Procuring the Land for Israel

Scripture: The town council of Hittites witnessed the transaction. Abraham then proceeded to bury his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah that is next to Mamre, present-day Hebron, in the land of Canaan. The field and its cave went from the Hittites into Abraham’s possession as a burial plot. Genesis 23:18-20

Observation: This is the record of the transaction that first gives Israel ownership of land in Canaan. It was bought and paid for, as a place to bury the dead. This doesn't seem like the normal way nor reason to pursue land ownership. While the Hittites were willing to just give Abraham land ... they never did so for any normal purpose, like living, or farming, or building a home. He was always a foreign resident, an outsider without landowning status, who simply existed in their midst, getting richer and more powerful all the while.

This feels like a precursor to the modern reestablishment of Israel. Abraham - the Jews - had no home, no land, and new permanent location to call theirs. However, the tragedy of death resulted in allowing Abraham to acquire his own land. This was repeated when, after centuries without a homeland, the terrible murders of the holocaust resulted in a discussion of reestablishing Israel, and ultimately granting them land.

Application: I am unsure of the meaning and significance surrounding Abraham's first land purchase, however I am sure it is significant given how it is covered in the bible. The burial of Sarah is not a trivial or passing thing ... or actually, the burial of Sarah is a secondary component or catalyst of the larger narrative of Abraham purchasing the land for her burial. The extent to which this is covered implies there is a message from the Lord for us in this.

All I really know is that the Lord has a plan for Israel. The Lord has a plan for his chosen people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the land he promised them thousands of years ago. That plan includes the continued blessing of the world through Messiah and the good news of salvation, but it also includes the fulfillment of covenant promises for the Jews.

Prayer: Lord, I ask that you be with Israel today and every day. Protect them as a nation and as every individual during the current conflicts, and bring your will to bear on the land. Your promises are sure. Amen.