Genesis 34
THE DEATH OF SARAH
( Gen.23:1-20 )
Introduction:
Hebrews 9:27 says, "It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment."
Abraham recovers from the shock of sending Sarah first and rises in front of Sarah's body. He finds land to bury Sarah. He calmly explains his situation to
the Hittites, the natives of the land on which he is settling. The purchase Machpelah cave is fulfilled partially about God's promise of the land (17:8).
A very small part of the Promised Land (land of the tomb) came into his possession. Abraham paid a sufficient price 'in front of the village and in front of
all the Hittites' (23:18), so he was granted 'legal ownership'. Although the land of Machpelah that Abraham bought is only a small part of the promised land of Canaan, this is the first step toward realizing God's promise, and the ancestors of faith were buried in their own land as owners, not as strangers.
Abraham, believing that the promise would be completely fulfilled in the future, set a point that could be the center of his descendants early on,
and put his flagpole there.
The meaning of death is great. The death of Methuselah, Abel, Noah, Terah who died in Haran, death of Moses have great meaning. Therefore the death of Sarah is important. Her death revealed God’s will.
1. Death is God’s plan for individual and age.
1) The death of Methuselah connected with Noah who is righteous man.
Methuselah is the son of Enoch who ascended to heaven without seeing death. 'Methuselah' means 'when he dies, the end of the world comes'.
Around the time of Methuselah's birth, Enoch must have had a special revelation from God concerning the child's destiny. Enoch named his son
Methuselah (‘when he dies, it will come’). “As long as Methuselah is alive, the flood will not be sent. But when he dies, the flood will come.”
2) The death Abel has great meaning in Heb.11:4 as a martyrdom the first.
By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings.
And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
3) The death of the People in Noah’s age(Nephilim’s age) has great meaning.
The purpose of human life is to be saved. He gave us the opportunity for more than 900 years, specifically 120 years, but eternal punishment was
executed through the Judgment of the Flood for those who did not hold on to the covenant of Christ.
4) The death of Moses
Everything has an end. The long and rough life of the Israelites in the wilderness also had an end. Hard moments come to an end, and happy moments come to an end someday. The time will come when our lives will end. The day will come when everything will pass and be over, when each of us will climb to the top of Mount Nebo. Let's put down all regrets and disappointments in front of death. Let us acknowledge that our life and death are in
the sovereign hands of God. Like Moses on Mount Nebo, let us face our deaths in hope, firmly believing in God's covenant, looking at the eternal city of
God. The death of a saint is not the end of everything. God's people have the Father's house, and they have resurrection and eternal life.
So let's be faithful until death. If you live faithfully and the Lord calls you, you will enter eternal rest when all your hard work is over.
On that day, I want all of us to be able to hear the voice of the Lord saying, “You have done well, good and faithful servant. Now enjoy and rest.”
5) The death Dathan(Num.16.)
The reason why the rebellion caused by Korah, Abiram, and Dathan was more threatening and deadly than any other rebellion in Israel is that Korah,
the instigator of the rebellion, was a Levite and a relative of Moses. The Levites were the tribe that took the lead in helping Moses and Aaron lead
the people to meet God. God turns their rebellion into a lesson for Israel. God set a boundary between Abiram and Dathan from the crowd,
and immediately divided the land and destroyed them all, thereby clearly revealing who was right among Moses and Korah's group
and who God's will was on who in Israel.
6) 40 years of funerals
7) The death of King Saul.
In 1 Chronicles 10, we witness the miserable history of Saul and his three sons, Jonathan, Abinadib, and Malchishua, being killed as Israel was defeated
in the war with the Philistines. Regarding the death of King Saul, the writer of 1 Chronicles said, “Saul died because he sinned against the Lord.
Because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and asked a medium to teach him, and did not inquire of the Lord, the Lord killed him
and handed the kingdom over to David son of Jesse” (1 Chronicles 10:13-14). ).
8) The death of priest Eli.
Eli, a 98-year-old blind priest, when people arrived at Shiloh with the sad news that Israel had been defeated in battle, that the ark of God had been captured, Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, had died, Eli, who was sitting on a chair, fell and broke his neck near the door and died.
9) The death of Stephen
Stephen's martyrdom was not that much of a loss to him, to God, or to the church. So was the persecution against the Church. It does not shrink
the church, but rather enlarges it. Living and dying in this world is not a problem. The matter of life and death in the world is only superficial.
Believers should not be swayed by it. What really matters is the gospel and their eternal life. Even though Stephen was killed, it is a blessing because
he is preaching the gospel and walking the path of eternal life. Even if the early church was persecuted, it was not because they lied but because
they practiced the truth that they were persecuted. God will use that persecution and martyrdom to do greater things.
10) The death of Sarah
2. The things can get only while spirit is with physical body.
1) Salvation.
2) Blessing
3) Reward
4) Evangelism
3. The reason to write about sarah’s funeral.
1) Land of promise.
2) Promise for descendants.
4. The reason to buy burial place to make that beautiful and great.
1) They live in tents but to make burial place made by stone.
2) Life is Stranger
3) Hope for future life.
5. How we will die?
1) The death of Sarah
2) The death of Stephen
Conclution:
Stephen's death gave great comfort and courage to countless Christians who were persecuted and killed in church history. Stephen was a great inspiration
to many saints who wanted to live for the gospel and gave them great lessons and examples. As many martyrs died, they must have thought of Stephen's death. Under persecution and in the face of death, the saints remember that Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. would have looked Through his death, he did, and is still working, perhaps much bigger and more than what he accomplished while alive. Like Abel, he died, but through that faith he speaks even now (see Heb 11:4).
Let us, too, live the life of a believer, fulfill our mission to the end, and ask for God's grace to allow us to die a Christian death while looking at God's glory and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.