Then Abraham rises from beside his dead wife and speaks to the Hittites. The rising from mourning is the movement from grief to action — the next thing that must be done is the burial of Sarah, and Abraham rises to do it. The Hittites of Hebron are the local population from whom Abraham will need to purchase a burial site. The combination of genuine grief and practical action is the shape of faithful mourning. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 calls for not grieving like those who have no hope — the grief is real, and so is the practical step that follows. The application: the rising from beside the dead is the action of a person who has grieved truly and must now act faithfully.

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