Genesis 23 | Pastor Greg

Packinghouse’s Wednesday night worship service from December 2, 2025.

In Genesis 23 we walk with Abraham through the death and burial of Sarah—“a princess” not only to her husband but to the people of promise. Abraham mourns, and Scripture dignifies his tears; grief is human and holy, yet it is not without hope. By purchasing the cave of Machpelah in Hebron, he plants a flag of faith in the very land God promised “forever” to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Even in sorrow, Abraham lives as a pilgrim looking for a city whose builder is God, trusting that God’s covenant stands amid loss and questions.

This chapter gently teaches us to face death with gospel realism: to weep, to talk about it, and then, in due time, to stand up and move forward. It calls us to order our lives wisely—making peace where we can, setting our house in order, rooting ourselves in community—and, most of all, to be ready to meet the Lord clothed in Christ’s righteousness. Sarah’s funeral becomes a doorway into hope: God keeps His promises, He meets us in our mourning, and He leads us on with purpose until the day He wipes away every tear. - Greg Opean - Wednesday, December 3, 2025