Day 9: Genesis 23-24
Today's morning devotion is Genesis 23-24, which documents Abraham's purchasing a tomb for Sarah, followed by the story of Isaac's union with Rebekah.
Are princes haughty? Entitled? Should they be? I just wanted to take a second to marvel at how Abraham, called "the prince of God", reacted when the Hittites basically said that he can do whatever he wants because of his standing with God.
Abraham bowed, after being called the "prince of God". I think that's a pretty clear demonstration of humility, a testament to how humble Abraham was, and how we should act today.
In line with his humility, Abraham also shows us that one should always pay the fair price in a transaction, regardless of his or her status.
While I'm personally far from holding status such that people would want to give me things for free instead of asking for the market price, I think the basic idea is that one should make sure that fair prices are paid for all products and services.
Perhaps one relevant example in real life is when you go to a retail shop and spot a pricing error. For example, meat that's priced at $11.99 was actually showing up as $1.99 during checkout. While it's counter to how I've behaved in the past, the extra effort to pay the right price seems worthwhile.
Trying to find information about the value of a shekel of silver was pretty challenging. Ultimately a Google search for "price of wheat in silver shekels" turned up a page from Gold Eagle, which explained that "one sheep cost 2.6 to 16 grams [of silver]", and that one shekel was equivalent to 8.4 grams.
So, basically, a whole sheep would cost roughly 1-2 shekels. To put this in today's perspective, I looked for the price of a whole lamb, and one site quoted $400 for the meat from an entire lamb.
If we assume that 1 lamb could be purchased for 1 shekel, then Abraham basically paid $160,000 for the burial property. How bad-ass is it that Abraham was just carrying around $160k in physical silver? Imagine trying to fit that into your back pocket.
I think the answer is Haran, right before God calls Abraham (then called Abram) to go into Canaan.
Abraham, the humble prince
Are princes haughty? Entitled? Should they be? I just wanted to take a second to marvel at how Abraham, called "the prince of God", reacted when the Hittites basically said that he can do whatever he wants because of his standing with God.
The Hittites answered Abraham, “Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb to hinder you from burying your dead.” Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land. (Genesis 23:5-7 ESV)
Abraham bowed, after being called the "prince of God". I think that's a pretty clear demonstration of humility, a testament to how humble Abraham was, and how we should act today.
The prince of God pays a fair price
In line with his humility, Abraham also shows us that one should always pay the fair price in a transaction, regardless of his or her status.
“My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.” Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants. (Genesis 23:15-16 ESV)
While I'm personally far from holding status such that people would want to give me things for free instead of asking for the market price, I think the basic idea is that one should make sure that fair prices are paid for all products and services.
Perhaps one relevant example in real life is when you go to a retail shop and spot a pricing error. For example, meat that's priced at $11.99 was actually showing up as $1.99 during checkout. While it's counter to how I've behaved in the past, the extra effort to pay the right price seems worthwhile.
And 400 shekels of silver is ...?
Trying to find information about the value of a shekel of silver was pretty challenging. Ultimately a Google search for "price of wheat in silver shekels" turned up a page from Gold Eagle, which explained that "one sheep cost 2.6 to 16 grams [of silver]", and that one shekel was equivalent to 8.4 grams.
So, basically, a whole sheep would cost roughly 1-2 shekels. To put this in today's perspective, I looked for the price of a whole lamb, and one site quoted $400 for the meat from an entire lamb.
If we assume that 1 lamb could be purchased for 1 shekel, then Abraham basically paid $160,000 for the burial property. How bad-ass is it that Abraham was just carrying around $160k in physical silver? Imagine trying to fit that into your back pocket.
Abraham's country
When Abraham talked about finding a wife for Isaac from his country, not from Canaan, I had to stop and wonder what exactly was Abraham's country.
And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh, that I may make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” (Genesis 24:2-4 ESV)
I think the answer is Haran, right before God calls Abraham (then called Abram) to go into Canaan.
Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. (Genesis 11:31 ESV)