Redeemer Church of Oklahoma City

Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. And Abraham rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites, “I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” –Genesis 23:1-4

Abraham, we’re told in many places, believed. He had faith in God’s promises and is commended for it. Sarah did too. Hebrews 11 mentions her fatih. Just like Abraham she was promised a son and a land. She had the son, but she died while they were still “sojourners and foreigners” in the land.

So Abraham buys, at great cost, a burial place for her. This was abnormal. In their culture you always buried your dead back home, even if you hadn’t lived there in a long time. We still do it pretty much the same way today. So what does it mean that Abraham broke with tradition and bought a plot of land among the Hittites to bury Sarah? It means that he still believed God’s promise, and in fact, testified to all future generations that he did bury her back “home.”

Hebrews 11:39, states plainly what was going on: “And all these [people just mentioned], though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us.”

That means “the land” was only a shadow of something much greater: the New Heavens and the New Earth—the whole recreated cosmos! And did you notice the pronoun at the end of Hebrews? Doesn’t it seem like it should say, “since God had provided something better for them”? But it says, “God had provided something better for us.” What good news! We too are included in the faithful who will receive that “something better” when the Kingdom of God comes in all its fullness. There is a very expensive grave in Canaan, but it was only occupied for 3 days.

And that’s the gospel! Come hear it preached and enacted in the supper with Jesus this Sunday.

The related hymns we’ll sing are:
O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing
Man of Sorrows! What a Name
Lift High the Cross

Don’t forget this Sunday is the beginning of Daylight Saving Time (spring forward). This is the one where those who forget show up an hour late!

Our Community Lunch will be this Sunday after worship. Click here if you would like more information. 

Sunday school for children (in Genesis) and adults (in Galatians) is up and running! Coffee and other treats are served at 9:15, teaching begins at 9:30, and we break to get ready for worship at 10:15. 

Visitors are always welcome!