This study examines Genesis 23; 1Kings 1 and Acts 7, emphasizing God’s eternal promises over human pursuits of longevity and control. Abraham’s purchase of Machpelah, David’s succession planning, and Stephen’s sermon highlight faith in God’s unfolding plan. While biohacking seeks to extend life, Scripture reminds us that true immortality is only found in Messiah (Christ). Rather than fearing death, believers are called to trust in God’s sovereignty and focus on eternal purpose in Him.
Genesis 23 recounts Sarah’s death and Abraham’s purchase of the cave of Machpelah as a burial site. This chapter underscores Abraham’s faith and his interactions with the Hittites, reflecting his respect for local customs while securing a lasting inheritance in the Promised Land. The narrative highlights the importance of honoring the deceased and establishing a tangible connection to God’s promises. Abraham’s negotiation exemplifies humility and determination, serving as a model for balancing faith with practical matters in life.
It’s all too easy in today’s crave-the-cutting-edge lifestyle to forget who got us to where we are today. Abraham is called “father of us all” because his trust in God is the model for saving faith in God’s Son, Yeshua haMashiakh (Jesus the Christ) (Rom. 4:16–5:2). In this week’s Torah portion, חַיֵּי שָׂרָה Chayei Sarah (“Sarah’s life,” Gen. 23:1–25:18), we learn how important Abraham’s wife Sarah is in The Way from our old way of life to our new one in Mashiakh.
In the Torah reading חיי שרה Chayei Sarah (“Sarah’s life,” Gen. 23:1–25:18), we see the lengths Abraham goes to buy this final resting place for his wife Sarah, including his refusal to bury her on a Gentile’s property and his insistence on paying full price (or more) for a solid guarantee of ownership. It’s a lesson not lost on Abraham’s descendant King David, who 1,000 or so years later needed to buy a resting place for God Himself. It’s because of the Son of God — Yeshua (Jesus) — that Abraham, David, and all those who love God will receive the reward of living with God in a regenerated body, in the future place of rest.
The legacy of Abraham’s wife Sarah, the focus of Torah reading חיי שרה Chayei Sarah (“Sarah’s life,” Gen. 23:1–25:18), is not only her future daughter-in-law Rivkah (Rebecca) but also distant relatives Ruth and the Samaritan woman Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) met at the well.
These women, just as Sarah before them, extended acts of kindness and mercy to a stranger who would change their lives forever and they were rewarded for their kindnesses to strangers with a permanent connection with the Messiah.
A section of the Torah reading חיי שרה Chayei Sarah (“Sarah’s life,” Gen. 23:1–25:18) makes a big deal about a real estate transaction Abraham did for a burial plot for his wife Sarah. Rather than an arcane factoid from ancient times now long gone, this deal is a key lesson on the Golden Rule — how highly Heaven values humanity, and how people should similarly respect others and ourselves.
Rather than “he who has the gold makes the rules” or “do unto others before they do it unto you,” the Golden Rule and related instructions on property rights teach us to find value in others and ourselves based on what’s inside of us: our character, who we truly are.
And one of the key parts of this lesson is the great Gift given to humanity through Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus), beautifully explained by the Suffering Servant prophecy in Isaiah 52:13–53:12.
Ancient views on the opening verses of Torah reading חיי שרה Chayei Sarah (“Sarah’s life,” Gen. 23:1–25:18) about the funeral for the pivotal matriarch of Israel remind us that we all go through phases of our lives. Like Sarah, Abraham and other key leaders of the people of God, we get a new name — character, reputation and legacy — when we are delivered from our old life of bondage to things that keep us separated from the Kingdom of Heaven. In this study, we explore why embracing our “new name” as a “new creation” of Heaven is essential to this transformation.