Invest in God’s PromisesInvest in God’s Promises

Genesis 22:20–23:1-20 (NET)Genesis 22:20–23:1-20 (NET)

What Do We Invest In?What Do We Invest In?

• We make financial We make financial investmentsinvestments• HouseHouse

• RetirementRetirement

• EducationEducation

• HealthHealth

• LooksLooks

• EntertainmentEntertainment

• Our ChildrenOur Children

• Do we invest in God’s Do we invest in God’s promises?promises?• Only these have eternal Only these have eternal

dividendsdividends

• In our primary text In our primary text today Abraham makes today Abraham makes an investment in God’s an investment in God’s Promise.Promise.

Matthew 6:19–20 (NET) 19 “Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.

Hearing News From HomeHearing News From Home

Genesis 22:20–23:1-20 (NET) Genesis 22:20–23:1-20 (NET) 2020 After these things Abraham was told, After these things Abraham was told,

“Milcah also has borne children to “Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor – your brother Nahor – 2121 Uz the Uz the firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel (the father of Aram), (the father of Aram), 2222 Kesed, Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” Bethuel.” 2323 (Now Bethuel became (Now Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.) These were the father of Rebekah.) These were the eight sons Milcah bore to the eight sons Milcah bore to Abraham’s brother Nahor. Abraham’s brother Nahor. 2424 His His concubine, whose name was concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore him children – Reumah, also bore him children – Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah. Maacah.

• Context: Abraham has Context: Abraham has offered his only son.offered his only son.

• Abraham’s possible Abraham’s possible emotionsemotions• HomesickHomesick

• Jealousy Jealousy

• Abraham has a choice – Abraham has a choice – Continue to trust God or Continue to trust God or go home and walk away go home and walk away from the God’s promise.from the God’s promise.

Lows in our Life Effect Decisions to Lows in our Life Effect Decisions to Trust God’s PromiseTrust God’s Promise

Genesis 23 (NET) Genesis 23 (NET) 11 Sarah lived 127 years. Sarah lived 127 years. 22

Then she died in Kiriath Then she died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. the land of Canaan. Abraham went to mourn Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for for Sarah and to weep for her. her.

• Sarah is the only woman Sarah is the only woman in the Bible whose age is in the Bible whose age is given.given.

• This is the first time we This is the first time we see weeping in the Bible.see weeping in the Bible.

• Sorrow forces decisions:Sorrow forces decisions:• Will he go home?Will he go home?

• Will he give up on God?Will he give up on God?

• What good are God’s What good are God’s promises w/out your loved promises w/out your loved one to share it with?one to share it with?

Abraham Invests in God’s PromiseAbraham Invests in God’s Promise

33 Then Abraham got up Then Abraham got up from mourning his dead from mourning his dead wife and said to the sons wife and said to the sons of Heth, of Heth, 44 “I am a “I am a temporary settler among temporary settler among you. Grant me you. Grant me ownership of a burial ownership of a burial site among you so that I site among you so that I may bury my dead.” may bury my dead.”

• Instead of forsaking Instead of forsaking God’s promise, God’s promise, Abraham invests in Abraham invests in God’s land promise. God’s land promise. • God had promised the God had promised the

land, yet he was only a land, yet he was only a sojourner, foreigner.sojourner, foreigner.

• Though a foreigner in Though a foreigner in life, he wanted residency life, he wanted residency for Sarah and himself in for Sarah and himself in death. death.

Reputation Should be no Reputation Should be no Exemption from InvestmentExemption from Investment

55 The sons of Heth The sons of Heth answered Abraham, answered Abraham, 66 “Listen, sir, you are a “Listen, sir, you are a mighty prince among mighty prince among us! You may bury your us! You may bury your dead in the choicest of dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb will refuse you his tomb to prevent you from to prevent you from burying your dead.” burying your dead.”

• Abraham was highly Abraham was highly regarded.regarded.• He could get what he He could get what he

wanted based on that wanted based on that reputation.reputation.

• Problem: It would be a Problem: It would be a borrowed tomb. The land borrowed tomb. The land is someone else's.is someone else's.

Know Your InvestmentKnow Your Investment

77 Abraham got up and bowed Abraham got up and bowed down to the local people, down to the local people, the sons of Heth. the sons of Heth. 88 Then he Then he said to them, “If you agree said to them, “If you agree that I may bury my dead, that I may bury my dead, then hear me out. Ask then hear me out. Ask Ephron the son of Zohar Ephron the son of Zohar 99 if he will sell me the cave if he will sell me the cave of Machpelah that belongs of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to his field. Let him sell it to me publicly for the full me publicly for the full price, so that I may own it price, so that I may own it as a burial site.” as a burial site.”

• He doesn’t want a He doesn’t want a borrowed tomb for Sarah.borrowed tomb for Sarah.

• He has picked out the He has picked out the choicest tomb. He has choicest tomb. He has planed it out. planed it out.

• Application: Application: • Don’t live off other’s Don’t live off other’s

investments for God. investments for God. Invest-make it yours.Invest-make it yours.

• Don’t make blind Don’t make blind investments. Know what investments. Know what promises your investing in.promises your investing in.

Don’t let worldly obstacles keep Don’t let worldly obstacles keep you from investing in the promise.you from investing in the promise.

1010 (Now Ephron was sitting (Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth.) among the sons of Heth.) Ephron the Hethite replied Ephron the Hethite replied to Abraham in the hearing to Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth – of the sons of Heth – before all who entered the before all who entered the gate of his city – gate of his city – 1111 “No, “No, my lord! Hear me out. I my lord! Hear me out. I sell you both the field and sell you both the field and the cave that is in it. In the the cave that is in it. In the presence of my people I presence of my people I sell it to you. Bury your sell it to you. Bury your dead.” dead.”

• Abraham only wanted the Abraham only wanted the caves, not the field. caves, not the field.

• Ephron insisted that Ephron insisted that Abraham buy the field if Abraham buy the field if he wanted the cave. he wanted the cave.

• Ephron is taking Ephron is taking advantage of Abraham’s advantage of Abraham’s circumstances.circumstances.

Application: Even if the Application: Even if the world takes advantage world takes advantage invest in God’s promise.invest in God’s promise.

The tomb was worth the The tomb was worth the price of the fieldprice of the field

1212 Abraham bowed before Abraham bowed before the local people the local people 1313 and and said to Ephron in their said to Ephron in their hearing, “Hear me, if hearing, “Hear me, if you will. I pay to you you will. I pay to you the price of the field. the price of the field. Take it from me so that I Take it from me so that I may bury my dead may bury my dead there.” there.”

• Abraham is willing to Abraham is willing to be taken advantage of to be taken advantage of to invest in the promise.invest in the promise.

Don’t let the price hinder Don’t let the price hinder the investmentthe investment

1414 Ephron answered Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, Abraham, saying to him, 1515 “Hear me, my lord. “Hear me, my lord. The land is worth 400 The land is worth 400 pieces of silver, but pieces of silver, but what is that between me what is that between me and you? So bury your and you? So bury your dead.” dead.”

• There is an old There is an old derogatory statement, derogatory statement, “being jewed”, Abraham “being jewed”, Abraham is “being gentiled”.is “being gentiled”.

Application: Investments Application: Investments in God’s promises yield in God’s promises yield high dividends. They high dividends. They are worth the price of are worth the price of being laughed at.being laughed at.

Jeremiah buys a field for only seventeen sheckles of silver (Jer 32:9)David paid only one-eighth that amount (50 shekels of silver) for the purchase of the temple site from Araunah (2 Sam 24:24)

There is a high worldly price for There is a high worldly price for investment’s in God’s Promisesinvestment’s in God’s Promises

1616 So Abraham agreed to So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price and Ephron’s price and weighed out for him the weighed out for him the price that Ephron had price that Ephron had quoted in the hearing of quoted in the hearing of the sons of Heth – 400 the sons of Heth – 400 pieces of silver, pieces of silver, according to the according to the standard measurement standard measurement at the time. at the time.

• He doesn’t bicker.He doesn’t bicker.• He doesn’t grip.He doesn’t grip.• He doesn’t hesitate.He doesn’t hesitate.• He has witnesses, not He has witnesses, not

just to the transaction, just to the transaction, but to Ephron’s scandal. but to Ephron’s scandal.

Application: Be ready for Application: Be ready for the world’s abuse when the world’s abuse when making investments in making investments in God’s promises.God’s promises.

Investment is Confirmation of Investment is Confirmation of Faith in God’s PromiseFaith in God’s Promise

1717 So Abraham secured So Abraham secured Ephron’s field in Ephron’s field in Machpelah, next to Machpelah, next to Mamre, including the Mamre, including the field, the cave that was in field, the cave that was in it, and all the trees that it, and all the trees that were in the field and all were in the field and all around its border, around its border, 1818 as his as his property in the presence property in the presence of the sons of Heth before of the sons of Heth before all who entered the gate of all who entered the gate of Ephron’s city. Ephron’s city.

Abraham’s investment Abraham’s investment secured is a financial secured is a financial confirmation of his confirmation of his commitment to staying in commitment to staying in Canaan and trusting in Canaan and trusting in God’s promise, even after God’s promise, even after death.death.

Application: “Put your Application: “Put your money where your mouth money where your mouth is.” We invest in what we is.” We invest in what we believe in.believe in.

A Place for Sarah set the stage A Place for Sarah set the stage for a place for Israelfor a place for Israel

1919 After this Abraham After this Abraham buried his wife Sarah in buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of the cave in the field of Machpelah next to Machpelah next to Mamre (that is, Hebron) Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. in the land of Canaan. 2020 So Abraham secured the So Abraham secured the field and the cave that field and the cave that was in it as a burial site was in it as a burial site from the sons of Heth. from the sons of Heth.

• Abraham invested in Abraham invested in God’s promise and God’s promise and made Canaan the made Canaan the permanent residence for permanent residence for his wife, himself and his his wife, himself and his descendants. descendants.

The Importance of Abraham’s The Importance of Abraham’s InvestmentInvestment

The Cave of Machpelah became the glue of Abraham’s The Cave of Machpelah became the glue of Abraham’s descendant to Canaan.descendant to Canaan.

• Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, Leah, and Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, Leah, and possibly Joseph are buried there.possibly Joseph are buried there.

• It is the second holiest site for Jews, next to the It is the second holiest site for Jews, next to the Temple mount. It has been venerated by Christians Temple mount. It has been venerated by Christians and Jews for centuries.and Jews for centuries.

Genesis 25:8–10 (NET) 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man who had lived a full life. He joined his ancestors. 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar, the Hethite. 10 This was the field Abraham had purchased from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah.

Genesis 35:27–29 (NET) 27 So Jacob came back to his father Isaac in Mamre, to Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. 28 Isaac lived to be 180 years old. 29 Then Isaac breathed his last and joined his ancestors. He died an old man who had lived a full life. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Genesis 50:13 (NET) 13 His sons carried him (Jacob) to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, near Mamre. This is the field Abraham purchased as a burial plot from Ephron the Hittite.

The Tomb of the Patriarchs The Tomb of the Patriarchs

It is presently covered by a Mosque and is It is presently covered by a Mosque and is under the security of Muslims.under the security of Muslims.

ConclusionConclusion

• It’s alright to mourn the death of loved ones: It’s alright to mourn the death of loved ones: Abraham wept for Sarah; Jesus wept for Lazarus. Abraham wept for Sarah; Jesus wept for Lazarus.

• Relatives, friends and the old life may tempt us to Relatives, friends and the old life may tempt us to forsake God’s plan for us.forsake God’s plan for us.

• Look for opportunities to fulfill God’s promises Look for opportunities to fulfill God’s promises during times of loss. during times of loss.

• Don’t just receive God’s promises – Invest in God’s Don’t just receive God’s promises – Invest in God’s Promises!!!!Promises!!!!

• God rewards your investment in His Promises!!!God rewards your investment in His Promises!!!

Matthew 6:19–20 (NET) Matthew 6:19–20 (NET) 1919 “Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, “Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth,

where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. in and steal. 2020 But accumulate for yourselves But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.

Let your Greatest Investments Be in God’s Kingdom.Let your Greatest Investments Be in God’s Kingdom.

The Dividends are Eternal!!!The Dividends are Eternal!!!