This account of Abraham mourning and burying  his wife Sarah appears fairly uneventful and yet it is given in great detail.

We see here that even great men are not immune to the normal trials and pains of life. It doesn’t matter who we are, losing loved ones is painful and we do need to mourn (v2).

The worse thing anyone can say to anyone at a time of bereavement is, “Don’t cry!” We must not fear tears, either ours or others. Tears are a necessary emotional release for those who are hurting.

The negotiations for the burial plot are very polite but prolonged (v3-16). The price in the end was actually very expensive (v16), but Abraham does not try to bargain, he wants the right place to lay to rest his wife’s body.

This is the first part of the Promised Land to be owned by Abraham’s family,  a first fruit pointing forward to the days when the whole land would be possessed. Sarah’s body is laid to rest in the Promised Land and it should be our prayer and concern that our loved are laid to rest in heaven.