1. Abraham buries Sarah (Abraham stakes his claim)

2. Abraham the Pioneer Against the tide: Babel – or Canaan? Comfort zones: nation, culture, race (Chap 22:20-24: back home?) Sense of destiny: a big vision for his life Hard vs Easy: Sodom or Canaan? Pioneer vs settler: nomad or landed gentry? Historically: huge legacy Two narratives: human living – but another story

3. Key moments in Abraham’s life Bethel Shechem: ‘shouldering responsibility’ Bethel: ‘house of God’ Beersheba: ‘well of oath’ Moriah: ‘chosen by the Lord’ Hebron: ‘united company’ Altar 1: Promise Altar 2: Intimacy Altar 3: No return Altar 4: Possession

4. At Hebron (Machpelah) What God had promised (12:1-3; 13:14-17) What Abraham got Hebron (united company) Mamre (manliness) Machpelah (double portion)

5. Abraham and the dominant culture Something different about Abraham (v6, 21:22) Generous offer (5,11): but… 1.Beholden 2.Still an alien Abraham insists The System

6. Abraham stakes his claim! The only part he ever owned: & descendants A failure! (Jesus too): only makes sense through the resurrection Leaving it to God to fulfil (already proved, ch 22) When God came…Abraham would already be there! A downpayment (2 Cor 1:22) A commitment to this earth: not just ‘heavenly’ “Abraham lived in the present in the light of the future. His future inheritance did not lessen his present obligations; it established his priorities”

7. Are we sojourners or residents? How do you square these statements: 1.We are sojourners in the world: don't belong here (1 Pet 2:11, Luke 9:58, John 17:16, Heb 11:9) 2.We are inheritors of the earth: God will give it all to us – not just ‘spiritual, other-worldly’ (Gen 12:3, Matt 5:5, Rom 4:13, 8:17, 1 Cor 6:2, Heb 11:16)

8. Turns out we’re both sojourners or residents! Future world Future priorities Spiritual realities God’s perspective This world Present concerns Material involvements Human interests

9. What do you do when God doesn’t deliver? Leaving your comfort zone(s) No offspring No land The very things that were promised are unfulfilled Abraham’s responses – but he learns The stakes are higher than you think!

10. Abraham’s legacy/heritage Promised the land (the world!) But saw nothing (except one field/cave) Nothing deterred him (Rom 4:19-21) Huge legacy/heritage: Jesus – us – the world! Beyond his lifetime You may not see it in your lifetime!! (Lull, two praying women)

11. Hebrews 11:8-16 By faith Abraham went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land. He was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God… These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

12. “As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything” (2 Cor 6:10)