Saturday, June 5, 2010

Genesis 23:1-20

And so ends the life of Sarah.  I don't say that to be flippant, at all.  Consider, Sarah led a long and incredible life.  She follows her husband as he leaves their hometown and go wandering.  She sees quite a bit of the world for that time, leaving the Chaldeans and going down to Egypt and then up into the lands of the Philistines and Hittites.  She is taken as the wife of a pharaoh and a king.  She has a child at a very advanced age.  She is beautiful, resourceful, and faithful.  Granted, not every moment is shining (her entire relationship with Hagar, for example).  But her husband loves her, as is seen by the fact that he does go in an mourn her. 

The part where Abraham barters for the cave at Mamre is interesting, isn't it?  From what I understand this is very typical for eastern cultures: always to show a great deal of respect, and even flattery, as you state what you want, listen to terms, and comply, etc.  It's a very different type of bargaining than you often seen used in America: use what you can against them to make them see things your way.  Maybe I've watched too much The Apprentice.  Or not enough.  I really don't like that show( or Survivor or anything that cutthroat for that matter).

Tomorrow's Reading: Genesis 24:1-67

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