BULLETIN ARTICLE
9 June 2019
HONOUR & INTEGRITY
Sarah died at the ripe old age of one hundred and twenty-seven in Hebron. She and her husband of many decades Abraham had spent very challenging times moving from Ur of the Chaldeans to Hebron. The endearing love story of Abraham and Sarah, the father and mother of many nations, has finally come to an end at Hebron. Loving and faithful Abraham mourned and wept over her. He bought from the Hittites a special family burial place for Sarah in the land of Canaan – “So the field and the cave in it were deeded to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site.”
So it will be with all our love of this world – relations and possessions. As the song goes: “This world is not my home, I’m just a-passing through; my treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue.” We ought to hold loosely that which is tied to this world. “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Col 3:2).
At the time of Sarah’s death, Abraham had been living in the land of Canaan for a long time but he did not yet possess an inch of the land that God had promised to give him. Nevertheless, Abraham had a good standing with the people there – a mighty prince and a rich man. When he rose from his mourning and asked to buy the cave of Machpelah to bury Sarah, Ephron, the Hittite and owner of the land, immediately and profusely offered it to Abraham for free. He did so out of respect and fondness for Abraham.
Even though Abraham was still grieving for Sarah and was in no mood to negotiate a land deal, he did not accept the genuine and generous offer of his neighbour. He respectfully asked for the full price of the land and duly paid for it. He was an honourable man who did not take advantage of the kindness and generosity of others. Abraham had the means to pay for the land. And honour dictates that he paid for it. He insisted on paying the full price, not a token sum or a discounted price. It was a smart move too because this would ensure there will be no encumbrance in the future.
As Christians, our commercial dealings must be above reproach. Honesty and integrity are to be inherent in us in such dealings. When we buy, we pay the honest price. When we sell, we sell at the honest price. This may pose challenges in places where corrupt practices are endemic. Even so, we ought to pray and ask the Lord for wisdom and protection in all our business dealings. “Whoever walks with integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out” (Prov 10:9). Honour and integrity must be the hallmarks of the Christian living the life of honouring God.
