FAITH WORTH FOLLOWING: THE TESTIMONY OF FAITH

Pastor Jonathan Falwell 

Genesis 23:1-19 NKJV

1. True faith leads to a strong witness

Gen. 23:3-6 Then Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, 4 “I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” 5 And the 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 burial places. None of us will withhold from you his burial place, that you may bury your dead.”

• After Sarah’s death, Abraham sought to bury her in the land God had promised rather than their ancestral home
  • In primitive times, being buried in a different place than one’s ancestors carried the connotation that one might not be at peace in the afterlife.[1]
• While he referred to himself as a “foreigner and a visitor” it is clear he was regarded highly by the Hittites
  • Vs 6 – my lord…mighty prince
• Kenneth Matthews says, “The Philistine Abimelech recognized that Abraham was a special recipient of divine favor (21:21). As a consequence of his stature, the Hittites exceed his request by granting any selection of “the choicest of our tombs” (v. 6) and assuring him that no one will refuse.”[2]

2. True faith leads to respect for others

Gen. 23:7-9 Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. 8 And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he has, which is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me at the full price, as property for a burial place among you.”

• Only time where Abraham bows before the people of Canaan
• He showed respect to the people although God had already promised this land
• While Abraham was clearly showing respect, he also wanted to have a burial place not situated among the Hittites

3. True faith leads to respect FROM others

Gen. 23:10-11 Now Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the presence of the sons of Heth, all who entered at the gate of his city, saying, 11 “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field and the cave that is in it; I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. I give it to you. Bury your dead!”

• It is not clear whether Ephron was truly wanting to give the land or whether he was giving in to peer pressure but the message is clear; Abraham was highly regarded in the land
• 1 Timothy 3:7 – Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside
• Ecclesiastes 7:1a A good name is better than precious ointment…
• Proverbs 22:1a A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches…

4. True faith demands integrity

Gen. 23:12-16 Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land; 13 and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If you will give it, please hear me. I will give you money for the field; take it from me and I will bury my dead there.” 14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15 “My lord, listen to me; the land is worthfour hundred shekels of silver. What is that between you and me? So bury your dead.” 16 And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out the silver for Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency of the merchants.

• Abraham was not going to allow the promise of God to be diminished by the people of the land
• Genesis 15:18-21 On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying:

“To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates—19 the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”

Takeaways:

1. You are called to be a witness in this world, trust God to accomplish it
2. Show respect to others, regardless of what they believe or how they act
3. Live your life in such a manner that you will be respected in the world

[1] https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/

[2] K. A. Mathews, Genesis 11:27–50:26, vol. 1B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005), 318.