Gen 23:2 | KingComments | STEP | Before in the next chapter Isaac gets his wife Rebekah, the death of Sarah is mentioned first. In typology this is an important event. For we see here in the picture that first Israel – of which Sarah is a picture – is set aside, and that then the Lord Jesus – of whom Isaac is a picture – gets His bride, the church – of which Rebekah is a picture. Sarah is the only woman whose age is mentioned in God’s Word. Her days are numbered by God. God also knows her faith. It seems as if she stood in the shadow of Abraham, but in Hebrews 11 there is also talk of her faith ( ). She did not rely on Abraham’s faith, like Lot. She travelled the whole pilgrimage with Abraham and for sixty-two years she was a stranger and a sojourner. Together they have reached the goal, also in faithfulness to each other. In all this she is an example to the believing women now ( ). What she has meant to Abraham is shown by his reaction after she has died. He mourns and weeps for her and spares no effort to give her a worthy funeral and a worthy burial site. Here we find for the first time tears with Abraham. We do not read about this when he leaves Ur of the Chaldeans. The natural feelings are not set aside by faith. Mourning and sorrow are not wrong, they have their place. There is a great distinction with those who have no hope ( ). The believer has sorrow when a beloved fellow believer falls asleep, but is not desperate. He will see his beloved again.

‏ Genesis 23:2

The Death of Sarah

Before in the next chapter Isaac gets his wife Rebekah, the death of Sarah is mentioned first. In typology this is an important event. For we see here in the picture that first Israel – of which Sarah is a picture – is set aside, and that then the Lord Jesus – of whom Isaac is a picture – gets His bride, the church – of which Rebekah is a picture.

Sarah is the only woman whose age is mentioned in God’s Word. Her days are numbered by God. God also knows her faith. It seems as if she stood in the shadow of Abraham, but in Hebrews 11 there is also talk of her faith (Heb 11:11). She did not rely on Abraham’s faith, like Lot. She travelled the whole pilgrimage with Abraham and for sixty-two years she was a stranger and a sojourner. Together they have reached the goal, also in faithfulness to each other. In all this she is an example to the believing women now (1Pet 3:5-6).

What she has meant to Abraham is shown by his reaction after she has died. He mourns and weeps for her and spares no effort to give her a worthy funeral and a worthy burial site. Here we find for the first time tears with Abraham. We do not read about this when he leaves Ur of the Chaldeans.

The natural feelings are not set aside by faith. Mourning and sorrow are not wrong, they have their place. There is a great distinction with those who have no hope (1Thes 4:13). The believer has sorrow when a beloved fellow believer falls asleep, but is not desperate. He will see his beloved again.