Why is it significant that Abraham and Sarah chose to be buried in the land of Canaan?18
Burial of Sarah and Abraham
Lectio
Kiss the words of Scripture, asking God to help you reverence the divine Word within. Be grateful for God’s invitation to listen to Scripture.
GENESIS 23:17–20; 25:7–11
17So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, passed 18to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, in the presence of all who went in at the gate of his city. 19After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20The field and the cave that is in it passed from the Hittites into Abraham’s possession as a burying place.
7This is the length of Abraham’s life, one hundred seventy-five years. 8Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. 9His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, 10the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with his wife Sarah. 11After the death of Abraham God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi.
After carefully reading these final texts of Abraham’s life, consider their meaning in light of God’s saving revelation.
The cave of Machpelah in Hebron is the first piece of real estate in the Promised Land secured by the patriarch. Its purchase is confirmed in legal detail: identity of the transferor, location of the property, description of its contents, identity of the purchaser, and affirmation of official witnesses (23:17–18). Though it is a small piece of real estate, a single field with its trees and a cave, the importance of this site is monumental for the future of Abraham’s descendants.
By choosing to be buried in Canaan, rather than back in the land of their births, Abraham and Sarah put down roots in the soil that God had promised to their descendants. The cave of Machpelah is the first foothold of a vast inheritance for future generations. According to Genesis, not only Abraham and Sarah are buried there but also Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and their son Jacob and his wife Leah. Throughout the biblical period, the cave was an important shrine and a symbol of Israelite unity.
Today the cave of Machpelah in Hebron is revered by Jews, Muslims, and Christians, since all the children of Abraham pay their respects to the great patriarchs and matriarchs. The Arab people identify the site as Haram el-Khalil, “the sacred precinct of the friend of God.” The Jewish people consider it their most sacred monument after the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The surrounding wall of huge stones that stands today goes back to the time of Herod. Later in the Byzantine period, a church was built over the site, and with the Arab conquest in the seventh century, the church was converted into a mosque. Sadly, no place on earth, except for the temple mount in Jerusalem, has been the object of more violent struggle among Abraham’s descendants.
After the burial of Sarah, Abraham lived another thirty-eight years. During those years, Abraham found a worthy bride for his son Isaac, as it was the custom of the time for parents to arrange their children’s marriages (Gen. 24). Abraham also married again, taking a wife named Keturah, with whom he had several more children who would also father nations (25:1–4). Though Isaac received his inheritance, Abraham provided for all of his children in his last years (25:5–6).
Abraham, like Sarah, lived a long and blessed life (25:7–8). After he exhaled the air of this world for the last time, both of his sons, Isaac and Ishmael, came together to bury their father, a task that transcended their rivalry (25:9). Both sons were loved by their father; both were promised abundant blessings; both would be fathers of nations. While the biblical story continues with Isaac and his family, Genesis does not fail to note the twelve sons of Ishmael (25:12–16), the descendants of whom were the Arab people (25:18). Many centuries later, some of the Arab people became the first disciples of the Abrahamic faith that came to be called Islam. If there is ever to be peace between the offspring of Ishmael and Isaac, they must offer one another a reconciliation as profound as the moment when the two brothers came together to bury their father Abraham.
After hearing the words of this text, try to answer the following questions:
Why is it significant that Abraham and Sarah chose to be buried in the land of Canaan?
What brought the two sons of Abraham together after decades of estrangement?
Why is the cave of Machpelah a place of strife as well as a symbol of hope?
Meditatio
Spend some time meditating on the life of Abraham as expressed in the texts of Genesis that you have read.
What does the legacy of Abraham teach me about God? In what way has my understanding of Abraham’s spiritual paternity grown stronger after reflecting on these inspired texts?
Why did Ishmael and Isaac come together to bury their father? What does this encounter teach me about forgiveness and reconciliation between individuals and among the peoples of the world?
What parallels do I see between my journey of faith and that of Abraham?
Oratio
Pray to God from your heart in whatever way responds to the divine Word spoken to you through this text of Genesis.
God of our ancestors, from age to age you have gathered your people to yourself in death. May I remember those who have gone before me, my physical and spiritual ancestors, and trust that you will unite me with them where we will praise you forever.
Continue praying using the biblical vocabulary you have heard . . .
Contemplatio
Imagine you are in the silence of the cave with Ishmael and Isaac. Let the power of healing grief and forgiveness work within your heart.
Write a few words from your contemplation within the cave.
Operatio
What forgiveness and reconciliation need to happen in my heart today? What practical challenges do the Scriptures of Genesis present for me?