Genesis 23.7–9 (Day 22)

Pray

Lord, prepare me to receive your word. Clear my mind and warm my heart. Assure me of your loving purposes for me, and speak into my life today.

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Genesis 23 Matthew 22 Nehemiah 12 Acts 22

Daily Reflection: Genesis 23

Today we say goodbye to Sarah, with whom you've perhaps had a rollercoaster relationship as you've read the text. We've seen her good moments and her bad moments. She's a very human person caught up here in the purposes of God. As the story unfolds, we see God's promises for Abraham continuing to unfold.

Sarah's grave is the first piece of land Abraham owns in this patch that is promised to him and his descendants. Abraham had such favour with those he'd travelled among that they offered him the land for free (verse 6, 'you are a prince among us'), though it's possible they were being super polite. His status as a 'sojourner' would have meant fewer rights so they might have been keen to hold on to the power they had over him.

But Abraham’s insistence on paying for the land meant no one else could lay claim to it; it was truly his. In doing so, he starts to take possession of the land; a tiny portion of all that’s been promised to his descendants. In this, the nitty gritty of real life – a death, a bereavement – we see more of the purpose and plan of God come to be. It's Sarah who makes the first 'home' in the promised land.

Abraham could have been persuaded or charmed into receiving the land as a gift. But he was willing to pay at the beginning to claim what he’d been promised. Where might we be tempted to take short cuts and lose out on laying claim to what could be ours?

Pray

Thank you God for the communities you've put us in and the people we share our lives with day to day. As we interact with others help us to play our full part and make our best contribution, at a personal cost where necessary.