..To Ancient SDA's ............ To "What's New?"
by
Ron Parsons
The aim of this series:
“Then He said to them, ‘O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?’ And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Luke 24:25-27.
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Genesis 25a:
Abraham’s death
Some time after Sarah’s death and Isaac’s marriage, Abraham also remarried.
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Genesis 25:
1 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah [“perfumed”]. 2 And she bore him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.
3 And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim.
4 And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah [plus grandchildren and great-grandchildren].
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From these six sons descended some of the nations of the Arabs, and therefore opponents of the people of God. Midian in particular became a great enemy of Israel. Judges 6:6. I don’t know anything about the grandson Dedan or his children.
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Genesis 25:
5 And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac.
6 But to the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, to the east country [into “Babylon” where they could be comfortable].
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“Concubine” is a common term used of secondary wives (1 Chronicles 1:32), and so Keturah’s children would be included in this exile. “Secondary” means that these ladies held all the rights and privileges of ordinary wives in the eyes of the common law, but everyone knew that their children could not inherit the spiritual birthright. None of them could become the “priest” for the family, a situation held in high regard in those days.
I don’t know if Abraham had other wives although the use of “concubines” in the plural suggests so, but he was certainly a healthy centenarian. Because he was also a very rich man the “gifts” would have been substantial inheritances. We don’t hear of any family arguments regarding them.
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Genesis 25:
7 And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, a hundred and seventy-five years. 8 Then Abraham gave up [the leading of] the Ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people. 9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre; 10 the field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.
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Ishmael was there at the burial, which shows that he was not completely cut off from the family. He would be about 90 years old at that time, while Isaac was 75.
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Genesis 25:
11 And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that [the Son of] God blessed [stayed close to] his son Isaac [because He was wanted, Revelation 3:20]; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi [near Beersheba].
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Isaac stayed in the Promised Land obeying the command of Jesus while the others scattered around the area choosing their own situations. In this way Isaac showed his fitness for the birthright.
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Genesis 25:
12 Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bore to Abraham: 13 and these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations. The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, 14 and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, 15 Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles [fortified buildings]; twelve princes according to their nations. [Satan’s system was counterfeiting the twelve tribes of Israel.]
17 And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, a hundred and thirty-seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered to his people. 18 And they dwelt from Havilah to Shur, that is before Egypt, as you go toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren [a peaceful family death].
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It seems that the descendants of Ishmael were not always nomads but often settled into cities and followed the way of the great earthly rebel, Nimrod. Genesis 10:10-12.
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Genesis 25:
19 And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son. Abraham begat Isaac: 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian. 21 And Isaac entreated [prayed to] the LORD for his wife, because she was barren [and they had waited twenty years]: and the LORD was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 And the children struggled together within her [more than normal]; and she said, “If it be so, why am I thus? [What’s the cause of this?]” And she went to inquire of the LORD.
23 And the LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from your bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and [but] the elder shall serve the younger.”
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Rebekah did not have to wait while her husband enquired of the LORD for her, as so many would like to believe. The women of Israel have always had direct and instant communication with their Saviour. For more on this see the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel chapter 1.
The apostle Paul referred to God’s answer to Rebekah’s problem many centuries later.
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Romans 9:
6 … For they are not all [spiritual] Israel, which are of [literal] Israel: 7 neither, because they are the seed [descendants] of Abraham, are they all children [of God]: but [the Son of God said], “In Isaac shall your seed be called.”
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. 9 For this is the word of promise, “At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.”
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 11 (for the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election [character] might stand, not of works, but of Him that calls [and those that accept];) 12 it was said to her, “The elder shall serve the younger.”
13 As it is [also] written, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” [Malachi 1:1-3.]
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This last sad statement from the Son of God is saying that He could not save Esau because His offers were always rejected, while Jacob eventually accepted His protection and salvation. We should not read “hated” as the children of this world see it.
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Genesis 25:
24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 And the first came out red, all over like a hairy garment; and they called his name “Esau” [“hairy”]. 26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called “Jacob” [“supplanter or usurper”]: and Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.
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And so we are back to the two groups who inhabit this earth, those who accept and those who reject God’s offers – those who follow God’s guidance and those who do their own thing. Because these two children shared the same womb and the same environment, the Son of God wants us to see that He had no hand in their fate – it rested entirely in their own hands. The offers were made to both.
What a sad battle He has in this world!
See you next week,
Bye,
Ron
Some of the comments in these readings are adapted from books in my library. No recognition is given because they are not intended as authorities, but are used because they express my understanding clearly. All the ideas expressed in these readings, right or wrong, are my own.
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“And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.” Judges 6:6.
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