In the Beginning: A Study in Genesis 15-26Sample

Does the Bible Teach Creation or Evolution?

In the opening pages of Genesis, we met the first couple, Adam and Eve, who brought the curse. In Genesis 12, we met Abraham and Sarah, to and through whom God promised covenant. From Genesis 12 up until the death of Sarah in Genesis 23, Abraham and Sarah have been the focus of Genesis. Their significance in history and Scripture can hardly be overstated as Genesis covers roughly 2,000 years of history in 50 chapters, and this couple’s life and marriage takes centerstage for 20% of the book. Throughout Scripture, Abraham is named hundreds of times, and Sarah dozens of times as their impact echoes throughout human history.

The death of Sarah, leaving Abraham a widower, is a moving scene. They started marriage as unbelievers; God saved them when they were old; and they move to a new nation to reset their entire life and legacy. Their marriage was far from perfect as it included an adulterous polygamy that was her idea, birth of two sons to two women which causes great strife in the family and hostility between the Jews and Arabs who descend from these sons to this very day, Abraham giving his wife away twice only to have God bring her back, and lots of other faults, flaws, and failures. They are not a perfect marriage by any means, but they are believers in God who are blessed by God. In their story, we see the reality of our humanity on full display and the hope that God can get us through to the last day of our marriage, which is the most important day. The first day of our marriage is important, but a great wedding day is not the goal as much as a great final day still in love worshipping God together.

There are a few unique things to note in this section of Genesis:

•Sarah is the only woman in the Bible whose age, death, and burial are mentioned, which is a great honor to her

•This is the first official funeral in the Bible

•Abraham’s tears at the loss of his wife are the first recording of someone crying in the Bible

•She died in faith without seeing the promises God gave them fulfilled: 1) Her son Isaac is 37 and would not marry until three years after her passing 2) She did not receive the Promised Land but was buried there after her death, as Abraham likely wanted to one day resurrect in the place God called them to

At the end of Genesis 22, we discover that Abraham’s brother Nahor (see also 11:26) had a total of 12 sons. Later, they would become the 12 Aramean tribes just as through Abraham’s grandson Jacob would come 12 Hebrew tribes. Moses includes this brief note on Nahor’s family to set the stage for Rebekah’s marriage to Isaac as she will be from the line of Milcah listed in 22:23-24.

Genesis 23 opens with the death of Sarah at the age of 127. To properly bury his wife, Abraham purchased a sizeable piece of land with a large cave for her burial site. In a pretentious show of kindness, Ephron charged Abraham an exorbitant fee, which Abraham paid likely because he did not want to haggle over details while dealing with the loss of his wife. To compare and contrast, Abraham paid 400 shekels for the land, when the site of the Temple years later would only cost 50 shekels.

Ephron had offered to give Abraham the land for free, though the genuineness of his offer is suspect. Nonetheless, Abraham rejected the gift as he had the previous gifts from Melchizedek in Genesis 14 in faith that God would provide for him apart from obligating him to other men. The lesson here is clear – it is fine to receive a gift if it is truly grace without strings attached. Otherwise, reject such offers.

This site became the eventual burial site for Sarah and Abraham, Isaac and Rebekah, and Leah and Jacob. Today, it is believed that this cave is beneath the Mosque of Abraham, which is a Muslim shrine in Hebron.

With the sparing of Isaac’s life and the death of Sarah, Genesis now begins to shift its focus to Isaac and his son Jacob as the generational family study of Genesis moves from one generation to the next.

Question:

1. Which marriages have you seen that ended well on the last day as an encouragement and example?