COMFORT

J. A. Petersen

Genesis 23: 1–4; 24: 67 (from “And Isaac ...”)

This scripture is of importance as bearing on this occasion and time. The Spirit of God in writing this book through Moses, paused for a whole chapter, Genesis 23, in regard to the death and burial of a saint. It is right thus that we have paused and turned aside and come here. Others would have been here but are with us in spirit. The greatest thoughts as to Christ, in type, are in chapter 22 and then in chapter 24 Christ and the assembly are in mind. In between these chapters comes this matter of Sarah’s death and burial. The Lord Himself enters into such matters. He touched our sister and He took her. It was His matter, His timing. In the presence of what He has done, and is doing, we are to bow. The Lord is said to rule over both living and dead, “both if we should live then, and if we should die, we are the Lord’s”, Romans 14: 8. Our brother Mr. Taylor helped us to see that this whole department is under Him “those who have fallen asleep through Jesus” and are “with Christ” which is “very much better”. He is the divine Person who has acted in the matter that is current among us today, the Lord Jesus Himself.

So this whole chapter is devoted to the death and burial of a saint. Our brother Mr. McCallum has just said in prayer that our sister was greatly beloved. The dying of Sarah was in relation to the land of promise, in relation to glory and in relation to heaven. It is not just that the tribulations are so great that one departs, but rather that our sister has departed in relation to the precious things of God. Her life was lived in relation to the assembly, which she loved, both in its local expression here and generally. The death of Sarah is distinguished for she was a distinguished personality marked by faith (see Hebrews 11: 11).

We get certain expressions used in this chapter for the first time, expressions which should move our affections and help us. In verse 3, ‘And Abraham rose up from before his dead’. Our sister is our dead. Later on Abraham says ‘that I should bury my dead from before me’

(Genesis 23: 8). These are important matters. Abraham is claiming something for his dead, and what we claim for our sister is that she belongs to Christ, she belongs to the assembly, and she belongs to heaven. The assembly is a heavenly vessel. That is the great matter now; we belong to Christ, to the assembly, to heaven, and the assembly is a heavenly vessel. That is, I think, the bearing of the cave of Machpelah which Abraham here purchased. How righteous he was about it too! We have heard of the interest and kindness of the neighbours here to our brethren; well, Abraham is making a testimony to his neighbours, the sons of Heth.

The reference in Genesis 24 is for comfort. We think of the children and grandchildren of our sister; they need comfort. It says, “Isaac was comforted after the death of his mother”. It was because he knew it was well with Sarah and he had an object for his affections in Rebecca, a type of the assembly. Dear brethren, let us have greater affection for the assembly and a greater understanding of what God has in His mind. Why are we left here? It is to be for the heart of Christ, ministering to Him and a testimony for Him in the gospel. And so Isaac was comforted. May the brethren be comforted in the departure of our sister, for what remains here is the assembly. It is a living and heavenly vessel. As Hezekiah said, “The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I this day—the father to the children shall make known thy truth”, Isaiah 38: 19. May we continue in the service of God, for His name’s sake.