What can the life of Abraham teach us about family, legacy, and the promises of God? In this episode, we unpack the profound lessons from Genesis 25, delving into Abraham's later years. After Sarah's passing, Abraham marries Keturah and fathers several notable descendants, including Sheba, Dedan, and Midian. We explore Keturah's unique role as both wife and concubine and distinguish her relationship with Abraham from that of Hagar. You'll gain insight into how Abraham managed his inheritance, ensuring Isaac was his primary heir while also caring for his other children by sending them eastward. We conclude with a reflection on Abraham's death at the age of 175 and his burial in the cave of Machpelah by his sons Isaac and Ishmael, underscoring his lasting impact as the patriarch of Israel.
Moreover, we tackle the allegory of the two covenants through the stories of Hagar and Sarah. Hagar is symbolically linked to Mount Sinai and the present Jerusalem, representing a life of slavery, whereas Sarah is associated with the heavenly Jerusalem and freedom. We'll examine the contrast between being children of the flesh and children of the promise, drawing a parallel to Isaac, born according to the Spirit. Our discussion delves into the scriptural directive to cast out the slave woman and her son, highlighting the inheritance of freedom and promise for believers under the new covenant, liberated from the old covenant of slavery. This episode offers a rich exploration of faith, freedom, and the enduring legacy of Abraham.
What can the life of Abraham teach us about family, legacy, and the promises of God? In this episode, we unpack the profound lessons from Genesis 25, delving into Abraham's later years. After Sarah's passing, Abraham marries Keturah and fathers several notable descendants, including Sheba, Dedan, and Midian. We explore Keturah's unique role as both wife and concubine and distinguish her relationship with Abraham from that of Hagar. You'll gain insight into how Abraham managed his inheritance, ensuring Isaac was his primary heir while also caring for his other children by sending them eastward. We conclude with a reflection on Abraham's death at the age of 175 and his burial in the cave of Machpelah by his sons Isaac and Ishmael, underscoring his lasting impact as the patriarch of Israel.
Moreover, we tackle the allegory of the two covenants through the stories of Hagar and Sarah. Hagar is symbolically linked to Mount Sinai and the present Jerusalem, representing a life of slavery, whereas Sarah is associated with the heavenly Jerusalem and freedom. We'll examine the contrast between being children of the flesh and children of the promise, drawing a parallel to Isaac, born according to the Spirit. Our discussion delves into the scriptural directive to cast out the slave woman and her son, highlighting the inheritance of freedom and promise for believers under the new covenant, liberated from the old covenant of slavery. This episode offers a rich exploration of faith, freedom, and the enduring legacy of Abraham.
Welcome again to the Mysteries of God's Word. Today we're going to be looking at Genesis, chapter 25, and examining the end of Abraham's life. We begin at verse 1. Abraham took another wife whose name was Keturah. She bore him. Zimran, yokshan, medan, midian, ishbak and Shua, the sons of Dedan, were, the sons of Midian were. All of these were the children of Keturah. Let's pause right there.
Speaker 1:
We see from the first four verses that Abraham took another wife in his old age. The context of these passages, as well as other scripture his old age the context of these passages, as well as other scripture, supports that Abraham took Keturah after Sarah's death. It also seems likely that this is after Isaac's marriage to Rebecca, considering the placement of this scripture. But as we continue to examine this, we see that Keturah is also spoken of in Scripture as a concubine. So which is it? Is Keturah a wife or a concubine? The Hebrew wording in verse 1 seems clear, saying that Abraham again took another wife. So Keturah was taken as a second wife after Sarah died. However, to help the reader understand that the promised son and heir, isaac, came through Abraham's wife, sarah, scripture speaks of Keturah as a concubine, placing her almost in the same context as Hagar. However, the relationship that Keturah had with Abraham was quite different than that of Hagar.
Speaker 1:
We see that Keturah bore to Abraham six children. Amongst these children we find a couple of notable people. The first is we find Jacques-Jean fathered Sheba and Dedan. Sheba and Dedan are spoken of in scripture as kingdoms of Arabia. Sheba was a region in southwestern Arabia. It was a major hub for trading goods between India, east Africa, mesopotamia and the Mediterranean world, and the cities of Sheba were legendary for their merchandise. We see from the narrative in Solomon's life that there was a queen from Sheba that came to visit Solomon. The Dan was a kingdom in northwestern Arabia also known for its great trading and caravans, and both Sheba and Dedan are spoken of in some of Ezekiel's prophecies about the end times.
Speaker 1:
The other child of significance that comes out of this union between Abraham and Keturah is Midian. Midian is spoken of quite frequently in the Old Testament. You might remember that when Moses fled from the Pharaoh, he went to the land of Midian, that his father-in-law, jethro, was a priest of Midian. We also see Midian mentioned quite a few times in the book of Judges, also referred to in the Psalms and in the book of Isaiah. So some of the children that come from this union between Abraham and Keturah have some real significance in biblical literature.
Speaker 1:
Picking up in verse 5, abraham gave all he had to Isaac. But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac eastward to the east country. In verse 5, we see again Abraham gave all he had to his son Isaac. We had read back in Genesis, chapter 24, verse 36, that Abraham's servant had mentioned to Rebekah that Abraham had given to Isaac all that he had had. So this transaction of the estate of Abraham to Isaac occurred prior to Abraham sending his servant to find Rebecca for Isaac. So this transfer of Abraham's estate to the promised heir, to the promised son of faith, isaac, occurs sometime around Abraham being 140 years old and Isaac being 40 years old. Being 140 years old and Isaac being 40 years old, then we see, but to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts. And this statement to the sons of his concubines puts both Keturah and Hagar in the same category. Abraham sent all of his other children away from his son Isaac. To all of his children he gave gifts, but to the promised son Isaac he gave all that he owned. The language of placing Keturah and Hagar both as concubines is used to distinguish the difference between God's promised child that came through faith, through Sarah, and those according to the flesh. We can also note from this description it would appear that Abraham continued to live inside the camp of his son Isaac, even during his old age, even during these last 35 years, when he took another wife and had six children, all of whom he took and sent away from his son Isaac to live their own lives. After he gifted them and it says he sent them eastward, to the east country, and this implies he sent them to the Arabian Peninsula, which is exactly where we find the kingdoms of Sheba and Adan.
Speaker 1:
Verse 7,. These are the days and the years of Abraham's life 175 years. Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man full of years, and was gathered to his people. This detailed description of Abraham's death, even describing how he gave his last breath, is the longest in all of Genesis, showing Abraham's importance as the founding father of our faith and the founding patriarch of Israel. The scripture telling us that Abraham died in a good old age is actually a fulfillment of God's prophecy from Genesis 15, 15, where God told Abraham as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace. You shall be buried in a good old age, and it says he was gathered to his people. Although that phrase being gathered to your people was probably a euphemism, it's also an expression of the eternal existence beyond the grave. Abraham was gathered and he was united with others who had also walked in the faith.
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Isaac and Ishmael, his sons, buried him in the cave of Mekpala, in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar, the Hittite east of Mamir, the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with Sarah, his wife. Here we see in verse 9 that Isaac and Ishmael came together as Abraham's sons and they buried him in the cave at Machpelah in that field that Abraham had bought from the Hittites. If you remember, abraham purchased a cave east of Mamir and it was made over to Abraham as a possession for the burial of his people. And here his sons get together and bring him to the tomb that he purchased and they laid him with his wife, sarah, verse 11, after the death of Abraham, god blessed Isaac, his son, and Isaac settled at Bir Lahairoi. Bir Lahairoi again is that spring that was first shown to Hagar when she ran away from Abraham and Sarah. It's a spring that literally means the well of him. That sees me. This is where Isaac will settle after the death of his father, abraham.
Speaker 1:
Verses 12 through 18 give a fairly detailed description of Ishmael and his descendants, and we're going to go through that as we close, beginning at verse 12,. These are the generations of Ishmael, abraham's son, whom Hagar, the Egyptian Sarah's servant, bore to Abraham. These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael, and Kedar, abel, mibsam, mishma, duma, masah, hadad, temah, jetur, nafish and Kedma. These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names by their villages and their encampments. Twelve princes, according to their tribes. These are the years of Ishmael 137 years. He breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people. They settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite of Egypt, in the direction of Assyria. He settled over against all his kinsmen.
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As we examine these last six verses, we see the promise of the Lord to Hagar fulfilled, as the Lord promised Hagar that he would surely multiply her offspring so that they could not be numbered for multitude. We saw that in Genesis 16.10. God also promised Abraham in Genesis 21.13 that he would make a nation out of the son of the slave woman, and here we see that promise fulfilled. It says they settled from Havilah to Shur. This area is best understood as the northern and central Saudi Arabia today. Ishmael became the ancestor of the 12 chieftains that settled Arabia. An Arabian tradition holds that they are still their earliest ancestors.
Speaker 1:
As we wrap up today, let us consider the contrast that is brought between the child of faith and the children of the flesh, how Isaac was given all that Abraham had owned, while the other children were sent out of the camp with gifts. I'd like to finish by reading a portion of Galatians, chapter 4, starting at verse 22. It says, for it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. Now this may be interpreted allegorically.
Speaker 1:
These two women's are two covenants one from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery.
Speaker 1:
She is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia. She corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children, but the Jerusalem above is free and she is our mother, for it is written Rejoice, o barren one who does not bear, break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor, for the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband. Now, you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. But what does the Scripture say? Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman. So, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman. So, brothers, we are not children of the slave, but of the free woman. Thank you for joining me, and God bless you this week.