When Sarah died, at age 127, Abraham needed to give her a suitable burial. He was sojourning among the Hittites, the descendants of Heth, and asked them for a suitable burying place (Genesis 23:1-4). The Hittites responded with deep respect, addressing Abraham as a “prince of God among us” 23:6), and told him to take his pick of the choicest of their tombs.

But Abraham wanted to show them deep respect as well. He wanted the cave at the end of the field of Ephron of Zophar, for the full price (23:7-9). Ephron disagreed: “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead” (23:11). Abraham responded to Ephron: “But if you will, hear me: I give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there” (23:13).

Ephron stated the value of the land: “My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between you and me? Bury your dead” (23:15). This is a very large amount of money: perhaps this demonstrates that Ephron didn’t really want to sell, or that the Hittites didn’t really want a foreigner like Abraham to become a property owner in their midst, or that he set the price high because he expected Abraham would negotiate it down. But Abraham weighed out the full price for the field, which then became the tomb of Sarah, and later of Abraham himself (25:9-10), and of Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah (49:29-31).

This tomb and field thus became the first piece of land in the Promised Land that Abraham and his descendants owned. It would be about five centuries before the people of Israel left slavery in Egypt and crossed the Jordan River into what would become the land of Israel. Though he would not live to see it, Abraham’s purchase of this plot of land symbolizes his confidence that God’s promise would eventually come true.

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Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).

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We trust in your promises, O Lord, though we are often impatient about their fulfillment. Teach us to take the action we can take: to buy the land or to plant the tree, even though we will not live on the land or eat the fruit of the tree. Grow our confidence that we can bless generations yet unborn by the faithful work we do today.

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