# 28 - Sarah's Passing - In this episode of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein, Abraham navigates the grief of losing his beloved wife, Sarah, while securing a burial site in the promised land. This episode reflects on love, legacy, and faith, as Abraham's purchase of the Cave of Machpelah marks his family’s first permanent foothold in Canaan, fulfilling God’s promises even amidst sorrow.
Episode 28 of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein is inspired by the Book of Genesis.
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For more information about Yael Eckstein and IFCJ visit https://www.ifcj.org/
Today's opening prayer is inspired by Hebrews 11:11, “By faith, even Sarah herself received power to conceive, and she bore a child when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised.”
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Show Notes:
(02:30) Intro with Yael Eckstein
(03:27) Sarah's Passing - Cinematic Retelling
(22:48) Reflection with Yael Eckstein
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people.
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Speaker 2: Abram, you are to go out from your land, leave
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Speaker 2: your father's house and your relatives behind, and go to
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Speaker 2: the land. I will show you.
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Speaker 3: You have to trust me, Sarah. I have weighed the cost,
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Speaker 3: but more reportedly, I know in my heart and we
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Speaker 3: must follow the words of this God.
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Speaker 4: If this is your conviction, then I will follow you.
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Speaker 3: Yes, I don't want to fail them. I I know
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Speaker 3: I've been a coward before.
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Speaker 1: This is my chance to Abram turned his face away
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Speaker 1: from Sarah. She tilted her head to meet his gaze,
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Speaker 1: but he refused. Her voice was soft behind it was
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Speaker 1: a well of unrequited love.
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Speaker 4: Go ahead, save them, don't fail, and come back home
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Speaker 4: to me.
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Speaker 2: Now. As for your wife, Sarah, as I have given
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Speaker 2: you a new name, she will receive a new one
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Speaker 2: as well. She will be known as Sarah. As you
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Speaker 2: will be the father of many nations. She will also
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Speaker 2: be blessed. I will give you a son by her.
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Speaker 2: I will bless her, and she will produce these nations
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Speaker 2: I have spoken of. Mighty kings of people will come
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Speaker 2: from her.
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Speaker 5: I can't help it. You're never going to believe it.
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Speaker 4: It's finally happened. I've promise to us with child, You're
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Speaker 4: going to be up. I have always wondered how you
00:02:04
Speaker 4: sustained your faith all these years, waiting for the impossible.
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Speaker 4: But now I hear his voice too. I hear his
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Speaker 4: voice of the cries of our son here at last,
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Speaker 4: and I hear it in all our laughter. God made
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Speaker 4: me laugh when I first learned of his intentions for
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Speaker 4: my life. But now everyone will laugh.
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Speaker 6: With me.
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Speaker 5: In the land where promises were made and fulfilled. The
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Speaker 5: Abraham Stan's heartbroken and alone, in need of a resting
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Speaker 5: place for the true love he'd lost. Shelloh, my friends,
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Speaker 5: from here in the Holy Land, amya l Exstein with
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Speaker 5: the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and welcome to
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Speaker 5: the Chosen People. Today's episode is a turning point in
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Speaker 5: the story of the Chosen People that leads us to
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Speaker 5: some deeper questions. What does it mean to truly belong?
00:03:02
Speaker 5: What is the value of a piece of earth in
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Speaker 5: the grand scheme of our existence? And how do we
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Speaker 5: honor those who have been our heart and our home
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Speaker 5: as they face the inevitable twilight of life. These questions
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Speaker 5: linger waiting to be answered as we delve into the
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Speaker 5: poignant narrative of Genesis twenty three, where Abraham's love and
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Speaker 5: loyalty are tested in ways he never imagined.
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Speaker 2: My son, it is time.
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Speaker 1: Abraham's sorrow threatened to swallow him whole. Yet nothing could
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Speaker 1: prepare him for the harrowing sight of his son stumbling
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Speaker 1: forward toward his mother's still form, closing her eyes for
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Speaker 1: the last time. Isaac's tormented way wales pierced the air,
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Speaker 1: etching the scene into Abraham's soul forever. Abraham and even
00:04:07
Speaker 1: Sarah knew this day would come. Her health had declined,
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Speaker 1: and she found she was able to do less and
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Speaker 1: less each day she struggled with the helplessness of it all.
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Speaker 1: The worst part she longed to be by Abraham and
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Speaker 1: Isaac's sides and run the householders always, but the task
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Speaker 1: was proving to be too much, as each day she
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Speaker 1: grew weaker and weaker. Isaac, whose spirits were never diminished
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Speaker 1: by anything, stayed by her side as often as possible
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Speaker 1: to bring comfort. Abraham could still hear her laugh, feeble,
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Speaker 1: though it had become in her final days, filled with
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Speaker 1: love for the sun she had borne in the twilight
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Speaker 1: of her years, the living testament to the promise of
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Speaker 1: her God. The hour had scarcely passed, yet already the
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Speaker 1: news of Sarah's death had wept through the camp and
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Speaker 1: reached even their closest neighbors. Abraham could hear the wailing, chanting,
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Speaker 1: and lamentations rising outside the tent, each cry echoing the
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Speaker 1: deep pangs of his own sorrow. The faint, mournful dirt
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Speaker 1: song echoed in the din. Lightly the contribution of hired
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Speaker 1: mourners had been added to Abraham's own household. He knew
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Speaker 1: that his faithful servant and friend, Elieza, was responsible for
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Speaker 1: He loved Sarah as well. They sought to honor her.
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Speaker 1: Now that only her memory remained, Abraham found it hard
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Speaker 1: to focus on the moment. He felt untethered and unmoored.
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Speaker 1: Movement upon Sarah's death bed drew his scattered attention. Isaac
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Speaker 1: backed away from his mother's body, his sobs momentarily stilled
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Speaker 1: as he gasped for breath. With the finality of closing
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Speaker 1: her eyes, he reared back and shrieked, collapsing to the
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Speaker 1: ground and tearing at his garments. The shuddering sobs returned
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Speaker 1: with renewed force. Abraham flung himself down beside his son,
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Speaker 1: weeping with him, Isaac clung to his father, both of
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Speaker 1: them lost in their shared devastation. Abraham had no idea
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Speaker 1: how long they remained like that, lost in the ambient
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Speaker 1: lament of the mourners outside, intermingling with their own despondent keening.
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Speaker 1: His thoughts scattered and frayed with memories of Sarah. Yet
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Speaker 1: a nagging fragment of duty begged him to return to
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Speaker 1: the moment. He needed to make decisions and delegate. There
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Speaker 1: were things to be done, but the thought of doing
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Speaker 1: anything at all was overwhelming. But preparations had to be
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Speaker 1: made for her burial. For to not bury one's loved
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Speaker 1: one and quickly in the heat of Canaan was to
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Speaker 1: invite shame. Abraham tore himself from Isaac's embrace and weakly
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Speaker 1: called for Aniezza. He knew he would be close at hand.
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Speaker 7: Alison, Master, Abram, Master Isaac. My heart cries with you.
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Speaker 7: Lady Sarah was a remarkable woman.
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Speaker 8: Thank you, Eliza, you are a true and loyal friend.
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Speaker 8: I know she, I know she appreciated your service and friendship.
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Speaker 8: But now we must turn to duty, as she would want.
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Speaker 8: We must prepare for burial right away?
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Speaker 7: Of course, Master, have you decided where you will bury her?
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Speaker 1: Isaac had quieted beside Abraham and waited for his answer.
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Speaker 1: Abraham and decided where he would bury Sarah, where he
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Speaker 1: would one day be buried himself and all their descendants
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Speaker 1: after them. He had even disgusted with Sarah at times
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Speaker 1: over the years. The matter arose as they often moved
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Speaker 1: around as their flocks required. Abraham had wanted to be prepared,
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Speaker 1: as he did not know which of them would die first.
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Speaker 1: As much as it pained him to outlive her, he
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Speaker 1: knew that in this he could ensure the plan he
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Speaker 1: had established would come to pass.
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Speaker 7: I have here in Hebron, very good, Master. Should I
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Speaker 7: arrange a place for her inside one of their cemeteries?
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Speaker 3: No, I have a different location in mind where Father,
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Speaker 3: there is a cave not too far from here, known
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Speaker 3: to the locals as Macpala.
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Speaker 7: You wish to purchase a cave tomb. Such a space
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Speaker 7: would surely accommodate your family for years to come.
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Speaker 3: Yes, that is my intention.
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Speaker 7: But Master Abraham, if your desire is to have lady
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Speaker 7: Sarah lay to rest in a tomb, what of your
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Speaker 7: brother Nahor and the rest of your family. Your father
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Speaker 7: Tera is buried back in Haran, surely it would be
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Speaker 7: proper to bring her back to the land of our family.
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Speaker 3: Sarah and I discussed this many times, though it would
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Speaker 3: break with tradition. I can think of no better place
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Speaker 3: to lay my beloved Sarah the rest than in the
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Speaker 3: place promised by our God. We have long been strangers
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Speaker 3: and guests, borrowing and renting, but I can think of
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Speaker 3: no better way to establish ourselves here in the promised land.
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Speaker 3: And this way we will always occupy a small part
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Speaker 3: of the land God promised to us, even in death.
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Speaker 7: So we would now always remain in Hebron.
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Speaker 3: Perhaps not always exactly here, we must follow the flocks
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Speaker 3: and the crops as they require, but certainly in the
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Speaker 3: land of Canaan. I wish for our family to always
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Speaker 3: be buried here, and.
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Speaker 7: I think Mother would be honored by that. If our
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Speaker 7: families remain here in Canaan, I would never want.
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Speaker 3: To be too far from her.
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Speaker 7: I know, my son, the cave of Macpela. You said,
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Speaker 7: are you sure this isn't because of the old stories
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Speaker 7: the one Mother would tell, and I couldn't sleep.
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Speaker 3: Oh oh. Sarah's sense of duty ran deep even in
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Speaker 3: keeping up with the family histories, but she especially loved
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Speaker 3: the stories.
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Speaker 7: Master, If you don't mind, what is this Hebrew story,
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Speaker 7: I'm not familiar, Isaac. The stories say that Adam and Eve,
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Speaker 7: the very first man and woman, the ones who walked
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Speaker 7: with God in the garden, They were buried in a
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Speaker 7: long forgotten cave in this land. The locals of Hebron
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Speaker 7: claimed that this cave of Macpela is that very cave.
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Speaker 7: Oh oh, I see that's fascinating, Master Isaac. So is
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Speaker 7: that the reason for this particular cave, Master a Brahm,
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Speaker 7: not quite Eliezer, though I don't mind that reason at all.
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Speaker 7: Truth I have scouted the land and the past and
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Speaker 7: found the cave to be spacious, and the land around
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Speaker 7: it is not suitable for farming, so it will always
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Speaker 7: be peaceful and undisturbed. I also happen to know who
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Speaker 7: owns the land that contained the cave. I think Mother
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Speaker 7: would like the cave and the story, and.
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Speaker 3: I would think so too.
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Speaker 7: So there really is no going back to the land
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Speaker 7: of our fathers, is there, Master.
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Speaker 3: Abraham, No, my friend, there's not. The land of my
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Speaker 3: father is behind me. What lies ahead is the land
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Speaker 3: of my son and his sons and their sons.
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Speaker 1: When the matter of determining a burial spot for Sarah
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Speaker 1: had been decided, Abraham and Isaac oversaw the preparation of
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Speaker 1: her body. After she was washed, she was wrapped in linen.
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Speaker 1: Abraham and Isaac lovingly placed spices between the folds of
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Speaker 1: the material themselves before they departed for the city gate,
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Speaker 1: where they hoped to make their sale. They placed her
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Speaker 1: body on a bier within the tent. There it would
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Speaker 1: wait until it could be placed in its final resting place.
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Speaker 7: Now, Master Isaac, this would be a great opportunity to
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Speaker 7: see your father's skills as a businessman and diplomat. You
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Speaker 7: should take great heed with how he presents himself.
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Speaker 3: Yes, Eliezer, Eliezer, the boy could also learn a great
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Speaker 3: deal by heeding your advice. You sell yourself short. Your
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Speaker 3: counsel has been invaluable.
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Speaker 1: To me over the years.
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Speaker 7: You honor me, Master Ibram.
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Speaker 1: The men finally approached the city gate and Abraham's case
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Speaker 1: was called before the judge stationed there, A modest crowd
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Speaker 1: of head eyed onlookers were gathered to actors witnesses to
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Speaker 1: whatever business was conducted there. As they stood before the judge,
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Speaker 1: Abraham covertly scanned the gathered men Ah. There he found
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Speaker 1: the very man he was looking for. He was fairly unremarkable,
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Speaker 1: but had the eye of a shrewd businessman. Abraham knew
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Speaker 1: him by renown alone, but he seemed to be every
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Speaker 1: inch the tycoon. The accounts made him out to.
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Speaker 6: Be clan leader. Abraham, we have heard of your great loss.
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Speaker 6: We grieve with you for the death of your wife
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Speaker 6: and your mother, Young Masterizer.
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Speaker 3: Thank you, judge, what.
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Speaker 6: An honor to hear your inquiry. Product your reputation precedes you.
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Speaker 6: You were considered among us as a mighty prince of
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Speaker 6: your God, a prophet king.
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Speaker 1: At the judge's words, a memory of King Milkisedek flashed.
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Speaker 1: Abraham fought back the urge to smile at that. How
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Speaker 1: strange had the assent over his lifetime been to be
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Speaker 1: compared to a true priest of the God most high
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Speaker 1: of l Eleon, Sarah would have found it a musing
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Speaker 1: as well. Abraham had passed their God's tests of faith,
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Speaker 1: but there had also been many failures along the way,
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Speaker 1: but he would put those failures from his mind. Today.
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Speaker 1: He had to secure what he was sure would be
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Speaker 1: a lasting peace of their legacy.
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Speaker 6: You honor me, judge, What matter do you wish to
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Speaker 6: be heard before me? I know I need not warn you,
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Speaker 6: but I must warn all who speak here before me.
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Speaker 6: Let your words be true before both our great Hathied
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Speaker 6: people as well as our thousand gods. Let their eyes
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Speaker 6: be witnesses to your words and my ruling.
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Speaker 3: Thank you, judge, You are right. My household has suffered
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Speaker 3: a great loss in the death of my wife Sarah.
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Speaker 3: I would seek to bury her here within these lands.
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Speaker 6: Of course, bury your dead in our finest burial place.
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Speaker 6: None of us here will withhold from you his burial
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Speaker 6: place for burying the dead.
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Speaker 1: Good abrahm Raham's reputation throughout the land had given him
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Speaker 1: favor in the eyes of the Heathites who held the
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Speaker 1: city of Hebron. Clearly, his dealings with the Philistines and
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Speaker 1: their abemelegs had only bolstered his good will with these
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Speaker 1: foreign powers. But now he was to see how far
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Speaker 1: that favor would go. Abraham stepped forward, apart from his
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Speaker 1: son and his servant, and despite his advanced years and
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Speaker 1: esteem as a prominent clan leader, he kneeled before the
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Speaker 1: judge and the Heathite witnesses. Once he was kneeling before them,
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Speaker 1: he laid his palms on the stone before him and
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Speaker 1: lay prostrate before them. He was the picture of humility.
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Speaker 3: If you are willing for me to bury my dead,
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Speaker 3: listen to me and ask Ephron, son of Zohar, on
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Speaker 3: my behalf, to give me the cave of Macpilla that
00:15:50
Speaker 3: belongs to him. The cave stands at the end of
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Speaker 3: his field. Let him give it to me in your presence,
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Speaker 3: in front of your witnesses and your thousand gods, as
00:16:01
Speaker 3: well as my God, God Almighty, for the full price.
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Speaker 3: The cave is intended to be a burial portion, so
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Speaker 3: that my family would have a resting place that is
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Speaker 3: passed down as an inheritance from generation to generation.
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Speaker 1: There were murmurs in the crowd at that it was
00:16:19
Speaker 1: clear that they had been expecting Abraham to request a
00:16:22
Speaker 1: place in one of their cemeteries. The man Abraham had
00:16:26
Speaker 1: marked upon his arrival stepped forward. All heads turned to
00:16:30
Speaker 1: face the wealthy landowner Ephron as he strode confidently past
00:16:34
Speaker 1: the judge to stand before Abraham. Eager to strike a
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Speaker 1: bargain with the rich and renowned prophet, clan leader.
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Speaker 6: Clan leader, you may stand, my lord. I admits that
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Speaker 6: I'm surprised that my plot of land has got your eye.
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Speaker 6: But now these listen to me. You have proven yourself
00:16:53
Speaker 6: to be a great friend and ally in our land.
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Speaker 6: Because you are such a friend, I will give you
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Speaker 6: the field, and I will give you the cave that
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Speaker 6: is in it. I give it to you in sight
00:17:03
Speaker 6: of my people, the children of Heath into a thousand gods.
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Speaker 1: The crowd again murmured amongst itself as Abraham considered this
00:17:12
Speaker 1: opening move of the bargain. Isaac looked triumphant behind him,
00:17:16
Speaker 1: but Elieza, ever the faithful adviser, tugged on his sleeve
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Speaker 1: so that the boy would lean down so he could
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Speaker 1: whisper discreetly in his ear.
00:17:25
Speaker 7: This is no gift, master Isaac. This is the way
00:17:29
Speaker 7: of the Bedowin merchant. It is a ceremony of sorts
00:17:35
Speaker 7: begone long ago when your father first engaged this son
00:17:39
Speaker 7: of Zohar. Think of this as a gift for a gift,
00:17:44
Speaker 7: and certainly not this. I see what is next in
00:17:49
Speaker 7: this ceremony. Your father will insist on payment, as is right,
00:17:54
Speaker 7: especially with all these witnesses. They need to validate the
00:17:58
Speaker 7: eventual land purchase and make get a legal construct. Once
00:18:02
Speaker 7: Master Abraham confirms he will pay, Efron will name his price,
00:18:07
Speaker 7: and the bargaining will begin in earnest. So much pretending
00:18:11
Speaker 7: amongst these city dwellers. I prefer the plane maneuvers of
00:18:15
Speaker 7: the herders. Yeah, I confess I do as well, Master Isaac,
00:18:20
Speaker 7: But it will be beneficial for you to know the
00:18:22
Speaker 7: ways of the traders as well as the shepherds.
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Speaker 1: Abraham placed his hand over his heart and again bowed
00:18:29
Speaker 1: before Efron and the heathdes standing around him.
00:18:33
Speaker 3: Listen to me, if you please let me pay the
00:18:37
Speaker 3: price of the field, accept it from me, and let
00:18:40
Speaker 3: me bury my dead there.
00:18:42
Speaker 1: With a satisfied smile on his lips, Efron again slyly
00:18:47
Speaker 1: sized up Abraham with a greedy glint in his eye,
00:18:50
Speaker 1: no doubt weighing how much silver he could squeeze from Abraham.
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Speaker 6: My Lord listened to me. The land is worth four
00:18:58
Speaker 6: hundred shekels of silver.
00:19:01
Speaker 1: Eyes and brows shot up through the onlookers. This was
00:19:04
Speaker 1: not an outrageous sum of money for the size of
00:19:07
Speaker 1: the field, but considering that the land could not yield
00:19:09
Speaker 1: crops or support livestock. Efron was proposing a severely inflated
00:19:15
Speaker 1: number that overvalued the land. Starting so high would strike
00:19:19
Speaker 1: a bold bargain. Indeed, Abraham would be forced to keep
00:19:23
Speaker 1: his figures within range of Efron's number, not to disrespect
00:19:27
Speaker 1: him in front of all these witnesses.
00:19:30
Speaker 6: After all, my lord, what is the sum between men
00:19:33
Speaker 6: such as you and me? Accept my offer and go
00:19:37
Speaker 6: bury your dead.
00:19:39
Speaker 1: Elias obalked at the merchant's boldness, and eyes have leaned
00:19:43
Speaker 1: forward to see what his father would do.
00:19:45
Speaker 3: In response, I accept Efron, son of Zohar.
00:19:49
Speaker 1: Efron blinked in surprise, the entire crowd along with him.
00:19:53
Speaker 1: It was as if Abraham cut out all his bold
00:19:56
Speaker 1: posturing at the knees. But he quickly recovered, and a
00:20:00
Speaker 1: triumphant glee spread across his cunning face.
00:20:04
Speaker 6: I must admit, Glen either you are full of surprises.
00:20:09
Speaker 3: Eliza, wigh out the full amount for Efron before all
00:20:12
Speaker 3: these witnesses. I would have no one argue that I
00:20:16
Speaker 3: did not pay the full amount Efron thought was right
00:20:19
Speaker 3: for his property. Are you fully satisfied with this bargain? Efron?
00:20:24
Speaker 3: I am ah? Then today I mark as the day
00:20:29
Speaker 3: my family takes possession of a portion of the land
00:20:32
Speaker 3: in Canaan.
00:20:33
Speaker 1: Eliza stayed behind and weighed out the full ten pounds
00:20:37
Speaker 1: worth of silver, amount to the four hundred shettles, as
00:20:40
Speaker 1: sum the average man would make in wages in forty years.
00:20:45
Speaker 1: Sarah was laid to rest in the cave of Macpella,
00:20:48
Speaker 1: an act that renounced her in Abraham's homeland of Heron,
00:20:52
Speaker 1: and claimed Canaan as their legal and official home. Mourners,
00:20:56
Speaker 1: adorned in sackcloths and throwing dust, gathered at the age
00:21:00
Speaker 1: of the field to mourn their lady and to comfort
00:21:02
Speaker 1: her grieving father and son. The tomb was sealed, and
00:21:06
Speaker 1: in the coming days an upright stone was prepared and
00:21:09
Speaker 1: brought to the mouth of the cave to mark Sarah's grave.
00:21:13
Speaker 1: A portion of the inscription upon it read, and the
00:21:16
Speaker 1: life of Sarah was one hundred and twenty seven years.
00:21:20
Speaker 1: These were all the years of her life, a long life,
00:21:25
Speaker 1: to be sure, and Abraham hoped that her legacy, just
00:21:28
Speaker 1: like the promise of his family, would be everlasting. Long
00:21:33
Speaker 1: after the other mourners and members of the household had departed,
00:21:37
Speaker 1: Abraham and Isaac sat together, talking and reminiscing about their
00:21:41
Speaker 1: life with Sarah.
00:21:44
Speaker 3: Though we were and continue to be so journers in
00:21:47
Speaker 3: this land, I can't help but think of the significant
00:21:51
Speaker 3: moments that took place here.
00:21:54
Speaker 7: Tell me, Father, you know these stories, my son, I know,
00:21:59
Speaker 7: But tell me again.
00:22:02
Speaker 3: You do love your stories, don't you.
00:22:06
Speaker 1: Let's see.
00:22:07
Speaker 3: Ah, Yes, it was over in those oaks when we
00:22:11
Speaker 3: first came to settle here in Hebron. That was after
00:22:14
Speaker 3: I separated from your uncle Lot. I was saddened to
00:22:19
Speaker 3: be parted from him, but I was able to forge
00:22:22
Speaker 3: great friendships and alliances here in Hebron. Why outside these
00:22:27
Speaker 3: city walls is where our God appeared to me and
00:22:30
Speaker 3: told me to gaze up at the stars and try
00:22:32
Speaker 3: to count them.
00:22:34
Speaker 7: Ah, but you could not.
00:22:39
Speaker 1: I could not. The two men sat outside the cave
00:22:43
Speaker 1: until the very stars they spoke of began to appear overhead.
00:22:51
Speaker 5: This story hits me deeply. It's one of those narratives
00:22:54
Speaker 5: that's heavy with loss but still buoyed by faith. Here
00:22:58
Speaker 5: we have Sarah, our maid triarch, her laughter now silent,
00:23:02
Speaker 5: her absence of void for the man who truly loved her,
00:23:06
Speaker 5: And we have Abraham, the father of Nations, standing by
00:23:09
Speaker 5: Sarah's lifeless body, overcome with grief. Sarah, the woman who
00:23:14
Speaker 5: had journeyed with him through life, who had believed and
00:23:17
Speaker 5: promises that seemed impossible, and now she's gone. Yes, this
00:23:23
Speaker 5: is a reminder of the inevitability of death. No matter
00:23:27
Speaker 5: how strong our faith or how deeply we love, death
00:23:31
Speaker 5: will touch us all. But it's also in this raw
00:23:35
Speaker 5: moment of loss that we see Abraham's faith shine through.
00:23:40
Speaker 5: He negotiates for a burial place not just as a transaction,
00:23:44
Speaker 5: but as an act of trust in God's promise, and
00:23:47
Speaker 5: here he buries Sarah and the land that God promised
00:23:51
Speaker 5: his descendants, even though he owns not a single piece
00:23:54
Speaker 5: of it. Yet it's a poignant mix of sorrow and hope,
00:24:00
Speaker 5: a testament to faith beyond the grave, a reminder that
00:24:04
Speaker 5: our journey through life is filled with moments of both
00:24:08
Speaker 5: joy and heartbreak, And it's a call to live with
00:24:12
Speaker 5: the same kind of faith as Abraham, to trust in
00:24:15
Speaker 5: God's promises even in the face of death, faith that
00:24:20
Speaker 5: won't negate the pain of life, but will give us
00:24:22
Speaker 5: a way through it. My Abba, my father at Mariel
00:24:26
Speaker 5: Eckstein of Blessed Memory, wasn't just my dad. He was
00:24:29
Speaker 5: also my mentor and my role model in life, and
00:24:32
Speaker 5: one of the life lessons that he taught me was
00:24:35
Speaker 5: to leave work stress at work, to leave it behind,
00:24:39
Speaker 5: and to come home with an unburdened heart no matter
00:24:42
Speaker 5: what happened during your day at work. He taught me
00:24:46
Speaker 5: to be present for my own family. He taught this
00:24:48
Speaker 5: by example when I grew up. He was always present
00:24:52
Speaker 5: and loving for me and my sisters despite his work
00:24:55
Speaker 5: challenges as he began the fellowship, and through his example,
00:24:59
Speaker 5: my but taught me to do the same with my children. Yeah,
00:25:02
Speaker 5: it's not easy, but despite the day's trials, I always
00:25:07
Speaker 5: try my best to embrace my family with patience and love,
00:25:11
Speaker 5: to take a breath before I enter the door, before
00:25:14
Speaker 5: I enter home, and to consciously leave everything behind to
00:25:19
Speaker 5: walk in simply as a devoted and loving mother and wife.
00:25:24
Speaker 5: It's that same devotion to loved ones that Abraham models
00:25:28
Speaker 5: for all of us. In this story, according to Jewish traditions,
00:25:32
Speaker 5: Sarah died upon hearing that Abraham was about to sacrifice
00:25:35
Speaker 5: her beloved son Isaac. In the span of one day.
00:25:39
Speaker 5: Abraham faced the unthinkable task of following God's instruction to
00:25:43
Speaker 5: sacrifice his only son. Then obeyed God's command to abort
00:25:48
Speaker 5: the mission, only to arrive home to find that his
00:25:51
Speaker 5: wife passed away after hearing about his actions. After this
00:25:56
Speaker 5: emotionally and physically trying day, Abraham the devoted husband still
00:26:03
Speaker 5: looked to give his beloved wife proper burial. But even
00:26:08
Speaker 5: then there was a test. All Abraham wanted to do
00:26:12
Speaker 5: was to bury his beloved wife. Yet Ephron, the owner
00:26:15
Speaker 5: of the cave where Abraham wished to bury Sarah, made
00:26:18
Speaker 5: things very difficult. He demanded an exorbitant price. But Abraham,
00:26:24
Speaker 5: even after such a grueling day of tough decisions and grief,
00:26:28
Speaker 5: he showed his ultimate attribute of patience and kindness. Some
00:26:35
Speaker 5: of our sages even call this Abraham's greatest test and
00:26:39
Speaker 5: his finest moment. Jewish tradition asks a question about this transaction.
00:26:45
Speaker 5: If God promised the land of Israel to Abraham and
00:26:47
Speaker 5: his descendants, why then was Abraham subjected to this long
00:26:51
Speaker 5: negotiation with Ephron, which ended with our patriarch purchasing a
00:26:56
Speaker 5: burial plot for such a high price. Answer that this
00:27:01
Speaker 5: ages give is that this was he had another test
00:27:03
Speaker 5: of Abraham's faith and in God's promise to him and
00:27:07
Speaker 5: the chosen people he wanted to see, do you really
00:27:12
Speaker 5: believe that this is the land that I promised you?
00:27:15
Speaker 5: Do you really believe that forever your family will have
00:27:20
Speaker 5: this land? But let's take this one step further to
00:27:23
Speaker 5: find another lesson in God's word that's relevant for us. All.
00:27:28
Speaker 5: You see, part of having faith is taking action into
00:27:31
Speaker 5: our own hands. It's not passive. So yes, the land
00:27:35
Speaker 5: was promised to Abraham and his descendants, but to confirm
00:27:39
Speaker 5: that promise, Abraham had to negotiate and pay a large sum.
00:27:43
Speaker 5: He had to show that he really wanted it, that
00:27:46
Speaker 5: God's promise was more important even the money. But to
00:27:51
Speaker 5: confirm that promise, Abraham had to negotiate and pay a
00:27:54
Speaker 5: large sum, not to mention giving honor and respect to
00:27:57
Speaker 5: Ephraim in order to seal the deal. My friends, I'm
00:28:01
Speaker 5: speaking to you right now from this very same holy
00:28:05
Speaker 5: land of Israel, promise to Abraham and promise to his descendants.
00:28:10
Speaker 5: And the reason I'm able to do this, to be
00:28:13
Speaker 5: living here and working here and having children here and
00:28:17
Speaker 5: studying the Bible with you from here in Israel is
00:28:21
Speaker 5: because Abraham acted on God's promise and confirmed it with
00:28:27
Speaker 5: the earthly act of purchase. Even today, in the modern
00:28:32
Speaker 5: state of Israel, we have to do this each and
00:28:34
Speaker 5: every day. Yes, the Jewish people are here because of
00:28:37
Speaker 5: God's promise, but our brave soldiers, including my nieces and
00:28:42
Speaker 5: nephews and many children here in Israel, have to confirm
00:28:47
Speaker 5: our right to this land every day, both during times
00:28:51
Speaker 5: of war like now, but also standing guards the Guardians
00:28:56
Speaker 5: of Israel, even during times of peace, because we always
00:29:00
Speaker 5: have enemies on our border who want to take it
00:29:02
Speaker 5: from us. And I must tell you, my friends, every
00:29:06
Speaker 5: day we are so thankful for this unbreakable promise and
00:29:11
Speaker 5: our chance to continue confirming it to our faithful God,
00:29:16
Speaker 5: the author of life, and the one who will one
00:29:19
Speaker 5: day put an end to all pain, all suffering, and
00:29:22
Speaker 5: all death. How are we able to confirm this to
00:29:27
Speaker 5: our faithful God simply by praying for the peace of Jerusalem,
00:29:32
Speaker 5: by living here, by being focused on Israel. And we
00:29:36
Speaker 5: will do that until we die death. That's what this
00:29:42
Speaker 5: story really is about, isn't it. How does death inform
00:29:46
Speaker 5: the way that we think, act and feel about our lives.
00:29:51
Speaker 5: To speak more on this is our good friend, Bishop Lanier.
00:29:55
Speaker 9: Well, here we are jump to twenty three een The
00:30:00
Speaker 9: Covenant conversations between Heaven and humanity don't end, but there
00:30:05
Speaker 9: is a poignant pause here with the passing of an
00:30:11
Speaker 9: extraordinary woman, remarkable voice and vessel in the hands of God,
00:30:17
Speaker 9: our Sarah. I'm grateful for all the biographies of the
00:30:23
Speaker 9: Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Scriptures. I thank God that
00:30:28
Speaker 9: he tells us about these men Noah, Abraham, Isaac and
00:30:34
Speaker 9: Jacob and Joseph and Moses and David. And in the
00:30:37
Speaker 9: Christian scriptures you've got Peter, James and John and all
00:30:41
Speaker 9: the disciples who became apostles, and Paul and oh thanks Peter.
00:30:47
Speaker 6: God.
00:30:49
Speaker 9: But there are these women who also chose to stand
00:30:54
Speaker 9: at times when we don't know if God spoke directly
00:30:59
Speaker 9: to them, but they heard it at least through their husbands,
00:31:03
Speaker 9: and they believed gone. In the Christian Scriptures, the Book
00:31:09
Speaker 9: of Hebrews, chapter eleven, we read that when Sarah had
00:31:14
Speaker 9: every reason to stop believing her womb, she clung to
00:31:20
Speaker 9: a word, and she did conceive and carry a child
00:31:25
Speaker 9: and deliver a son named Isaac by faith. May her
00:31:32
Speaker 9: memory be a blessing.
00:31:37
Speaker 5: One hundred and twenty seven years before her death, That's
00:31:41
Speaker 5: how long Sarah's life was one hundred and twenty seven years.
00:31:45
Speaker 5: Can you imagine? And despite being painfully barren for most
00:31:50
Speaker 5: of her life, despite being kidnapped twice, despite having to
00:31:54
Speaker 5: deal with tests from God and difficult personalities for most
00:31:57
Speaker 5: of those one hundred and twenty seven years, Jewish tradition
00:32:01
Speaker 5: says that every year of Sarah's life was a good year.
00:32:06
Speaker 5: We have to ask, how.
00:32:07
Speaker 3: Could that be?
00:32:09
Speaker 5: Don't we all have both good years and bad ones? Well,
00:32:13
Speaker 5: the sages explain that there's only one criteria by which
00:32:17
Speaker 5: we can judge any year, or any day for that matter.
00:32:21
Speaker 5: It's by this how much did we grow? The secret
00:32:27
Speaker 5: to every one of Sarah's one hundred and twenty seven
00:32:30
Speaker 5: years being a good year is that every year she
00:32:33
Speaker 5: grew from every challenge, evolving into an even better person
00:32:37
Speaker 5: than she had been the year before. What an inspiration
00:32:42
Speaker 5: Sarah is for each of us. And to this day,
00:32:46
Speaker 5: this inspiring matriarch of God's chosen people is remembered each year.
00:32:52
Speaker 5: I'm the Shabbat, the Sabbath, when the Jewish people read
00:32:55
Speaker 5: the Torah portion that this passage is from, a special
00:32:59
Speaker 5: tradition is carried on. You see, the Torah portion is
00:33:03
Speaker 5: called in Hebrew Hye Sarah, which literally translates to the
00:33:08
Speaker 5: life of Sarah here in the Holy Land in Hebron,
00:33:13
Speaker 5: or Revron, as we say in Hebrew. Right there in
00:33:16
Speaker 5: the same very place still stands that same very cave
00:33:19
Speaker 5: that Abraham purchased, the Cave of Patriarchs. And each year
00:33:25
Speaker 5: on the Parsha, on the Torah reading of Hyae Sarah,
00:33:28
Speaker 5: the Life of Sarah, tens of thousands of Jews from
00:33:32
Speaker 5: all over Israel gather there at the tomb of the
00:33:36
Speaker 5: Patriarchs to Spendshabat together. Every building that has floor spaces
00:33:43
Speaker 5: filled with young people in sleeping bags. Every home in
00:33:47
Speaker 5: the small Jewish community of Hebron is open to as
00:33:49
Speaker 5: many visitors it can fit. Every open space is covered
00:33:53
Speaker 5: in tents. My husband and children went just last year.
00:33:57
Speaker 5: They wanted to be close to the exact same spot
00:34:00
Speaker 5: they were reading about in the scriptures. And while Abraham, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob,
00:34:05
Speaker 5: and Leah would all join Sarah in this holy burial place.
00:34:09
Speaker 5: It is the blessed Hya Sarah, the life of Sarah,
00:34:13
Speaker 5: that God's chosen people celebrate to this day until next time.
00:34:18
Speaker 5: Here's a final blessing for you. May the Lord bless
00:34:22
Speaker 5: you and keep you. May the Lord make his face
00:34:25
Speaker 5: shine upon you. May he be gracious to you. May
00:34:28
Speaker 5: the Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace.
00:34:33
Speaker 1: Amen. You can listen to the Chosen People with Isle
00:34:37
Speaker 1: Eckstein add free by downloading and subscribing to the pray
00:34:41
Speaker 1: dot Com app today. This prey dot Com production is
00:34:45
Speaker 1: only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents.
00:34:49
Speaker 1: Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabaga and Ben Gammon are
00:34:53
Speaker 1: the executive producers of the Chosen People with Yile Eckstein,
00:34:57
Speaker 1: edited by Alberto Avilla by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced
00:35:03
Speaker 1: by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold,
00:35:08
Speaker 1: Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore.
00:35:12
Speaker 1: Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and
00:35:16
Speaker 1: Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin,
00:35:21
Speaker 1: kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship
00:35:25
Speaker 1: of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot
00:35:28
Speaker 1: com productions on the Prey dot com app available on
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Speaker 1: the Apple App Store and Google play Store. If you
00:35:34
Speaker 1: enjoyed The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, please rate and
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