Daily Devotions
My Song In The Night (Genesis)
我夜间的歌曲《创世记》
Text: Genesis 23: 3-6
MEDITATION
Genesis 23:3-6
3 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.”
MEANINGFUL APPLICATION TO LIFE
1. Honouring of the memory of the dead
a. Abraham met with the sons of Heth who were the land-owners of Hebron.
b. Mourning for Sarah was good and important. But that was not enough.
c. He needed to give her a decent burial and sought to purchase land for burial purposes.
2. The humility of Abraham
a. He spoke of himself as a “foreigner and visitor” in Hebron.
b. He asked permission to bury Sarah with dignity.
3. The response of the sons of Heth
a. They respected Abraham as “a mighty prince”.
b. They offered help.
i. Abraham may choose where he would bury Sarah.
ii. There would be no objection from them at all.
c. They spoke with great respect for Abraham.
4. The gift of the land of Canaan
a. God had promised the land to Abraham and his descendants.
b. However, Abraham knew that this was not the time to “claim” the land (Cf. Genesis 15).
c. In the meantime, he must act with great civility and humility.
d. Abraham did the right thing when he humbly asked the sons of Heth for land to bury the dead.
经文:创世记 23:3-6
沉思
《创世记 23:3-6》
3“后来亚伯拉罕从死人面前起来,对赫人说:
4‘我在你们中间是外人,是寄居的。求你们在这里给我一块地,我好埋葬我的死人,使她不在我眼前。’
5 赫人回答亚伯拉罕说:6‘我主请听,你在我们中间是一位尊大的王子,只管在我们最好的坟地里埋葬你的死人,我们没有一人不容你在他的坟地里埋葬你的死人。’”