Good evening and welcome to EBible Fellowship’s Bible study in the book of Genesis. Tonight is study #14 of Genesis, chapter 23, and we are reading Genesis 23:17-20:

And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city. And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.

We are going to try to finish up this study in Genesis 23, and we are going to do that by looking at one more Hebrew word, and that is the word translated as “made sure” a couple of times in these verses. At the end of verse 17, it said: “…and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure Unto Abraham for a possession…” And it was done in the presence of the children of Heth because God did this very publicly when the Lord Jesus Christ suffered and died a very public and humiliating death to show forth that the purchase price was paid. Remember how we related the money to purchase the field back to the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The words “made sure” are also seen in verse 20: “And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.”

Twice God said it was “made sure,” and the words “made sure” conveys a similar meaning to how we use it in our present day. When someone is saying something about a very important matter, after listening to him we say, “Are you sure?” We are telling him, “Make sure of what you are saying,” and he responds, “Yes, I am sure.” That is one analogy, although it is not that great as an example, but we do use it as a way of confirming and strengthening the idea that something is completed and secure. In this case it has to do with the field and the cave and the ownership of it. It has to do with Abraham’s possession of it. Again, it is a slice or portion of the promise given to Abraham back in Genesis 17:8:

And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

We see the word “possession” and we see the word “land” and “Canaan.” And this field that was in the land of Canaan was “made sure” as belonging to Abraham. It was his possession. So God is using this small piece of land to typify His greater promise of the land of Canaan, which itself is a small piece of land representing an even greater promise of the “new earth” or the whole world. This is why it is being stressed that it was “made sure.”

Let us look at this Hebrew word translated as “made sure.” It is Strong’s #6965, and it is an interesting Hebrew word that is often translated as “rise” or “arose” or “stand,” as well as some other ways. For example, it says in Isaiah 26:19:

Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

The word “arise” is this Hebrew word. I wanted to read this because it is interesting how it has to do with the resurrection and the earth casting out the dead on that last day. And that is really what “making sure” is all about. It is concerning the last day and the end of the world. It is the time when those that had been put into the grave or “in hell” will come up out of the graves and arise. It is interesting, although I do not know if we can draw a direct line from Isaiah 29:19, except for the use of that word, but it is interesting.

In Proverbs 19, this word is translated as “stand,” in Proverbs 19:21:

There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of JEHOVAH, that shall stand.

The word “stand” is that word translated as “made sure.” The counsel of JEHOVAH is what is “made sure,” and we know the counsel of JEHOVAH is the Word of God. And the Word of God endures forever, so that strengthens the meaning behind this word.

It is strengthened even further, as we continue and look at Esther 9 where the Hebrew Word, Strong’s #6965, is found several times in a passage, and I am going to read a couple of the places. It is translated in the overall passage as “ordained” or “decreed” or “confirmed.” It says in Esther 9:27:

The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail…

It was “ordained,” and it would not fail – it was made sure.

Then it is translated as “to confirm” in Esther 9:31-32:

To confirm these days of Purim in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry. And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.

Here, it is translated as “to confirm,” and as “enjoined, and as “decreed” and as “confirmed.” The decree of Esther “made sure” the matters of Purim and it was written in the book. The decree of Esther has to do with the Law of God and, of course, Esther is a type and figure of the elect. But the Law is made sure because it was her husband’s determination to allow it. It was his law and it was under his authority, so it had the power and strength and law of the king which confirmed these things, and that is why they were “made sure.” You cannot get any surer within a kingdom than to have the king write a law concerning it, so this Hebrew word has a sense of “certainty” about it.

Let us look at Ruth 4, a passage that relates to Genesis 23 in the sense of buying a field. I will read Ruth 4:1-7:

Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down. And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s: And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it. Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it. Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel.

The word is translated here as “to confirm.” Then it goes on to say in Ruth 4:8-10:

Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe. And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, of the hand of Naomi. Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.

This is another beautiful historical parable with Boaz as a type of Christ and Ruth as a picture of the elect purchased by Christ to be His bride, as he also purchases the land. So the Lord Jesus Christ, in His death, bought the world. He bought the land and the treasure in the world. Remember the parable in Matthew 13. A man found a treasure in a field and he sold all that he had and bought the field so he could own the treasure therein. Here, Boaz must purchase the field and he also obtained the wife. It was “confirmed” or “made sure.” It was an unusual way of confirming, but the point is that it was confirmed in the presence of witnesses.

God did not do these things in a corner, as far as the entry of Christ into the world and His going to the cross. He did it very openly and publicly, and that is one reason why the Roman governor Pilot was in the picture because he represented the whole world. Most of the known world was under the power of Rome, so Christ going to the cross involved all the world as they were witnesses to His redemption of the field and the elect bride (which was actually accomplished at the foundation of the world) at His demonstration at the cross in 33 A. D.

So we saw this word in Esther and Ruth, but let us also go to Genesis 17. We read verse 8 earlier, where God promised to give the land of Canaan to Abraham for an everlasting possession. I mentioned that this had to do with God’s promise to give the “new earth” to Christ and His seed, as Christ is the seed (singular) and all those that are in Him are counted for the seed (plural). It says in Genesis 17:7:

And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

The word “establish” is the same word translated as “made sure,” and this has everything to do with making sure the possession of the field and the cave to Abraham. It is established and confirmed to be his – it belongs to him. And so, too, God has confirmed the eternal inheritance His people will receive through Christ, and it is confirmed in the covenant of the Word of God, the Bible, and in the Person of the Lord Jesus.

Let us look at one more verse, in Isaiah 49:6:

And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

We know that Christ is the one being spoken of here. You know, from time to time someone sees a reference like this, and they know that EBible teaches the door is shut and they say, “Ah-ha! It says there is salvation unto the end of the earth.” And, yet, they do not realize it is a geographical reference indicating that the Gospel or Word of God would go forth to the uttermost parts of the earth or the world. That is what this refers to. God’s salvation would reach to the furthest extent of the physical earth. Then it goes on to say in Isaiah 49:7-8:

Thus saith JEHOVAH, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of JEHOVAH that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee. Thus saith JEHOVAH, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;

Christ Himself is the covenant. Our word translated as “made sure” is translated here as “to establish.” The covenant is established in Christ. Is God going to “make sure” this earth? Is He going to give this earth as an inheritance to His people? We are told the meek shall inherit the earth, but it is not this earth. It is the earth to come, and they will “inherit the desolate heritages.” That is, God uses this present desolate earth that is cursed to typify that which is to come. He uses that which is desolate to point to the eternal inheritance that His people will receive, the glorious Promised land of the new heaven and new earth. It is not a corrupt and desolate earth, but it is an entirely new creation in all its glory and perfection, and it will be given to them as they, too, will be glorified and perfected with new spiritual bodies to match their souls. And they will live in it with God for evermore.

This is what God has “made sure.” This is the assurance that He has given to His people, as we read these things in Genesis 23. The purchase of the field and the purchase of the cave within the field gave God ownership of death and hell. And, therefore, He can call forth Lazarus to life, or He can leave the wicked dead for evermore. That is all certain. That is all to be done, and we can trust it as much as we can trust all things in the Bible. It is all faithful and true. It is guaranteed. God has set His seal to it, and He will most certainly bring it to pass.