Genesis 25

Abraham remarries and Ishmael's descendants

Abraham marries again after Sarah dies. There is no commandment against marriage in old age or once the first spouse has passed on. We see here that the promise of many children is partly kept with 6 more sons from Keturah. I don't know if this is wise considering some of their descendants became enemies of the Hebrews, but then again, the Hebrews fought against each other from time to time. 

Abraham gives the inheritance to Isaac as was part of the God's plan and part of the promise already made to Isaac and even Rebekah when she was found and brought to Isaac. Abraham did provide for Ishmael and his other sons, but not part of the larger inheritance. 

Isaac and Ishmael bury Abraham with Sarah in the land purchased previously. It appears that Isaac and Ishmael did get along at least to some degree. We learn about the descendants of Ishmael and then his death. God blessed him to live many years (130), at least by our standards. 

We see as Isaac goes on with his life that like his mother, Rebekah has trouble conceiving. We will encounter many of the same problems in our life that our parents and their parents before them. Like the example set by Abraham, we need to take our petitions to the Lord and pray that his will is done. Rebekah conceives and while she is baring the child she finds out there are two babies to be born. They seem to fight in her womb and God tells her that there are two in her womb and they and their seed will fight one another. Great is God's vision of the future because it already is laid out before him. 

Esau is born, then Jacob soon after holding onto the heal of Esau. This was a special moment that had deep significance to them both. The elder is usually the ruler in the family, but we see here that was not going to be the case. As often happens, parents take sides or have favorites and Isaac's favorite was Esau and Rebekah's was Jacob. We will come to more of that in future chapters, but at the end of this one, Esau comes in faint from the fields and sells his birthright to Jacob. What God gives us, lets all hold it dear to our hearts and never sell it or give it away because he might be faint of heart. 

Spotlight of the Week William Wilberforce

William Wilberforce

One of the pioneers who fought for the complete abolition of slavery was William Wilberforce. William spent 50 years fighting to end slavery in England. It was said that he was very small in stature, almost a dwarf and that he was also hunched back. He wasn't much to look at but it was said that when he got on a table to speak he became a giant. 

William was born to some privilege and enjoyed a comfortable life. He was traveling in Europe when he read The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul by Philip Doddridge. After this he started reading his bible and praying regularly. He became a supporter of evangelical Christianity and from this and his love for Jesus Christ he become opposed to slavery. He took on abolition as a mission in his life. 

He was told even by religious leaders at the time that what he wanted was an impossible thing and that he would never see the end of slavery. He eventually he had to give up parliament because of failing health, and on his death bed on July 26th 1833 he was told that Bill for the Abolition of Slavery was passed; and he passed away three days later. 

Genesis 24

Abraham finds a wife for Isaac

As a matter of personal opinion, I believe that the person we marry (if you are going to marry) is the second most important decision we will ever make behind Salvation. There was a reason God ordered the Hebrews not to intermarry with other countries. It wasn't about racism, but was that they were to love and marry those that thought of, and served God the way the Israelites were commanded to. To be unequally yoked is a real and confining issue. 

Abraham wanted someone for his son that believed the same way they did. He knew it would help him in his service to God. I know this may shock some people, but we are here to serve God, not please a spouse. I believe two people that love one another will have a beautiful marriage if they put God first. Most probably the marriage will last ONLY if they put God before each other. 

Abraham orders his servant to go find a wife from his brothers family. The servant knows this is an important task and not and easy one. He asks Abraham how he will be sure of his journey and Abraham informs him that God has already prepared the way. Make sure that if God sends you on a mission for his purpose, he has already prepared the way. 

The servant goes off to find the bride and is met with success just as God had assured Abraham it would be. He finds Rebekah and she is an honest and eager helper of the servant. The servant assures and convinces Laban, Rebekah's brother, that this is truly from God and meant to be. 

The servant brings Rebekah back to Abraham and Isaac and she becomes Isaac's wife and the mother of Jacob and Esau. 

Genesis 23

Sarah dies and Abraham prepares for her burial. 

After a long blessed life, Sarah dies. Abraham comes to mourn for her, but he wants a proper place for her body to rest that is far from his own sight. He doesn't want to be daily reminded of her death and how much he misses her. We are to do well in our own lives if we put our sorrows and sins out of our sight and only look to them so that we remember God's blessings, and remember our sins long enough to not commit them a second time. 

Abraham comes to the people of  Heth to purchase a burying place for Sarah. Abraham was a herdsman and shepherd, so he no doubt had dealings with these people time and again and sold live stock with them. So the children of Heth were happy to just give the land Abraham wanted to him. Abraham wouldn't have it that way and made sure that in front of witnesses he paid for the land. They knew that Abraham was good for the money, but he insisted it was paid for then. There is a lesson here for us as well. Matthew Poole suggests that we are not to ever be indebted people in this world because they may want something from us in return in the future that is against our beliefs. It is better to only have what you can pay for at the time and let God take care of you.

The land is described beautifully in this chapter, and no doubt, that beauty will not compare to the resting place Christ has gone to prepare for us. 

Genesis 22

Abraham's faith is tested

The bible calls Isaac a lad, so we feel he is old enough to understand some things, but not yet an adult. God comes to Abraham and tells him to go to a place of God's choosing and offer Isaac for a sacrifice. Needless to say, this would put Abraham in a grievous position. Never the less, Abraham obeys and does as God asks. On the journey, Isaac has enough understanding to realize that there is no sacrifice with them. Abraham  tells Isaac what still holds true to this day and is the foretelling of the Messiah, that God will provide a sacrifice. 

Despite the torment Abraham must have been going through, he obeys and goes to sacrifice his son. God, who is always on time, sends and angel to stay his hand. In verse 17 God reiterates his promise to Abraham because of his faithfulness. We must believe that Jesus saves us from our sins, but we also must believe enough to put it into action. 

The chapter ends to show of the generations of Abraham's brother that will provide a wife for Isaac in an upcoming chapter. 

Genesis 21

Isaac is Born

Sarah conceives a son just as the Lord had promised. It truly is a miracle for Sarah is well past child bearing age. This goes along with our faith in Jesus Christ. We were dead in sin with no hope of new life until Jesus made a sacrifice on the cross that gave us life where none before existed. It says that the Lord visited her, just as he visits us to draw us out of sin and into his righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him). 

They called him Isaac which means laughter. Abraham and Sarah both laughed when it came to believing God and his promise, but now they laugh with a joy and unbelief of God's mercy. So there is this time of joy and reaping that we will all enjoy from time to time. The season, as all of life is, is just passing though. It is not long before strife comes to the tents of Abraham. Ishmael mocks Isaac and Sarah sees it. It seems that Ishmael is not old enough to come to this understanding on his own, and he had some encouragement from Hagar; we don't know this for certain, but it seems likely. 

Sarah wants Hagar and Ishmael gone from there presence. God tells Abraham to go ahead and send Ishmael out of the camp, but make no mistake, they are still paying for past sins. After Hagar and the child are cast out, God remembers his covenant with Abraham about his seed, even though Ishmael was not the one God had originally meant when he created the covenant with Abraham. God looks after Hagar and promises that Ishmael will become a great nation. 

Some time passes and we encounter Abimelech again. He wants what we would now call an alliance or peace treaty with Abraham. Abimelech knows that God had blessed Abraham and that Abraham is growing in God's blessings. It doesn't hurt that Abimelech been warned of God in the past about Abraham when Abimelech took Sarah. After Abraham corrects Abimelech about a fight at a well, they enter into their alliance. We would do well to make friends and bonds with all of God's faithful servants. 

Spotlight of the Week G.K. Chestertson

G.K. Chestertson

Gilbert Keith Chestertson was an English writer and thinker born in England in 1874. He wrote everything from philosophy, plays, poems, to Christian apologetics. His writing of the 'Everlasting Man' is credited by C.S. Lewis to putting him on the path toward Christ.  

He has been called a paradox because of the way he pointed things out in his writing. He would use the points people used to make their points against them. It is said that no one ever accomplished this quite like Mr Chestertson. God blessed him with wonderful reasoning, but at times, he would get lost at the train station and take the wrong train. He was a large man said to be 6 foot 4 and 290 lbs. He died in his sixties from congestive heart failure, but he left behind an enormous volume of writing. He is quote quite often by Evangelists and others, so below is a sampling of his quotes. 

An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered.

Art, like morality, consists of drawing the line somewhere.

It is not bigotry to be certain we are right; but it is bigotry to be unable to imagine how we might possibly have gone wrong.

If there were no God, there would be no Atheists.

There is a great deal of difference between an eager man who wants to read a book and the tired man who wants a book to read.

"If men will not be governed by the Ten Commandments, they shall be governed by the ten thousand commandments."

-quotes by G. K. Chesterton

Spotlight Person Ira D. Sankey

Ira D. Sankey

Was a well-known singer song writer that partnered with D.L. Moody. Born and raised in Pennsylvania and converted at the age of 16, he grew up and and served in the Civil War before taking a position as with the IRS and YMCA.

He met DL Moody at a convention at the YMCA in Indianapolis. Sankey was already known as a gospel singer and after meeting Moody attended an evangelistic meeting with him and the two traveled together as Preacher and Singer after Sankey resigned from employers.

He traveled extensively with DL Moody around the US and even over sees to England. Where Moody preached, Sankey sang. Ira Sankey is known for many songs and song books. His most famous song is probably the Ninety and Nine.

From Wikipedia

Sankey and Moody were en route from Glasgow to Edinburgh, Scotland, in May, 1874, as they were to hold a three-day campaign there. This was at the urgent request of the Ministerial Association. Prior to boarding the train, Sankey bought a weekly newspaper for a penny. He found nothing of interest but a sermon by Henry W. Beecher and some advertisements. Then, he found a little piece of poetry in a corner of one column that he liked, and he read it to Moody, but only received a polite reply. Sankey clipped the poem and tucked it in his pocket. At the noon day service of the second day of the special series, Moody preached on The Good Shepherd. Horatius Bonar added a few thrilling words and then Moody asked Mr. Sankey if he had a final song. An inner voice prompted him to sing the hymn that he found on the train. With conflict of spirit, he thought, this is impossible! The inner voice continued to prod him, even though there was no music to the poem, so he acquiesced. As calmly as if he had sung it a thousand times, he placed the little piece of newspaper on the organ in front of him. Lifting up his heart in a brief prayer to Almighty God, he then laid his hands on the keyboard, striking a chord in A flat. Half speaking and half singing, he completed the first stanza, which was followed by four more. Moody walked over with tears in his eyes and said, "Where did you get that hymn?" 'The Ninety and Nine' became his most famous tune and his most famous sale from that time on. The words were written by Elizabeth Clephane in 1868. She died in 1869, little realizing her contribution to the Christian world.