The Cave of Machpelah
Genesis 23:1 forward:
Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. Her husband Abraham came and wept for her and then set about to purchase a burying place for her.
He rose and spoke to the sons of Heth. Heth is, according to Genesis 10:15, the second son of Canaan, who is son of Ham, son of Noah. Heth is the ancestor of the Hittites, second of the twelve Canaanite nations descended from his sons, who lived near Hebron (Genesis 23:3, 7).
Abraham asked him if he could purchase a piece of land in which there was a cave sufficient for burying.
Heth spoke to Abraham and offered the cave to him at no charge. But Abraham would not accept for He wanted title to the land and the cave so that there could never be any possibility that anyone could dispute his ownership.
The two men bartered back and forth until Abraham won the competition and purchased the land and the cave.
This one Ephron is a son of Zochar, a Hittite, who was living in Hebron at the time and the person who had the authority to sell the land and the cave. His name means Fawn Like, so he was a mild mannered and gentle man. The negotiations, although somewhat tense, between these two men for this plot were very cordial. They both bowed to each other and all in attendance and were very gracious.
Genesis 23:17-20
17So Ephron’s field, which was in Machpelah, which faced Mamre, the field and cave which was in it, and all the trees which were in the field, that were within all the confines of its border, were deeded over 18to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. 19After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field at Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20So the field and the cave that is in it, were deeded over to Abraham for a burial site by the sons of Heth, for four hundred shekels of silver.
- And so it is until today: The land and the cave in Hebron still belongs to Abraham and his family and descendants.
- 30: In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a burying place.
- 31: There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.
- 32: The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth.
- 33: And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.
- The only Jewish matriarch missing is Rachel, who is believed to be buried at Rachel’s Tomb near Bethlehem
If you consider the word ISRAEL and you look at all the patriarchs and matriarchs you get the following:
Isaac — The I
Sarah — The IS
Rebecca — The R
Abraham — The A
Lea The EL
They spell out Israel.
There this cave exists today, still viewed and venerated by visitors from around the world. To get to the cave you have to walk up a rock covered walkway that has two low walls about three feet tall built out of rocks. One of the walls is over 4000 years old and the other over 3500 years old. People who have the privilege to walk this walkway are walking in the footsteps of Father Abraham.
The heirs of Abraham own title to this parcel of land. It is held in perpetuity for all that are of the seed of Abraham. Abraham is the father of many nations! I am one of his heirs.
Pastor Marvin Cape
