GENESIS
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Notes on Genesis 23
Here Abraham was promised all this land and yet he was respectful enough of the present inhabitants that he wanted to purchase land for burying his family members. He knew the land would be given to his seed after him but he was not high-minded and arrogant about that fact but just waited and trusted God to bring it about in His own time. Notice that the age of Sarah was 127 years old when she died. It looks as if God blessed them with strength and health. Also perhaps the sin of the world around them had not gotten so bad that disease shortened lives like it does in more modern times. Some diseases are inherited also and the lifespan is shortened. Sin actually causes this both directly and indirectly through no fault of our own, just a victim of our the times we live in and how bad the people before us lived. Once we start rejecting God and ignoring His word, human life shortens because what He gives is for not just our eternal life but He teaches us how to live in order to avoid many diseases. We should read the Jewish dietary laws sometimes to improve our health.
These men recognized that Abraham was favored of God and that having him dwell near and to treat him kindly would probably grant God's favor to them also. They were willing to give Abraham this place of burial without receiving any money. Abraham though would have none of that. Just as he refused to receive any rewards offered to him by the King of Sodom, he also refused this free place of burial but insisted on paying for it. Notice too the customs of that day. Bowing to the people Abraham was communicating with was not a sign of worship but a sign of respect. There is a difference. In America we shake someone's hand and greet people to show respect but in some countries bowing and sometimes kissing is a sign of respect. How different was Abraham to many spiritual leaders today who think they are entitled to fleece the flock of God and take from poor widows even. Some of them live in huge mansions and think that God has blessed them in those things. Abraham was rich and God did bless him with riches and increase but he didn't get rich by taking from someone else. His riches didn't possess him. He did not devour widow's houses. I believe he would have been just as happy having very little but he needed a lot to be able to give support and substance to all his herdsmen and their families. His heart wasn't in his riches. He increased in riches to provide a living for others. I use caution though in saying these things. Those that leave secular jobs to give themselves over to the work of God like pastoring a church, working in missions etc. need funds to live on just like the rest of us do, so to give to them is necessary. They are not fleecing the flock but receiving free will offerings to live on and support their families. It is biblical but its freewill as we purpose in our heart. It is actually a joy to give that way knowing we are part of funding the spread of the gospel. Being rich is not a sign of being in favor with God for there are many rich men who do not even believe in God. This is a false teaching. A poor man can be just as pleasing to God if he loves God with all his heart. Putting guilt on people to give and telling them that they will be cursed of God if they don't is not a New Testament teaching. It is better to encourage giving with love rather than intimidation. Its better to give because we love God's work and love those that do God's work, not because we are afraid of a curse or we are giving to get back what we give. It may be that we may increase but that should never be our motive. Jesus did say, "Give and it shall be given unto you." That is a fact we know from reading the New Testament but we see that it is freewill. It is not high pressure guilt trip giving but given freely from the heart. Paul said, "As we purpose in our heart." The same Jesus that said to give also warns of devouring widow's houses and making merchandise of people. We see in Abraham a good example of one who prefers other people to himself as we saw in the case of Lot. We saw an intercessor in prayer also in the case of Lot and we see someone who trusted God for his needs instead of taking anything from the kings and rulers around him. He didn't want to be in debt to anyone but God. When we read the Old Testament we can learn from their mistakes and benefit from the results we see when they are in obedience to God. We see what led to the coming of Christ and God's plan to bring us to the time when Christ came to die for our sins. We see God preserve the seed from which Christ is to come through miraculous means. We can see clearly also that because of the coming of Jesus Christ many things change for the better. He came to die for our sins so that when we believe this and receive Him we are saved from the bondage of sin. That changes our whole nature and makes us all new again. When one is born again by God's spirit he or she is a new creation. It is not just a religion, it is a change in the inner heart of man. Because of Christ, women have been held in higher esteem. Because of Christ slavery was abolished in many places. Because of Christ the standard of living is improved. It took lots of blood, sweat and tears but many things changed after Jesus came. Not always has the church been what it should be for they did much evil during the middle age time period but I don't give credit for any good to the established churches that get in error but to Christ and His influence. He is good. Abraham was the one chosen of God to bring the promised one to the world and make a way for not just Israel but all others to be saved as well. When we study the life of Abraham, we can see what God saw in him and why he was chosen of God even though he messed up at times.
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