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Nothing is Free

Words of Faith Final

Nothing is Free
Words of Faith 4-26-2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL    
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Genesis 23
    [10] Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city. [11] "No, my lord," he said. "Listen to me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead."
    [12] Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land [13] and he said to Ephron in their hearing, "Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there."
    [14] Ephron answered Abraham, [15] "Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between me and you? Bury your dead."
    [16] Abraham agreed to Ephron's terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weight current among the merchants.
    [17] So Ephron's field in Machpelah near Mamre--both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field--was deeded [18] to Abraham as his property in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city. [19] Afterward Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre (which is at Hebron) in the land of Canaan. [20] So the field and the cave in it were deeded to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.

           What an offer! FREE funeral plots for Abraham's family! (Hmmm, haven't we heard this offer before by phone?)  Ephron the Hittite offered to GIVE Abraham the field and the cave needed to bury Sarah. After all, Ephron regarded Abraham a "mighty prince."   But Abraham resisted the offer of Ephron. Why?
            Some scholars suggest that this was not a "free" offer at all but simply a method of Bedouin bargaining. Abraham knew that nothing is "free"; everything has a price. Receiving the field and cave without payment would leave Abraham and his descendants forever indebted to the Hittites. Remember how the King of Sodom had offered many "free" things to Abraham, but he had the wisdom to know that receiving such a gift came at a great price (Genesis 14:22). Abraham would make an alliance only with the Lord God.
            But isn't there a certain graciousness in receiving a gift when offered? Shouldn't such an offer be recognized as a provision from God? Not necessarily. Not every "gift" offered is a provision from God. Many "gifts" offered by the world come with strings attached. Accepting the "gift" often requires an alliance. The "gift" establishes an ongoing relationship. If that relationship is good, then receiving a gift is a blessing. But often, it is not!
            The truth is that we live in a world that bombards us with "free offers!"  Get a "Free" breakfast if you stay the night in a higher-priced room. A "free" funeral plot if you buy another. "Free" oil changes, if you buy a particular car and then come in for regular auto service.  
          The truth? Nothing is free. The task is to carefully discern whether the string that is attached is worth it. And more important, does accepting the offer require compromise? Does accepting the "free gift" require an alliance that is not in the interest of the will of God?
            Abraham shows us a great deal of wisdom. He demanded to pay full price and then some rather than make an alliance with people who did not worship God. It did not matter how highly they regarded him. Abraham was willing to buy the cave and the land in order to do business in an orderly way. No one could ever claim that Abraham had seized this burial location unfairly.
          This was a defining purchase. There was no going back. Though Abraham was an alien and a stranger among the people, his hope was in this land. His hope was in the future! Canaan was now Abraham's new native land.
           Here is a great universal truth: Nothing is free! Freedom is not free; it is purchased at great sacrifice. Even grace is not free; it is offered at enormous cost! The gifts we accept often create an alliance. Let us carefully make our alliance with the only benevolent love in the universe, the Lord God. His offers are true. His offers are costly to Him and of great benefit to us.    

          Father God, may my only alliance be with You.  May all my transactions bless You.  May I live in dependence upon You. Thank You for the offer of grace that came at great cost but is freely given to me. In Jesus' name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)        
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2022 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purpose