Genesis 23:13  He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, “If you will only please listen to me; I will give the price of the field, accept it from me that I may bury my dead there.”    

    Since Abraham had come to the land, he had done nothing but prosper. His livestock business had grown enormously; so much that he and his nephew, Lot, had to part ways to allow room. Later, a confederation of kings rose up and began conquering. In the process, his nephew Lot was taken prisoner. Abraham raised an army from his own servants and won a military victory! It seemed everything he did prospered. 

    But now his wife, Sarah, had died and he was making arrangements for her burial. He gathered local leaders and spoke to them as a group about his desire to buy a cave suitable for burial. Did he really need to do this? Wasn’t he big enough at this point to just get a cave through ‘squatter’s rights’? But Abraham wanted to do things the right way. 

    Not all that many chapters before today’s verse God had told Adam and Eve that if they ate the forbidden fruit, they would die. Since their first disobedience mankind has stood condemned. For their sin was passed on to us. We are born in debt. The price of our sin is death. 

    It was not God’s will that this be our situation. But we sinned. He could have just washed His hands of us. But He wanted a solution. Why not just declare it to be ‘paid’. He is God! Can’t He do anything? But He wouldn’t do that because He is true to Himself. No, death is the penalty. But if I die for my sin, that’s the end of the story. That’s why God came up with a better way! He would come and die for my sin! 

    Jesus came to earth. He did a lot of great things while He was here, but the reason He came was to pay the debt for sin. Not for His - He never sinned! But He died our death satisfying the righteous requirement - I had a debt I could not pay. He paid a debt He did not owe! And after He died and Satan was rejoicing for the ultimate spoiling of God’s plan, He rose again to new life! 

    The price for our sin has been paid. But we must ask Him to apply it to our account. Have you done that?

Blessings,

Pastor Russ