Devotional Short Note to Genesis 23
Moses knew about name substitution of towns in
the days of Abraham. Hebron in Hebrew was called Kiriath-arba by the Amorites
and other Canaanites living in the country. Canaanite is another name for
migrant just like Philistine is. They in turn considered the Habiru migrants in
their areas. The Habiru or SA.GAZ people were the Hebrews. They existed from
ancient times. Just like Abraham is found at a number of places in his life, so
the Habiru can be found in different texts and times in early and later history
of the Levant. They were the trouble-makers after the death of Moses in 1410
BCE during the five years invasion of Canaan and the early Amarna corpus continuously
lament their presence and actions in the country and asked the Egyptian Pharaoh
Thutmosis IV in vain to come over and help them. The pharaohs of Egypt were
dragging feet against the Habiru. The God of the Exodus was too strong. His
grandfather Thutmosis III died by the hand of this very same God. So Abraham called Kiriath-arba the name Hebron
related to Habiru. One can say, Abraham was a SA.GAZ or Habiru. In Genesis 23:2
we find Abraham on a trip for he had to “come” to Hebron to mourn Sarah. He was
not there when she died. Heth was at Hebron and he asked him a piece of
land to bury Sarah (Genesis 23:3-4). Abraham followed the protocol of those
days and bowed down in respect as a thanks for their free offer to him of a
tomb for Sarah. Abraham selected the cave of Machpelah but had
to pay Ephron the son of Zohar for it. Ephron was a Hittite but sitting
together with Heth and his sons. This is what Canaanite means: a mixture of
opportunists in a foreign country. The Americans are Canaanites and so are the Australians,
New Zealanders, the South Africans, and one can go on. Hittite and Amorite =
Canaanite (Genesis 23:10). The deal was made at the gate of the city
(Genesis 23:10). That is where the judges are sitting for their court sessions
and that is where contracts of land-acquisition were concluded: in the presence
of witnesses. Ephron answered that Abraham can have the land and cave for free
in the presence of witnesses (Genesis 23:11). Abraham bowed down to show his
appreciation. But now starts what I call, the Asian or in my
case, the “Korean dance”. It is two individuals who refuse the other to pay or
refuse to take money from one another and they insist so that kindness meets
kindness and the two dance in a loud debate and even shuffling. The witnesses
normally smiles during such a “dance”. We see it at restaurants when people pay
for each other. Abraham wants to pay (Genesis 23:15). Ephron
says that the land is just 400 shekels so what is that between the two of them?
Still free and bury the dead (Genesis 23:16). Abraham determined to pay heard
Ephron saying the amount and weighed it out to give to him in the presence of
the witnesses. The land, the trees, the cave was given a
border so that it was now Abraham’s (Genesis 23:17-18). The children of Heth made sure that Abraham
was seen as the owner of this cave in Hebron.
Dear God Abraham in this chapter had to complete a
proper funeral for his wife Sarah and the generosity of the people of that area
in Hebron can only come as a blessing from Your Hand. So we are also blessed
daily and we thank You for that. In Jesus Name. Amen.