Genesis 23

Notice that Abraham was respected by the Hittites. He had lived in the region, and the people had come to know what kind of man he was. He was a man of integrity and character. He served the LORD faithfully. His life stood out among the people. We should strive for the same thing in our own community. Our life should stand out in godliness. It should stand out amongst our neighbors in faithfulness to God.

Abraham wants to bury Sarah and enters into a bit of a negotiation. This may seem odd to us because we price things. Everything has a listed amount or price tag. Many places overseas do not have listed prices. You enter into a process of "bargaining" to come to an agreement and make the sale. That is one thing that I found a bit annoying when I lived overseas. Abraham is looking for a piece of land to bury Sarah- they said they would give it, but they negotiate a price subtly. Abraham did not need free land; he certainly could afford it to buy a burial site- but the offer of free land was a way to honor and respect Abraham and in a sense Sarah as well.