Genesis 25
The Death of Abraham
4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.
5 Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. 6 But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east.
7 Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, 10 the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.
Ishmael’s Sons
12 This is the account of the family line of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Sarah’s slave, Hagar the Egyptian, bore to Abraham.
13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. 16 These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers according to their settlements and camps. 17 Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people. 18 His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Ashur. And they lived in hostility toward all the tribes related to them.
Jacob and Esau
19 This is the account of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac.
Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean.
21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.
23 The Lord said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you will be separated;
one people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.”
24 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. 26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.
27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. 28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.
31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”
32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”
33 But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.
So Esau despised his birthright.
Genesis 25 (NIV)
It is amazing to think how all these after the death of Abraham, he is still remembered and talked about. This just goes to show how people who make big impacts on the world leave lasting imprints.
Even though Abraham was not a perfect man, he was faithful to God and he had a fellowship with God that was nothing short of admirable.
My prayer for you reading this today is that your impact outlives you and that you will be remembered for the positive impact you’ve had in this world. Just like the death of Abraham was not the death of his legacy, may it come to pass that even long after you go home to be with the Lord, your name will not be forgotten.
Discussion
It is okay to remarry after the death of one’s spouse
For Abraham, that new wife was named Keturah. Whether or not you decide to remarry when your husband or wife dies is completely up to you. It is important though to give yourself time to heal from the grief of losing your loved one so that you can build healthy relationships going forward.
Moving on after one’s spouse dies doesn’t have to mean eradicating every memory of them.
Every child is different
Children, even in their young age are individuals with their own traits, identity, personality, etc. As a parent, it is important to love them for who they are, nurture their skills and support them in their hobbies. Not forcing a child to conform to specific norms or ever-shifting human standards helps them embrace who they are and build a sense of self-love and confidence which is reflected in the way they talk, how they act, the accomplishments they reach out for (etc.) and how they treat/interact with others.
Lessons from Genesis 25
- Wise decisions birth lasting fruits: Remember that property Abraham insisted on purchasing when his wife Sarah died? He was buried in the same place, close to his late wife when he too died.
By paying for that property all those years ago, he ensured that at least for the foreseeable future, his people didn’t have to worry about the property being seized from them and since it was a burial site, they could be buried in one place.
Good investments usually bring lasting returns, and this doesn’t only apply for burial sites. You can invest in assets which even years from now will still yield abundant fruit for you and yours.
- God is a promise-keeper: Even after the death of Abraham, God upheld His promise and blessed Abraham’s descendants. He did not break the covenant just because Abraham was now dead. Whatever promises God has made to you will come to pass, they’ll either happen in your lifetime or after you’re gone. My prayer is that you live to see God’s promises for you come to pass in your lifetime. Amen.
- The prayer of intercession: Your prayers must not all be about you and what you want God to do for you, you can use your prayer moments to effect change in someone else’s life as well. This is called the prayer of intercession. Isaac prayed on behalf of his wife Rebekah that she will be able to have children and God answered him. Similarly, you can pray for God to move in other people’s lives as well… even people who annoy you (pray for them in love, don’t pray for harm upon anyone).
- Bring your inquiries before the Lord and He will give you responses. He did it for Rebekah when she had questions about what was happening within her womb, He can do it for you also. (NB: inquiring is not the same as quarreling).
- A hungry man and a birthright: Esau was so hungry that he agreed to trade his birthright (the right of the son born first in a family to inherit his father’s possessions and authority) for some bread and lentil stew. In that moment, hunger interfered with his reasoning such that he didn’t stop to consider the repercussions of what he’d just done. As you will find out in later chapters of the Bible, what Esau did was in fact a big deal.
It is never worth it to sacrifice your future and possibly even that of your descendants for temporary gratification. Don’t make long-lasting decisions in moments of weakness, stop and think first.
Reflection
- What can you do today to lay foundations for a brighter future for you and yours?
- Do you think about where you’d like to be 5,10, 20, ++ years from now?
- How will the decisions you are making today affect you and others many years from now?
Further reading
- Proverbs 13:22 KJV – “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children …”
Prayer
Lord, give me wisdom to recognize great opportunities and make the right choices that will lead to growth and increase. I pray you break every chain that I may have trapped myself in by saying unwise words, forgive me for those times and teach me to keep a tight rein on my tongue. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Community
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God bless you!
