The Death and Burial of Sarah
Genesis 23:1-20

Lesson 50

background notes

doctrinal points

1. The believer’s death should be a demonstration of great faith.

2. The believer’s death should be a time of great witness.

practical applications
1. It’s not wrong for you to grieve.

2. Let’s not distort the biblical concept of death.

questions
1. Where was Sarah’s burial place located?

2. What does it mean to die in faith?

3. How was Sarah’s funeral a witness to the people of the land?

4. Is it wrong for a Christian to grieve over the death of a loved one?

answers
1. Abraham bought a field containing a cave, where Sarah was buried. It is known as the field and cave of Machpelah. Today it is beneath a Moslem mosque in Hebron.

2. It means to face death without wavering in your faith. It means to trust the Lord fully to the very end. The way you face death can be a demonstration of great faith.

3. In that day and in that culture, the custom was to bury your dead in the land of your fathers, the land where your relatives lived. That was considered home. Abraham’s relatives did not live in Canaan, but God had promised that land to him. Canaan was home, even though Abraham was still a sojourner in the land. When Abraham buried Sarah in the land of Canaan, rather than return to Haran or Ur, it was a witness to his faith in God.

4. No. Abraham came to mourn and grieve for Sarah, and we know he was a man of great faith. Losing a loved one is a sorrowful time, but as Christians we sorrow not as others sorrow, for we have the sure hope of heaven. See 1 Thessalonians 4:13.

 

discuss / consider
1. Do you know a Christian who is facing death daily? Would you hope to face death in such a way?

2. How do you handle the loss of a loved one? See 1 Thessalonians 4:13 and 2 Corinthians 5:8. As you comfort others, what Scriptures do you use?

 

challenge
Have you planned your funeral service? Would it honor the Lord and bring people closer to Him?

memorize

• “Sarah died in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for her and to weep for her.”
  Genesis 23:2

• “Abraham buried Sarah in the cave of the field of Machpelah in the land of Canaan.” Genesis 23:19