October 27
Today's Verses: Genesis 23:11-15
11 "No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field and the cave that is in it; I give it to you in the presence of the sons of
my people. I give it to you. Bury your dead!" 12 Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land;
13 and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, "If you will give it, please hear me. I will
give you money for the field; take it from me and I will bury my dead there." 14 And Ephron answered Abraham,
saying to him, 15 "My lord, listen to me; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. What is that between you
and me? So bury your dead."
When Sarah died in Hebron in the land of Canaan, Abraham went to the sons of Heth (the people who lived in the
land) and requested a burial place. Abraham acknowledged that he was a foreigner in their land and humbled himself
by bowing before these men to ask his petition. They, in turn, honored Abraham by calling him a prince and instructing
him to take the choicest piece of land for his burial. They wanted him to take it for free but Abraham insisted on paying
the fair price for the land. After much debate back and forth, an amount of 400 shekels of silver was finally given as the
land value and Abraham gladly paid it.
Abraham was obviously a man of integrity. He was respected and honored among the people living in Canaan, even
though he was considered a foreigner in their land. At this time, Abraham's descendants were yet to come. He was
living in the faith of the promise from God that one day his descendants would live freely in this land of Canaan, the
promise land. But instead of flaunting his heritage, he humbled himself and honored the current residents by insisting
on paying his fair share for a burial place. In return, I would imagine that his integrity and character were all the more
greater in the eyes of these people. God blessed Abraham for his faith and obedience.
Our integrity is often tested through our finances. How we handle our money is a true sign of our character and it
seems that Christians are under the spotlight more than others, especially in ministries. By paying for the land, Abraham
was not under obligation to the land owners. When in debt, we are obligated to the lenders. When in debt, it is hard to
make wise choices because the need for money can sometimes overshadow the right decision. Pray about your
finances and ask the Lord to guide you in all
Daily Disciples Ministries, Inc., founded by Tonilee Adamson and Bobbye Brooks, embraces a vision to reach the world for Christ by teaching others how to be His daily disciples. Their mission is to evangelize the lost and to re-awaken the saved to live lives empowered by the Word of God and His Holy Spirit, and to teach and to train those who desire to grow, to serve and to have all that God has for them…encouraging everyone to be a daily disciple of Jesus Christ. From Bible studies to daily devotionals to daily radio programs to a comprehensive discipleshipprogram, Bobbye & Tonilee have a passion to help others apply the Word of God to their lives every day.