Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people.
Speaker 2: Abram, you are to go out from your land, leave
Speaker 2: your father's house and your relatives behind, and go to
Speaker 2: the land. I will show you.
Speaker 3: You have to trust me, Sarah. I have weighed the cost,
Speaker 3: but more reportedly, I know in my heart and we
Speaker 3: must follow the words of this God.
Speaker 4: If this is your conviction, then I will follow you.
Speaker 3: Yes, I don't want to fail them. I I know
Speaker 3: I've been a coward before.
Speaker 1: This is my chance to Abram turned his face away
Speaker 1: from Sarah. She tilted her head to meet his gaze,
Speaker 1: but he refused. Her voice was soft behind it was
Speaker 1: a well of unrequited love.
Speaker 4: Go ahead, save them, don't fail, and come back home
Speaker 4: to me.
Speaker 2: Now. As for your wife, Sarah, as I have given
Speaker 2: you a new name, she will receive a new one
Speaker 2: as well. She will be known as Sarah. As you
Speaker 2: will be the father of many nations. She will also
Speaker 2: be blessed. I will give you a son by her.
Speaker 2: I will bless her, and she will produce these nations
Speaker 2: I have spoken of. Mighty kings of people will come
Speaker 2: from her.
Speaker 5: I can't help it. You're never going to believe it.
Speaker 4: It's finally happened. I've promise to us with child, You're
Speaker 4: going to be up. I have always wondered how you
Speaker 4: sustained your faith all these years, waiting for the impossible.
Speaker 4: But now I hear his voice too. I hear his
Speaker 4: voice of the cries of our son here at last,
Speaker 4: and I hear it in all our laughter. God made
Speaker 4: me laugh when I first learned of his intentions for
Speaker 4: my life. But now everyone will laugh.
Speaker 6: With me.
Speaker 5: In the land where promises were made and fulfilled. The
Speaker 5: Abraham Stan's heartbroken and alone, in need of a resting
Speaker 5: place for the true love he'd lost. Shelloh, my friends,
Speaker 5: from here in the Holy Land, amya l Exstein with
Speaker 5: the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and welcome to
Speaker 5: the Chosen People. Today's episode is a turning point in
Speaker 5: the story of the Chosen People that leads us to
Speaker 5: some deeper questions. What does it mean to truly belong?
Speaker 5: What is the value of a piece of earth in
Speaker 5: the grand scheme of our existence? And how do we
Speaker 5: honor those who have been our heart and our home
Speaker 5: as they face the inevitable twilight of life. These questions
Speaker 5: linger waiting to be answered as we delve into the
Speaker 5: poignant narrative of Genesis twenty three, where Abraham's love and
Speaker 5: loyalty are tested in ways he never imagined.
Speaker 2: My son, it is time.
Speaker 1: Abraham's sorrow threatened to swallow him whole. Yet nothing could
Speaker 1: prepare him for the harrowing sight of his son stumbling
Speaker 1: forward toward his mother's still form, closing her eyes for
Speaker 1: the last time. Isaac's tormented way wales pierced the air,
Speaker 1: etching the scene into Abraham's soul forever. Abraham and even
Speaker 1: Sarah knew this day would come. Her health had declined,
Speaker 1: and she found she was able to do less and
Speaker 1: less each day she struggled with the helplessness of it all.
Speaker 1: The worst part she longed to be by Abraham and
Speaker 1: Isaac's sides and run the householders always, but the task
Speaker 1: was proving to be too much, as each day she
Speaker 1: grew weaker and weaker. Isaac, whose spirits were never diminished
Speaker 1: by anything, stayed by her side as often as possible
Speaker 1: to bring comfort. Abraham could still hear her laugh, feeble,
Speaker 1: though it had become in her final days, filled with
Speaker 1: love for the sun she had borne in the twilight
Speaker 1: of her years, the living testament to the promise of
Speaker 1: her God. The hour had scarcely passed, yet already the
Speaker 1: news of Sarah's death had wept through the camp and
Speaker 1: reached even their closest neighbors. Abraham could hear the wailing, chanting,
Speaker 1: and lamentations rising outside the tent, each cry echoing the
Speaker 1: deep pangs of his own sorrow. The faint, mournful dirt
Speaker 1: song echoed in the din. Lightly the contribution of hired
Speaker 1: mourners had been added to Abraham's own household. He knew
Speaker 1: that his faithful servant and friend, Elieza, was responsible for
Speaker 1: He loved Sarah as well. They sought to honor her.
Speaker 1: Now that only her memory remained, Abraham found it hard
Speaker 1: to focus on the moment. He felt untethered and unmoored.
Speaker 1: Movement upon Sarah's death bed drew his scattered attention. Isaac
Speaker 1: backed away from his mother's body, his sobs momentarily stilled
Speaker 1: as he gasped for breath. With the finality of closing
Speaker 1: her eyes, he reared back and shrieked, collapsing to the
Speaker 1: ground and tearing at his garments. The shuddering sobs returned
Speaker 1: with renewed force. Abraham flung himself down beside his son,
Speaker 1: weeping with him, Isaac clung to his father, both of
Speaker 1: them lost in their shared devastation. Abraham had no idea
Speaker 1: how long they remained like that, lost in the ambient
Speaker 1: lament of the mourners outside, intermingling with their own despondent keening.
Speaker 1: His thoughts scattered and frayed with memories of Sarah. Yet
Speaker 1: a nagging fragment of duty begged him to return to
Speaker 1: the moment. He needed to make decisions and delegate. There
Speaker 1: were things to be done, but the thought of doing
Speaker 1: anything at all was overwhelming. But preparations had to be
Speaker 1: made for her burial. For to not bury one's loved
Speaker 1: one and quickly in the heat of Canaan was to
Speaker 1: invite shame. Abraham tore himself from Isaac's embrace and weakly
Speaker 1: called for Aniezza. He knew he would be close at hand.
Speaker 7: Alison, Master, Abram, Master Isaac. My heart cries with you.
Speaker 7: Lady Sarah was a remarkable woman.
Speaker 8: Thank you, Eliza, you are a true and loyal friend.
Speaker 8: I know she, I know she appreciated your service and friendship.
Speaker 8: But now we must turn to duty, as she would want.
Speaker 8: We must prepare for burial right away?
Speaker 7: Of course, Master, have you decided where you will bury her?
Speaker 1: Isaac had quieted beside Abraham and waited for his answer.
Speaker 1: Abraham and decided where he would bury Sarah, where he
Speaker 1: would one day be buried himself and all their descendants
Speaker 1: after them. He had even disgusted with Sarah at times
Speaker 1: over the years. The matter arose as they often moved
Speaker 1: around as their flocks required. Abraham had wanted to be prepared,
Speaker 1: as he did not know which of them would die first.
Speaker 1: As much as it pained him to outlive her, he
Speaker 1: knew that in this he could ensure the plan he
Speaker 1: had established would come to pass.
Speaker 7: I have here in Hebron, very good, Master. Should I
Speaker 7: arrange a place for her inside one of their cemeteries?
Speaker 3: No, I have a different location in mind where Father,
Speaker 3: there is a cave not too far from here, known
Speaker 3: to the locals as Macpala.
Speaker 7: You wish to purchase a cave tomb. Such a space
Speaker 7: would surely accommodate your family for years to come.
Speaker 3: Yes, that is my intention.
Speaker 7: But Master Abraham, if your desire is to have lady
Speaker 7: Sarah lay to rest in a tomb, what of your
Speaker 7: brother Nahor and the rest of your family. Your father
Speaker 7: Tera is buried back in Haran, surely it would be
Speaker 7: proper to bring her back to the land of our family.
Speaker 3: Sarah and I discussed this many times, though it would
Speaker 3: break with tradition. I can think of no better place
Speaker 3: to lay my beloved Sarah the rest than in the
Speaker 3: place promised by our God. We have long been strangers
Speaker 3: and guests, borrowing and renting, but I can think of
Speaker 3: no better way to establish ourselves here in the promised land.
Speaker 3: And this way we will always occupy a small part
Speaker 3: of the land God promised to us, even in death.
Speaker 7: So we would now always remain in Hebron.
Speaker 3: Perhaps not always exactly here, we must follow the flocks
Speaker 3: and the crops as they require, but certainly in the
Speaker 3: land of Canaan. I wish for our family to always
Speaker 3: be buried here, and.
Speaker 7: I think Mother would be honored by that. If our
Speaker 7: families remain here in Canaan, I would never want.
Speaker 3: To be too far from her.
Speaker 7: I know, my son, the cave of Macpela. You said,
Speaker 7: are you sure this isn't because of the old stories
Speaker 7: the one Mother would tell, and I couldn't sleep.
Speaker 3: Oh oh. Sarah's sense of duty ran deep even in
Speaker 3: keeping up with the family histories, but she especially loved
Speaker 3: the stories.
Speaker 7: Master, If you don't mind, what is this Hebrew story,
Speaker 7: I'm not familiar, Isaac. The stories say that Adam and Eve,
Speaker 7: the very first man and woman, the ones who walked
Speaker 7: with God in the garden, They were buried in a
Speaker 7: long forgotten cave in this land. The locals of Hebron
Speaker 7: claimed that this cave of Macpela is that very cave.
Speaker 7: Oh oh, I see that's fascinating, Master Isaac. So is
Speaker 7: that the reason for this particular cave, Master a Brahm,
Speaker 7: not quite Eliezer, though I don't mind that reason at all.
Speaker 7: Truth I have scouted the land and the past and
Speaker 7: found the cave to be spacious, and the land around
Speaker 7: it is not suitable for farming, so it will always
Speaker 7: be peaceful and undisturbed. I also happen to know who
Speaker 7: owns the land that contained the cave. I think Mother
Speaker 7: would like the cave and the story, and.
Speaker 3: I would think so too.
Speaker 7: So there really is no going back to the land
Speaker 7: of our fathers, is there, Master.
Speaker 3: Abraham, No, my friend, there's not. The land of my
Speaker 3: father is behind me. What lies ahead is the land
Speaker 3: of my son and his sons and their sons.
Speaker 1: When the matter of determining a burial spot for Sarah
Speaker 1: had been decided, Abraham and Isaac oversaw the preparation of
Speaker 1: her body. After she was washed, she was wrapped in linen.
Speaker 1: Abraham and Isaac lovingly placed spices between the folds of
Speaker 1: the material themselves before they departed for the city gate,
Speaker 1: where they hoped to make their sale. They placed her
Speaker 1: body on a bier within the tent. There it would
Speaker 1: wait until it could be placed in its final resting place.
Speaker 7: Now, Master Isaac, this would be a great opportunity to
Speaker 7: see your father's skills as a businessman and diplomat. You
Speaker 7: should take great heed with how he presents himself.
Speaker 3: Yes, Eliezer, Eliezer, the boy could also learn a great
Speaker 3: deal by heeding your advice. You sell yourself short. Your
Speaker 3: counsel has been invaluable.
Speaker 1: To me over the years.
Speaker 7: You honor me, Master Ibram.
Speaker 1: The men finally approached the city gate and Abraham's case
Speaker 1: was called before the judge stationed there, A modest crowd
Speaker 1: of head eyed onlookers were gathered to actors witnesses to
Speaker 1: whatever business was conducted there. As they stood before the judge,
Speaker 1: Abraham covertly scanned the gathered men Ah. There he found
Speaker 1: the very man he was looking for. He was fairly unremarkable,
Speaker 1: but had the eye of a shrewd businessman. Abraham knew
Speaker 1: him by renown alone, but he seemed to be every
Speaker 1: inch the tycoon. The accounts made him out to.
Speaker 6: Be clan leader. Abraham, we have heard of your great loss.
Speaker 6: We grieve with you for the death of your wife
Speaker 6: and your mother, Young Masterizer.
Speaker 3: Thank you, judge, what.
Speaker 6: An honor to hear your inquiry. Product your reputation precedes you.
Speaker 6: You were considered among us as a mighty prince of
Speaker 6: your God, a prophet king.
Speaker 1: At the judge's words, a memory of King Milkisedek flashed.
Speaker 1: Abraham fought back the urge to smile at that. How
Speaker 1: strange had the assent over his lifetime been to be
Speaker 1: compared to a true priest of the God most high
Speaker 1: of l Eleon, Sarah would have found it a musing
Speaker 1: as well. Abraham had passed their God's tests of faith,
Speaker 1: but there had also been many failures along the way,
Speaker 1: but he would put those failures from his mind. Today.
Speaker 1: He had to secure what he was sure would be
Speaker 1: a lasting peace of their legacy.
Speaker 6: You honor me, judge, What matter do you wish to
Speaker 6: be heard before me? I know I need not warn you,
Speaker 6: but I must warn all who speak here before me.
Speaker 6: Let your words be true before both our great Hathied
Speaker 6: people as well as our thousand gods. Let their eyes
Speaker 6: be witnesses to your words and my ruling.
Speaker 3: Thank you, judge, You are right. My household has suffered
Speaker 3: a great loss in the death of my wife Sarah.
Speaker 3: I would seek to bury her here within these lands.
Speaker 6: Of course, bury your dead in our finest burial place.
Speaker 6: None of us here will withhold from you his burial
Speaker 6: place for burying the dead.
Speaker 1: Good abrahm Raham's reputation throughout the land had given him
Speaker 1: favor in the eyes of the Heathites who held the
Speaker 1: city of Hebron. Clearly, his dealings with the Philistines and
Speaker 1: their abemelegs had only bolstered his good will with these
Speaker 1: foreign powers. But now he was to see how far
Speaker 1: that favor would go. Abraham stepped forward, apart from his
Speaker 1: son and his servant, and despite his advanced years and
Speaker 1: esteem as a prominent clan leader, he kneeled before the
Speaker 1: judge and the Heathite witnesses. Once he was kneeling before them,
Speaker 1: he laid his palms on the stone before him and
Speaker 1: lay prostrate before them. He was the picture of humility.
Speaker 3: If you are willing for me to bury my dead,
Speaker 3: listen to me and ask Ephron, son of Zohar, on
Speaker 3: my behalf, to give me the cave of Macpilla that
Speaker 3: belongs to him. The cave stands at the end of
Speaker 3: his field. Let him give it to me in your presence,
Speaker 3: in front of your witnesses and your thousand gods, as
Speaker 3: well as my God, God Almighty, for the full price.
Speaker 3: The cave is intended to be a burial portion, so
Speaker 3: that my family would have a resting place that is
Speaker 3: passed down as an inheritance from generation to generation.
Speaker 1: There were murmurs in the crowd at that it was
Speaker 1: clear that they had been expecting Abraham to request a
Speaker 1: place in one of their cemeteries. The man Abraham had
Speaker 1: marked upon his arrival stepped forward. All heads turned to
Speaker 1: face the wealthy landowner Ephron as he strode confidently past
Speaker 1: the judge to stand before Abraham. Eager to strike a
Speaker 1: bargain with the rich and renowned prophet, clan leader.
Speaker 6: Clan leader, you may stand, my lord. I admits that
Speaker 6: I'm surprised that my plot of land has got your eye.
Speaker 6: But now these listen to me. You have proven yourself
Speaker 6: to be a great friend and ally in our land.
Speaker 6: Because you are such a friend, I will give you
Speaker 6: the field, and I will give you the cave that
Speaker 6: is in it. I give it to you in sight
Speaker 6: of my people, the children of Heath into a thousand gods.
Speaker 1: The crowd again murmured amongst itself as Abraham considered this
Speaker 1: opening move of the bargain. Isaac looked triumphant behind him,
Speaker 1: but Elieza, ever the faithful adviser, tugged on his sleeve
Speaker 1: so that the boy would lean down so he could
Speaker 1: whisper discreetly in his ear.
Speaker 7: This is no gift, master Isaac. This is the way
Speaker 7: of the Bedowin merchant. It is a ceremony of sorts
Speaker 7: begone long ago when your father first engaged this son
Speaker 7: of Zohar. Think of this as a gift for a gift,
Speaker 7: and certainly not this. I see what is next in
Speaker 7: this ceremony. Your father will insist on payment, as is right,
Speaker 7: especially with all these witnesses. They need to validate the
Speaker 7: eventual land purchase and make get a legal construct. Once
Speaker 7: Master Abraham confirms he will pay, Efron will name his price,
Speaker 7: and the bargaining will begin in earnest. So much pretending
Speaker 7: amongst these city dwellers. I prefer the plane maneuvers of
Speaker 7: the herders. Yeah, I confess I do as well, Master Isaac,
Speaker 7: But it will be beneficial for you to know the
Speaker 7: ways of the traders as well as the shepherds.
Speaker 1: Abraham placed his hand over his heart and again bowed
Speaker 1: before Efron and the heathdes standing around him.
Speaker 3: Listen to me, if you please let me pay the
Speaker 3: price of the field, accept it from me, and let
Speaker 3: me bury my dead there.
Speaker 1: With a satisfied smile on his lips, Efron again slyly
Speaker 1: sized up Abraham with a greedy glint in his eye,
Speaker 1: no doubt weighing how much silver he could squeeze from Abraham.
Speaker 6: My Lord listened to me. The land is worth four
Speaker 6: hundred shekels of silver.
Speaker 1: Eyes and brows shot up through the onlookers. This was
Speaker 1: not an outrageous sum of money for the size of
Speaker 1: the field, but considering that the land could not yield
Speaker 1: crops or support livestock. Efron was proposing a severely inflated
Speaker 1: number that overvalued the land. Starting so high would strike
Speaker 1: a bold bargain. Indeed, Abraham would be forced to keep
Speaker 1: his figures within range of Efron's number, not to disrespect
Speaker 1: him in front of all these witnesses.
Speaker 6: After all, my lord, what is the sum between men
Speaker 6: such as you and me? Accept my offer and go
Speaker 6: bury your dead.
Speaker 1: Elias obalked at the merchant's boldness, and eyes have leaned
Speaker 1: forward to see what his father would do.
Speaker 3: In response, I accept Efron, son of Zohar.
Speaker 1: Efron blinked in surprise, the entire crowd along with him.
Speaker 1: It was as if Abraham cut out all his bold
Speaker 1: posturing at the knees. But he quickly recovered, and a
Speaker 1: triumphant glee spread across his cunning face.
Speaker 6: I must admit, Glen either you are full of surprises.
Speaker 3: Eliza, wigh out the full amount for Efron before all
Speaker 3: these witnesses. I would have no one argue that I
Speaker 3: did not pay the full amount Efron thought was right
Speaker 3: for his property. Are you fully satisfied with this bargain? Efron?
Speaker 3: I am ah? Then today I mark as the day
Speaker 3: my family takes possession of a portion of the land
Speaker 3: in Canaan.
Speaker 1: Eliza stayed behind and weighed out the full ten pounds
Speaker 1: worth of silver, amount to the four hundred shettles, as
Speaker 1: sum the average man would make in wages in forty years.
Speaker 1: Sarah was laid to rest in the cave of Macpella,
Speaker 1: an act that renounced her in Abraham's homeland of Heron,
Speaker 1: and claimed Canaan as their legal and official home. Mourners,
Speaker 1: adorned in sackcloths and throwing dust, gathered at the age
Speaker 1: of the field to mourn their lady and to comfort
Speaker 1: her grieving father and son. The tomb was sealed, and
Speaker 1: in the coming days an upright stone was prepared and
Speaker 1: brought to the mouth of the cave to mark Sarah's grave.
Speaker 1: A portion of the inscription upon it read, and the
Speaker 1: life of Sarah was one hundred and twenty seven years.
Speaker 1: These were all the years of her life, a long life,
Speaker 1: to be sure, and Abraham hoped that her legacy, just
Speaker 1: like the promise of his family, would be everlasting. Long
Speaker 1: after the other mourners and members of the household had departed,
Speaker 1: Abraham and Isaac sat together, talking and reminiscing about their
Speaker 1: life with Sarah.
Speaker 3: Though we were and continue to be so journers in
Speaker 3: this land, I can't help but think of the significant
Speaker 3: moments that took place here.
Speaker 7: Tell me, Father, you know these stories, my son, I know,
Speaker 7: But tell me again.
Speaker 3: You do love your stories, don't you.
Speaker 1: Let's see.
Speaker 3: Ah, Yes, it was over in those oaks when we
Speaker 3: first came to settle here in Hebron. That was after
Speaker 3: I separated from your uncle Lot. I was saddened to
Speaker 3: be parted from him, but I was able to forge
Speaker 3: great friendships and alliances here in Hebron. Why outside these
Speaker 3: city walls is where our God appeared to me and
Speaker 3: told me to gaze up at the stars and try
Speaker 3: to count them.
Speaker 7: Ah, but you could not.
Speaker 1: I could not. The two men sat outside the cave
Speaker 1: until the very stars they spoke of began to appear overhead.
Speaker 5: This story hits me deeply. It's one of those narratives
Speaker 5: that's heavy with loss but still buoyed by faith. Here
Speaker 5: we have Sarah, our maid triarch, her laughter now silent,
Speaker 5: her absence of void for the man who truly loved her,
Speaker 5: And we have Abraham, the father of Nations, standing by
Speaker 5: Sarah's lifeless body, overcome with grief. Sarah, the woman who
Speaker 5: had journeyed with him through life, who had believed and
Speaker 5: promises that seemed impossible, and now she's gone. Yes, this
Speaker 5: is a reminder of the inevitability of death. No matter
Speaker 5: how strong our faith or how deeply we love, death
Speaker 5: will touch us all. But it's also in this raw
Speaker 5: moment of loss that we see Abraham's faith shine through.
Speaker 5: He negotiates for a burial place not just as a transaction,
Speaker 5: but as an act of trust in God's promise, and
Speaker 5: here he buries Sarah and the land that God promised
Speaker 5: his descendants, even though he owns not a single piece
Speaker 5: of it. Yet it's a poignant mix of sorrow and hope,
Speaker 5: a testament to faith beyond the grave, a reminder that
Speaker 5: our journey through life is filled with moments of both
Speaker 5: joy and heartbreak, And it's a call to live with
Speaker 5: the same kind of faith as Abraham, to trust in
Speaker 5: God's promises even in the face of death, faith that
Speaker 5: won't negate the pain of life, but will give us
Speaker 5: a way through it. My Abba, my father at Mariel
Speaker 5: Eckstein of Blessed Memory, wasn't just my dad. He was
Speaker 5: also my mentor and my role model in life, and
Speaker 5: one of the life lessons that he taught me was
Speaker 5: to leave work stress at work, to leave it behind,
Speaker 5: and to come home with an unburdened heart no matter
Speaker 5: what happened during your day at work. He taught me
Speaker 5: to be present for my own family. He taught this
Speaker 5: by example when I grew up. He was always present
Speaker 5: and loving for me and my sisters despite his work
Speaker 5: challenges as he began the fellowship, and through his example,
Speaker 5: my but taught me to do the same with my children. Yeah,
Speaker 5: it's not easy, but despite the day's trials, I always
Speaker 5: try my best to embrace my family with patience and love,
Speaker 5: to take a breath before I enter the door, before
Speaker 5: I enter home, and to consciously leave everything behind to
Speaker 5: walk in simply as a devoted and loving mother and wife.
Speaker 5: It's that same devotion to loved ones that Abraham models
Speaker 5: for all of us. In this story, according to Jewish traditions,
Speaker 5: Sarah died upon hearing that Abraham was about to sacrifice
Speaker 5: her beloved son Isaac. In the span of one day.
Speaker 5: Abraham faced the unthinkable task of following God's instruction to
Speaker 5: sacrifice his only son. Then obeyed God's command to abort
Speaker 5: the mission, only to arrive home to find that his
Speaker 5: wife passed away after hearing about his actions. After this
Speaker 5: emotionally and physically trying day, Abraham the devoted husband still
Speaker 5: looked to give his beloved wife proper burial. But even
Speaker 5: then there was a test. All Abraham wanted to do
Speaker 5: was to bury his beloved wife. Yet Ephron, the owner
Speaker 5: of the cave where Abraham wished to bury Sarah, made
Speaker 5: things very difficult. He demanded an exorbitant price. But Abraham,
Speaker 5: even after such a grueling day of tough decisions and grief,
Speaker 5: he showed his ultimate attribute of patience and kindness. Some
Speaker 5: of our sages even call this Abraham's greatest test and
Speaker 5: his finest moment. Jewish tradition asks a question about this transaction.
Speaker 5: If God promised the land of Israel to Abraham and
Speaker 5: his descendants, why then was Abraham subjected to this long
Speaker 5: negotiation with Ephron, which ended with our patriarch purchasing a
Speaker 5: burial plot for such a high price. Answer that this
Speaker 5: ages give is that this was he had another test
Speaker 5: of Abraham's faith and in God's promise to him and
Speaker 5: the chosen people he wanted to see, do you really
Speaker 5: believe that this is the land that I promised you?
Speaker 5: Do you really believe that forever your family will have
Speaker 5: this land? But let's take this one step further to
Speaker 5: find another lesson in God's word that's relevant for us. All.
Speaker 5: You see, part of having faith is taking action into
Speaker 5: our own hands. It's not passive. So yes, the land
Speaker 5: was promised to Abraham and his descendants, but to confirm
Speaker 5: that promise, Abraham had to negotiate and pay a large sum.
Speaker 5: He had to show that he really wanted it, that
Speaker 5: God's promise was more important even the money. But to
Speaker 5: confirm that promise, Abraham had to negotiate and pay a
Speaker 5: large sum, not to mention giving honor and respect to
Speaker 5: Ephraim in order to seal the deal. My friends, I'm
Speaker 5: speaking to you right now from this very same holy
Speaker 5: land of Israel, promise to Abraham and promise to his descendants.
Speaker 5: And the reason I'm able to do this, to be
Speaker 5: living here and working here and having children here and
Speaker 5: studying the Bible with you from here in Israel is
Speaker 5: because Abraham acted on God's promise and confirmed it with
Speaker 5: the earthly act of purchase. Even today, in the modern
Speaker 5: state of Israel, we have to do this each and
Speaker 5: every day. Yes, the Jewish people are here because of
Speaker 5: God's promise, but our brave soldiers, including my nieces and
Speaker 5: nephews and many children here in Israel, have to confirm
Speaker 5: our right to this land every day, both during times
Speaker 5: of war like now, but also standing guards the Guardians
Speaker 5: of Israel, even during times of peace, because we always
Speaker 5: have enemies on our border who want to take it
Speaker 5: from us. And I must tell you, my friends, every
Speaker 5: day we are so thankful for this unbreakable promise and
Speaker 5: our chance to continue confirming it to our faithful God,
Speaker 5: the author of life, and the one who will one
Speaker 5: day put an end to all pain, all suffering, and
Speaker 5: all death. How are we able to confirm this to
Speaker 5: our faithful God simply by praying for the peace of Jerusalem,
Speaker 5: by living here, by being focused on Israel. And we
Speaker 5: will do that until we die death. That's what this
Speaker 5: story really is about, isn't it. How does death inform
Speaker 5: the way that we think, act and feel about our lives.
Speaker 5: To speak more on this is our good friend, Bishop Lanier.
Speaker 9: Well, here we are jump to twenty three een The
Speaker 9: Covenant conversations between Heaven and humanity don't end, but there
Speaker 9: is a poignant pause here with the passing of an
Speaker 9: extraordinary woman, remarkable voice and vessel in the hands of God,
Speaker 9: our Sarah. I'm grateful for all the biographies of the
Speaker 9: Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Scriptures. I thank God that
Speaker 9: he tells us about these men Noah, Abraham, Isaac and
Speaker 9: Jacob and Joseph and Moses and David. And in the
Speaker 9: Christian scriptures you've got Peter, James and John and all
Speaker 9: the disciples who became apostles, and Paul and oh thanks Peter.
Speaker 6: God.
Speaker 9: But there are these women who also chose to stand
Speaker 9: at times when we don't know if God spoke directly
Speaker 9: to them, but they heard it at least through their husbands,
Speaker 9: and they believed gone. In the Christian Scriptures, the Book
Speaker 9: of Hebrews, chapter eleven, we read that when Sarah had
Speaker 9: every reason to stop believing her womb, she clung to
Speaker 9: a word, and she did conceive and carry a child
Speaker 9: and deliver a son named Isaac by faith. May her
Speaker 9: memory be a blessing.
Speaker 5: One hundred and twenty seven years before her death, That's
Speaker 5: how long Sarah's life was one hundred and twenty seven years.
Speaker 5: Can you imagine? And despite being painfully barren for most
Speaker 5: of her life, despite being kidnapped twice, despite having to
Speaker 5: deal with tests from God and difficult personalities for most
Speaker 5: of those one hundred and twenty seven years, Jewish tradition
Speaker 5: says that every year of Sarah's life was a good year.
Speaker 5: We have to ask, how.
Speaker 3: Could that be?
Speaker 5: Don't we all have both good years and bad ones? Well,
Speaker 5: the sages explain that there's only one criteria by which
Speaker 5: we can judge any year, or any day for that matter.
Speaker 5: It's by this how much did we grow? The secret
Speaker 5: to every one of Sarah's one hundred and twenty seven
Speaker 5: years being a good year is that every year she
Speaker 5: grew from every challenge, evolving into an even better person
Speaker 5: than she had been the year before. What an inspiration
Speaker 5: Sarah is for each of us. And to this day,
Speaker 5: this inspiring matriarch of God's chosen people is remembered each year.
Speaker 5: I'm the Shabbat, the Sabbath, when the Jewish people read
Speaker 5: the Torah portion that this passage is from, a special
Speaker 5: tradition is carried on. You see, the Torah portion is
Speaker 5: called in Hebrew Hye Sarah, which literally translates to the
Speaker 5: life of Sarah here in the Holy Land in Hebron,
Speaker 5: or Revron, as we say in Hebrew. Right there in
Speaker 5: the same very place still stands that same very cave
Speaker 5: that Abraham purchased, the Cave of Patriarchs. And each year
Speaker 5: on the Parsha, on the Torah reading of Hyae Sarah,
Speaker 5: the Life of Sarah, tens of thousands of Jews from
Speaker 5: all over Israel gather there at the tomb of the
Speaker 5: Patriarchs to Spendshabat together. Every building that has floor spaces
Speaker 5: filled with young people in sleeping bags. Every home in
Speaker 5: the small Jewish community of Hebron is open to as
Speaker 5: many visitors it can fit. Every open space is covered
Speaker 5: in tents. My husband and children went just last year.
Speaker 5: They wanted to be close to the exact same spot
Speaker 5: they were reading about in the scriptures. And while Abraham, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob,
Speaker 5: and Leah would all join Sarah in this holy burial place.
Speaker 5: It is the blessed Hya Sarah, the life of Sarah,
Speaker 5: that God's chosen people celebrate to this day until next time.
Speaker 5: Here's a final blessing for you. May the Lord bless
Speaker 5: you and keep you. May the Lord make his face
Speaker 5: shine upon you. May he be gracious to you. May
Speaker 5: the Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace.
Speaker 1: Amen. You can listen to the Chosen People with Isle
Speaker 1: Eckstein add free by downloading and subscribing to the pray
Speaker 1: dot Com app today. This prey dot Com production is
Speaker 1: only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents.
Speaker 1: Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabaga and Ben Gammon are
Speaker 1: the executive producers of the Chosen People with Yile Eckstein,
Speaker 1: edited by Alberto Avilla by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced
Speaker 1: by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold,
Speaker 1: Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore.
Speaker 1: Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and
Speaker 1: Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin,
Speaker 1: kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship
Speaker 1: of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot
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