Tag: Abraham

God of Heaven and Earth

Posted on by jovial_cynic

Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household who was in charge of all that he owned, “Please place your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live.
Genesis 24:2-3 (NASB)

For the first time in Scripture, we see this phrase: “the God of heaven and the God of earth.”

The rabbis note that Abraham says this while in the Promised Land, but never says it while in Egypt or in Haran. Perhaps it’s a statement about the Holy Land. It is specially designated as God’s special place.

But there is a hint of divine parable in the phrase. In Genesis 1, God “created the heavens and the earth,” so we understand that God made them… together. To be together, like a man and his wife.

This chapter is about marriage and covenant, and how God establishes a union over an impossible distance.

Under Abraham’s Thigh

Posted on by jovial_cynic

Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household who was in charge of all that he owned, “Please place your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live.
Genesis 24:2-3 (NASB)

Some rabbis wondered if “under my thigh” meant for the servant to grab hold of Abraham’s circumcision, as that was tied to covenant.

But many disagree, and suggest that “sitting on the hands” was symbolic of binding the servant to an action.

All Things

Posted on by jovial_cynic

Abraham was now old, advanced in years, and יהוה had blessed Abraham in all things.
Genesis 24:1 (The Contemporary Torah, JPS 2006)

I sometimes wonder if the Hebrew gematria (the system for finding numeric values of words based on the letters) is merely a helpful aid for memorizing scripture, or if it is also a part of the story.

ברך את אברהם בכל [THE LORD HAD] BLESSED ABRAHAM IN ALL THINGS — The numerical value of the word בכל is equal to that of בן (a son) — suggesting that God had blessed Abraham with a son and since he had a son he had to find him a wife.
Rashi on Genesis 24:1

For Abe to be blessed with “all things” and “a son” is fascinating.

Honoring Sarah

Posted on by jovial_cynic

And then Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field of Machpelah, facing Mamre–now Hebron–in the land of Canaan.
Genesis 23:19 (The Contemporary Torah, JPS, 2006)

One of my favorite things to find in Genesis is how much attention is given to the women.

Here in Genesis 23, we see the great lengths that Abraham takes to ensure a place of honor for his wife.

Consequently, Sarah’s burial site is established as a timeless memorial. Permanent. Forever.

What an honor for Sarah.

After Sarah is buried, the text reiterates that the field and all within it became Abraham’s rightful possession. Thus Sarah’s grave is the first permanent, legal presence in the land promised to Abraham and to their descendants.
The Torah: A Women’s Commentary on Genesis on Genesis 23:19

Trees of Remembrance

Posted on by jovial_cynic

So Ephron’s field, which was in Machpelah, which faced Mamre, the field and the 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.
Genesis 23:17 (NASB)

Genesis 23 goes into repetitive detail about Sarah’s burial site. Of all the things that are mentioned, it’s interesting that the Trees of Mamre are mentioned here.

They’ve been mentioned before.

Then Abram moved his tent and came and lived by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron; and there he built an altar to the Lord.
Genesis 13:18 (NASB)

The first time, it’s in Genesis 13 after Abram is delivered from Egypt, and after Abram and Lot separate. God says to Abram, “for all the land which you see I will give to you and to your descendants forever.”

The trees stand to remind us of this perpetual Promise.

Then a survivor came and told Abram the Hebrew. Now he was residing by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, and they were allies with Abram.
Genesis 14:13 (NASB)

The next time the trees show up, Abram and his friends are told about Lot having been captured by Empire.

Here, the trees stand as a reminder of God’s Promise to rescue. God is faithful.

Now the Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day.
Genesis 18:1 (NASB)

Next, it’s when God appears to Abraham to announce that Sarah will have the Promised son, Isaac.

The trees stand to remind us of the first promise, but the promise is clarified: it’s not just for Abraham, but also for Sarah.

And finally, the trees are here in Genesis 23, where Sarah is honored and memorialized by a permanent contract, which serves as another everlasting Promise.

But a Promise about what? In this moment of Abraham’s grief over Sarah’s death, what do the trees tell us?

Perhaps they whisper in the wind, “Even in death, I am with you.”

The end is not the end. The trees that stood to remind us of the Promise made in the beginning still stand to remind us of the same Promise at the end. “When I said forever, I meant forever.”

Negotiating with Death

Posted on by jovial_cynic
In Genesis 23, we meet Ephron, the Hittite.

According to Strong’s Concordance, it means “fawn-like,” but if you keep digging into the word root, you end up with an entirely different meaning that ends up being a much clearer theological message.

When Sarah dies, Abraham buys a plot of land to bury her. There’s this whole dialog in the chapter about this, and we learn that the owner of the land Abraham wishes to buy is Ephron.

Because Genesis is a series of lessons and themes, “fawn-like” seems a bit out of context.

You’d think Ephron’s name would be linked to death, or burial. Or maybe a transaction. We already know that “Heth” means terror, so there should be a link.

As it turns out, Ephron’s name (עֶפְרוֹן) is rooted in the Hebrew word aphar (עָפָר). This is the answer.

The Hebrew reader of Genesis 23 should see this clearly. This is dust.

It’s the same dust God used to make man in Genesis 2:7. The same dust to which man is doomed to return in Genesis 3:19.

But also the same dust of the promise in Genesis 13:16.

I will make your descendants as plentiful as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can count the dust of the earth, then your descendants could also be counted.
Genesis 13:16 (NASB)

So this conversation between Abraham and Ephron isn’t just a transaction over a plot of land or a cave to bury his wife.

Perhaps it’s meant to be seen as a negotiation with death, and a price that’s paid to claim a sacred spot within the dust.

Abraham Came to Mourn

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Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham came in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
Genesis 23:2 (NASB)

In the Hebrew, it’s וַיָּבֹא֙ (vayavo) which means movement from one place to another. It appears that the text tells us Sarah’s location because Abraham was not there when she died.

So where was he?

Perhaps the Binding of Isaac in the previous chapter isn’t merely a story about a man who is asked to sacrifice his son, but also a story about a man who loses his wife while being obedient to God.

A son loses his mother in the same way.

What is the cost of obedience?