Gen 23.1-20 tells us about the death of Sarah and Abraham’s mourning; He buys land for Sarah’s burial from Ephron the Hittite, which will be a picture of the redemption purchased by Yeshua.
v 1…Now Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years, there were the years of Sarah’s life.
v 2…And Sarah died in KIriath-arba, that is Hebron (city of four and the Israelites killed three giant chiefs, the sons of a man named Arba-Josh 15.13-14) in the land of Canaan; And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her (written with a small “kof” in Hebrew, meaning he did not mourn excessively; she lived a full life and he would see her again).
v 3…Then Abraham arose from before his dead (he was sitting-Job 1.13) and spoke to the sons of Heth (was a son of Canaan-Gen 10.15; the Hittites from him), saying,
v 4…I am a stranger and a sojourner among you, give me a burial site among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight (from before me).”
v 5…And the sons of Heth (terror) answered Abraham, saying to him,
v 6…”Hear us, my lord (sir), you are a prince of God (“nasi Elohim”) among us (we don’t don’t regard you as a stranger and a sojourner but one elevated by God); bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places; none of us will refuse you his burial place for burying your dead (they were under the impression that he only wanted one place).”
v 7…So Abraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth.
v 8…And he spoke with them, saying, “If it is your wish for me to bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and approach Ephron the son of Zohar for me (who had a field with a cave in it),
v 9…that he may give me the cave of Machpelah (cave of the double; it had an upper and a lower story) which he owns, which is at the end of his field, for the full price let him give it to me in your presence for a burial site.
v 10…And Ephron was sitting (among them as their ‘Nasi” at this time; written without a vav which means this was a recent development) among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth; even of all who went in at the gate of his city (in public, where civil affairs were discussed), saying,
v 11…”No, my lord, hear me. I give you the field and I give you the cave that is in it, in the presence (“in the eyes) of the sons of my people I give it to you (I have decided to give it to you); bury your dead.”
v 12…And Abraham bowed before the people of the land (showing his respect).
v 13…And he spoke to Ephron (the “terror” and a picture of Ha Satan) in the hearing (ears) of the people of the land, saying, “If you will only please listen to me; I give the price of the field; accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there (Yeshua’s death was public, and earlier Satan offered Yeshua the “world”; if Yeshua failed, the earth was where the dead would be buried; but Yeshua paid the full price because Satan must not have any control).
v 14…Then Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,
v 15…”My lord, listen to me; a piece of land worth for hundred shekels of silver (the metal of redemption), what is that between me and you (what significance is it between friends)? Bury your dead.”
v 16…And Abraham listened to Ephron (written in Hebrew without a “vav” meaning something was missing); and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver (type of the redemption) which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, commercial standard (negotiable currency; coins acceptable everywhere).
v 17…So Ephron’s field (a type of the world) which was in Machpelah, which faced Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees (seen in Scripture as people) which were in the field, that were in the confines of its border (the ends of the earth, were deeded over (Yeshua accomplished the redemption and the “title” to the whole earth was given to him)
v 18…to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth (Heth means “terror” and Yeshua accomplished the redemption in the presence of all the evil forces of Ha Satan), before all who went in at the gate of his city (in public-Col 2.15).
v 19…And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field at Machpelah facing Mamre, that is Hebron, in the land of Canaan.
v 20…So the field, and the cave that is in it, were deeded over to Abraham for a burial site by the sons of Heth (after Yeshua paid the full price, Satan and the sons of terror can never make the claim that anything but the full price was paid, but they will contest it; there are three sites in Scripture that have been bought in Scripture: Machpelah, Joseph’s tomb and the Temple Mount, and all three are contested).
Gen 24.1-67 will give the story about a bride for Isaac, which will be a picture of the Messiah and his bride; the servant is sent to the city of Nahor; the prayer of the servant is answered before he even finishes it, and waits for confirmation; gifts are given to the bride; Laban entertains the servant; the story is told to the bride’s family; Rebekah is brought to Isaac and he takes her into his mother’s tent and she becomes his wife.
v 1…Now Abraham was old (“ancient of days” and he will be a type of the Father in this story), advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in every way.
v 2…And Abraham said to his servant (who is never named in this story, but he is a picture of the Ruach Ha Kodesh or Holy Spirit), the elder of his household (Eliezer-Gen 15.2) who had charge of all that he owned, “Please place your hand under my thigh (loins-meaning that if the oath is violated the children that issued or might issue from the loins will avenge his disloyalty),
v 3…and I will make you swear by the Lord (Yehovah), the God of heaven and earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I live (this alludes to our salvation and God’s election; we did not choose him, but he is the none who chose us-John 1.13; Acts 13.48; Eph 1.4; Rom 8.29-33),
v 4…But you shall go to my country (Haran) and to my relatives (Nahor) and take a wife for my son Isaac (Isaac, a picture of Yeshua, has not been mentioned since Gen 22, the chapter that is a picture of the crucifixion and our redemption; Gen 23 is a picture of that redemption, and now Isaac is mentioned again taking a bride for himself in Gen 24).”
v 5…And the servant said to him, “Suppose the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land, should I take your son back to the land from where you came (and live there with her)?”
v 6…Then Abraham said to him, “Beware lest you take my son back there (he was not to leave the land of promise)!
v 7…The Lord (Yehovah), the God of heaven , who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my birth and who spoke to me, saying, “To your descendants will I give this land; he will send his angel before you (God’s protection and aid; God will help in this matter), and will take a wife for my son from there.
v 8…But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this my oath (this obligation), only do not send my son back there.”
v 9…So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter (in accordance to this word; this was a big thing for Eliezer, since he was the heir if Abraham had no son; this shows his humbleness and devotion to Abraham).
v 10…Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and set out with a variety of good things of his master’s in his hands (a picture of the variety of good gifts of the Holy Spirit-1 Cor 12.4-7), and arose and went to Aram-naharaim, or Aram of the two rivers: Mesopotamia), to the city of Nahor (they lived in Haran).
v 11…And he made the camels to kneel down outside the city by the well of water at evening time (a place where he could get information about an inhabitant of the city), the time when women go out to draw water (where he could observe the behavior and habits of those who came out; a woman who was a hard worker, etc).
v 12…And he said, “Oh Lord, the God of my master Abraham (whose business he was on), please grant me success today (cause it to happen), and show lovingkindness (extra grace and favor not based on merit) to my master Abraham.
v 13…Behold (see for yourself), I am standing by the well of water (Holy Spirit stands by the word of God), and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water;
v 14…now may it be that the girl to whom I shall say, ‘Let down your jar so that I may drink’ and answers, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also,’-she is the one you have appointed (predetermined; elected) for your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that you have shown lovingkindness (extra grace and mercy) to my master.”
v 15…And it came about before he had finished speaking (God’s providence had already caused Rebekah to leave her house and go to the well), that behold (see) Rebekah who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor, came out (of Haran) with her jar on her shoulder (the bride must come out of Babylon).
v 16…And the girl was very beautiful, a virgin, and no man had had relations (known her) with her; and she went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up (there was a descent to the well).
v 17…And the servant (Eliezer) ran toward her and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar.”
v 18…And she said, “Drink, my lord,” and she quickly lowered her jar to her hand and gave him drink.
v 19…Now when she had given him a rink, she said, “I will draw also for your camels until they had finished drinking.”
v 20…So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran back to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels (and there were ten of them and were very thirsty; this required a great deal of work).
v 21…Meanwhile, the man was gazing at her in silence (and wondering if she was the one; reflecting silently), to know whether the Lord had made is journey successful or not (was unsure if she was of Abraham’s family or not).
v 22…Then it came about, when the camels and finished drinking, that the man took a gold ring weighing a half-shekel and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels in gold,
v 23…and said, ‘Whose daughter are you? Please tell me (give me a detailed account), is there room for us to lodge in your father’s house?”
v 24…And she said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor (she answers his first question).”
v 25…Again she said to him, “We have plenty of straw and feed and room to lodge in (for several nights).
v 26…Then the man bowed low (bending the head and intellect to God) and worshiped (prostration, denoting a complete submission of his whole body to the guidance of God) the Lord (giving thanks and acknowledgment for God’s guidance).
v 27…And he said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his lovingkindness and his truth toward my master; as for me, the Lord has guided me in the way to the house of my master’s brothers (kinsmen).”
v 28…Then the girl ran and told her mother’s household about these things (her mother had a seperate house or tent, which was common, and daughters confide in their mother).
v 29…Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban (a central character in this story, and father of Rachel and Leah; his name backwards in Hebrew is “Nabal” meaning fool; in 1 Sam 25.1-38 Nabal, the husband of Abigail, refuses to help David and he dies), and Laban ran outside to the man at the spring.
v 30…And it came about that when he saw the ring, and then bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and when he had heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, “This is what the man said to me,” he went to the man; and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring (he had not been invited to the house yet).
v 31…And he said, “Come in, blessed of the Lord (with wealth as I can see). Why do you stand outside since I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels (some time had gone by from Rebekah’s return and Laban coming to the well (perhaps thinking if Rebekah had receive such gifts for watering his camels, how much more would Laban receive a gift for preparing a place to stay).
v 32…So the man entered the house. Then Laban unloaded (unmuzzled, loosened) the camels (acting kind to the animals, and he gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the feet of the men who were with him (showing hospitality; the first time these men are mentioned).
v 33…But when food was set before him to eat, he said, “I will not eat until I have told my business.” And he said (either Laban or Bethuel), “Speak on.”
v 34…So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant.
v 35…And the Lord has blessed my master, so that he has prospered (become great); and he has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and maids, and camels and donkeys.
v 36…Now Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master in her old age, and he has given him all that he has (like the Father with Yeshua).
v 37…And my master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live;
v 38…but you shall go to my father’s house, to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.’
v 39…And I said to my master, ‘Suppose the woman does not follow me (back to Canaan)’
v 40…And he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you to make your journey successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my relatives, and from my father’s house;
v 41…then you will be free (cleansed, cleared) from my oath, when you come to my relatives; and if they do not give her to you, you will be free (cleansed, cleared) from my oath.’
v 42…So I came today to the spring and said, ‘O Lord, the GOd of my master Abraham, if now you will make my journey on which I go successful;
v 43…behold, I am standing by the spring and may it be that the young woman (Hebrew “almah” and the same word as in Isa 7.14; what was the sign of ISa 7.14?; the Sotah of Mary in Num 5.11-31 that she possibly submitted to, since Zechariah and Elisheva were from the line of Aaron; all four of the following words were used for Rebekah; Ishah in v 3, 5; Na’ara in v 14, 16; Betulah in v 16; and ALmah in v 43) who comes out to draw, and to whom I say, ‘Please let me drink a little water from your jar’
v 44…and she will say to me, ‘Drink, and I will draw for your camels also’; let her be the woman
whom the Lord has appointed (beforehand, elected) for my master’s son.
v 45…Before I had finished speaking (meditating) to my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew, and I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’
v 46…And she quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also; so I drank, and she watered the camels also.’
v 47…Then I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are You?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him’; and I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists.
v 48…And I bowed low and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who guided me in the right way to take the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son.
v 49…So now if you are going to deal kindly and truly with my master tell me (the burden of this oath weighs heavily on me); and if not, let me know, that I may turn to the right hand or left (look elsewhere; seek other avenues because his oath has not been fulfilled).”
v 50…Then Laban and Bethuel answered (this word is in the singular form which means that Laban spoke in the name of Bethuel) and said, “The matter comes from the Lord (that Rebekah should be given to Isaac); so we cannot speak to you bad or good (we cannot deny your request it is so obvious).
v 51…Behold (see), Rebekah is before you , take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken (preordained).”
v 52…And it came about when Abraham’s servant heard their words, that he bowed himself to the ground before the Lord (prostrated himself).
v 53…And the servant brought out articles of silver (alludes to redemption) adn articles of gold (salvation is all God’s work) and garments (speaks of righteousness) and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother (some believe Bethuel may have been dead at this time and that is why he is not mentioned).
v 54…Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night. When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master (I don’t want to be detained).
v 55…But her brother and her mother said, “Let the girl stay with us a few days, say ten; afterward she may go (some commentators render this passage as “a year or ten months”-a year was the common time before a marriage for the woman to stay in the father’s house for that long).”
v 56…And he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master (and bring Rebekah and share his success with Abraham and Isaac who are waiting).”
v 57…And they said, “We will call the girl and consult her wishes (confess with her mouth what she wants to do).”
v 58…Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go (this alludes to the moment of conversion in a believer).”
v 59…Thus they sent away their sister (her relations and the household) Rebekah and her nurse (who had been her nurse and stayed with her; her name was Deborah-Gen 35.8; she also had maids with her-v 61).
v 60…And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “May you our sister (kinswoman) become thousands of ten thousands (the ancestress of), and may your descendants possess the gate of those who hate you (the gate symbolizes the fall of their civil government in defeat; this similar to the blessing to Abraham after the Akedah in Gen 22.17).”
v 61…Then Rebekah arose with her maids and they mounted the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed.
v 62…Now Isaac had come from going to Beer-lahai-roi (for a visit or to pray; the angel of the Lord appeared to Hagar there) for he was living in the Negev (Beersheba in the south; he was praying about his bride no doubt and the Lord had his answer already on the way).
v 63…And Isaac went out to meditate (pray) in the field toward evening (this alludes to the end of the 6000 year Olam Ha Zeh) and he lifted up his eyes and looked (Yeshua is looking and waiting for us, too), and behold, camels were coming.
v 64…And Rebekah lifted her eyes and when she saw Isaac she dismounted her camel (at the end of her journey he came to meet her, just like Yeshua will in the Natzal-1 Thes 4.17).
v 65…And she said to the servant. “Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?” And the servant said, “He is my master.” Then she took her veil and covered herself (as an act of modesty).
v 66…And the servant told Isaac all the things he had done.
v 67..Then Isaac brought her into his mother’s tent (to show she was now mistress of the household) and he took Rebekah (consummated the marriage) and she became his wife and he loved her, thus Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death (Rebekah filled the gap caused by the death of Sarah).
Leave a Reply