an argument that may, you know, I can witness to the Lord Jesus Christ without ever sharing the word of the gospel. 1292s
That doesn't hold the whole breath of Scripture together. 1304s
Because how is it that one comes to faith? 1307s
Scripture tells us that one comes to faith by hearing, by hearing. 1310s
The actions, those can be that which establishes bridge over which the words cross. 1315s
So just as for example, James talks about the importance of work. 1324s
And Paul is talking about we're not saved by works. 1330s
Well Romans and James, they don't contradict each other, they compliment one another. 1335s
James is talking about the works that come naturally by faith. 1340s
Paul is talking about we are not saved by what it is that we do by our works. 1344s
You see, it's not contradictory, they compliment. 1352s
So when the emphasis is on 1 Peter, the 3rd chapter, on witnessing without a word, 1356s
that doesn't contradict all of the passages that say it's really important to share the word. 1363s
See, you hold it together. You let Scripture interpret the Scripture. 1371s
Okay, back to Genesis 24, Genesis 24, verse 10. 1377s
Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, 1390s
taking all kinds of choice and gifts from his master. 1395s
And he set out and went to Aram Nahareyaa to the city of Nehore. 1398s
He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water, it was toward evening, 1407s
the time when women go out to draw water. 1412s
There's going to be a showering of a perfect, prospective bride here, right, with gifts. 1417s
That's exactly why the servant is going with all of the gifts. 1423s
Then this beautiful touching prayer, verse 12, and he said, oh Lord God of my master Abraham, 1427s
please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. 1434s
I'm standing here by the spring of water and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. 1440s
Let the girl to whom I shall say, please offer your jar that I may drink. 1447s
And who shall say, drink and I will water your camels, let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant, 1453s
Isaac. By this I shall know that you have chosen steadfast love to my master. 1460s
Verse 15, before he had finished speaking, there was Rebecca, 1470s
who was born to Bethuel, son of Milka, the wife of Nehore, Abraham's brother, 1479s
coming out with her water jar on her shoulder. 1486s
The girl was very fair to look upon a virgin whom no man had known. 1490s
She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up, then the servant ran to meet her and said, 1495s
please let me sip a little water from your jar. 1500s
Drink my Lord, she said, and quickly lowered her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. 1504s
When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, 1511s
I will draw for your camels also until they have finished drinking. 1514s
So she quickly emptied her jar into the drawer and ran again to the well to draw, 1521s
and she drew for all his camels. 1526s
Verse 28, 1532s
then the girl ran and told her mother's household about these things. 1534s
Rebecca had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the man to the spring. 1539s
As soon as he had seen the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister's arms, 1546s
and when he had heard the words of his sister Rebecca, 1550s
thus the man spoke to me. 1553s
He went to the man and there he was, standing by the camels at the spring. 1555s
He said, come in, oh blessed of the Lord. 1561s
Why do you stand outside when I prepared the camel, 1565s
when I prepared the house and a place for the camels? 1567s
Laban's comments here, 1574s
Laban's comments in verse 31 and verse 50, 1577s
tell us that Laban and his family worshiped the true God. 1582s
Go back in, he said, he said, come in, oh blessed of the Lord, 1588s
and then jump down to 50. 1593s
Then Laban and Bethouleh answered, 1596s
the thing comes from the Lord, 1599s
we cannot speak to you anything bad or good. 1601s
Verse 52, 1608s
when Abraham served, heard their words, 1610s
he bowed himself to the ground before the Lord. 1613s
And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold and garments 1617s
and gave them to Rebecca. 1620s
He also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments. 1621s
Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank, 1626s
and they spent the night there when they rose in the morning. 1629s
He said, send me back to my master. 1631s
Her brother and her mother said, let the girl remain with us a while, 1635s
at least 10 days after that she may go. 1638s
But he said to them, do not delay me since the Lord has made my journey success. 1642s
Well, let me go that I may go to my master. 1647s
They said, we will call the girl and ask her, 1651s
and they called Rebecca and said to her, will you go with this man? 1653s
She said, I will. 1657s
Rebecca's marriage here, 1662s
to Abraham's son, Isaac, 1664s
makes Rebecca then part of the process whereby the people and the world 1668s
are going to be blessed. 1675s
Whereby this line is going to continue and out of this line will come the Messiah. 1678s
Third passage is a second death, a second death. 1687s
The first passage was death, second passage marriage, 1692s
and now the third passage in these chapters is that of death. 1697s
Let's go to chapter 25 verse 7. 1703s
This is the length of Abraham's life, 175 years. 1708s
Abraham breathed to the glass and died in a good old age, 1715s
an old man and full of years and was gathered to his people. 1720s
His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Makhbalah 1727s
in the field of Ephraim, son of Zohar, the Hittite, east of memory. 1733s
The field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites, 1738s
there Abraham was buried with his wife, Sarah. 1741s
The phrase there that he was gathered to his people, 1748s
it's such a beautiful phrase. 1752s
Later on, that's going to be said with regard to Isaac and with regard to Jacob. 1755s
It's a euphemism for death. 1762s
It's like what we would say they passed away. 1765s
But this phrase gathered to one's people. 1770s
It expresses this beautiful reality. 1774s
That for the believer, when death comes, 1778s
we will be united with those believers that have gone before us. 1784s
We will be part once again of that family. 1790s
We will be gathered to our people and we will know one another. 1795s
We'll know one another. 1800s
There's going to be no introductions among us in heaven. 1802s
No. When we come to heaven, we will know we will recognize one another. 1806s
And what a gorgeous and beautiful day of that will be. 1814s
The passage is then in these chapters, death, marriage, and second death. 1820s
In the first 25 chapters, then, of Genesis, 1828s
we've been introduced to God. 1831s
We've been introduced to his plan for creation and people in his response to people's rebellion. 1834s
We've studied about God in his power. 1841s
We've seen two lines of people, one from Seth and one from Cain. 1845s
We saw how God patiently, patiently, protected of people 1852s
so that the lifeline to the Messiah would come. 1857s
We saw him call Abraham from a pagan world, a moon worshiper, 1861s
transforming his and Sarah's heart. 1868s
We saw a life of faith in Abraham that was punctuated by human doubts. 1872s
We saw a theme in Genesis of judgment and grace. 1880s
We see the story of our covenant, Lord, and his way with humanity, the way of grace. 1885s
Abraham's seed would lead to the birth that displays God's grace for all. 1895s
For out of that lifeline would come the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 1903s
Well, what about the next 25 and a half chapters? 1910s
I'm glad you asked. 1917s
Because in February, for Sunday and February, I'm going to pick up right where we left off. 1920s
And we're going to study the rest of Genesis. 1926s
We're going to see the various stories here, and they're just incredible. 1928s
And we're going to see the past, present, and we're going to see what God is up to in the lives of people and in the lives of us today. 1933s
Next Sunday, Pastor Melanick starts a five week class. 1946s
It's entitled Tabernacle. 1949s
It's really a fascinating subject to study. 1951s
The Tabernacle was where God dwelled with the Israelites, 1955s
and it gives a foreshadowing, foreshadowing, of our eternal home in heaven. 1959s
So she'll start that class for five weeks on the Tabernacle. 1965s
It's a great, great subject. 1969s
I commend that opportunity to you. 1970s
God's blessings. 1972s