Genesis Chapter Twenty Five
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Genesis chapter twenty five (Clicking on these links will move you down this web page) | |
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Chapter 25- Abraham's obituary
Gen. 25:1 - 6 Abraham's second marriage- Keturah Loneliness Genesis 25:7 - 11 Abraham's obituary God sees it all Genesis 25:12 - 18 Ishmael's descendants Genesis 25:19 - 24 Praying for the gift of children |
The bible doctrine of election
Genesis 25:25 - 26 The births of Esau and Jacob Genesis 25:27 - 28 Favoring one child over another Genesis 25:29 - 30 Esau is called Edom Esau rejected his birthright Rejection hurts |
Abraham's second marriage:
Abraham was 140 years old at his son's wedding.
God blesses some older folks with good stamina so they can live longer lives with health and happiness. Rejuvenation is a gift. In Abraham's case, I imagine he did some geriatric dating, and he found another honey to marry up with.
Treatment With An Animal:
If you know someone who is extremely lonely, living alone, (and possibly terminally ill), you might consider giving him or her a sweet and caring dog. A dog gives unconditional love and helps ease the pain of loneliness. A dog gives them something to love. A dog is a faithful friend and can give hours of companionship.
What is a Dog?
1. Dogs lie around all day, sprawled on the most comfortable piece of furniture in the house.
2. They can hear a package of food opening half a block away, but do not hear you when you are in the same room.
3. They can look dumb and lovable all at the same time.
4. They growl when they are not happy.
5. When you want to play, they want to play.
6. When you want to be alone, they want to play.
7. They are great at begging.
8. They will love you forever if you rub their tummies.
9. They leave their toys everywhere.
10. They do disgusting things with their mouths and then try to give you a kiss.
Written by The Cat
1. Thoroughly clean the toilet.
2. Add the required amount of shampoo to the toilet water, and have both lids lifted.
3. Obtain the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom.
4. In one smooth movement, put the cat in the toilet and close both lids (you may need to stand on the lid so that he cannot escape).
CAUTION: Do not get any part of your body too close to the edge, as his paws will be reaching out for any purchase they can find. The cat will self-agitate and make ample suds. Never mind the noises that come from your toilet, the cat is actually enjoying this.
5. Flush the toilet three or four times. This provides a "powerwash and rinse" which I have found to be quite effective.
6. Have someone open the door to the outside and ensure that there are no people between the toilet and the outside door.
7. Stand behind the toilet as far as you can, and quickly lift both lids.
8. The now-clean cat will rocket out of the toilet, and run outside where he will dry himself.
Written by The Dog
Jesus Christ Experienced Terminal Loneliness
There was a time when Jesus Christ experienced terminal loneliness.
In the telling of the crucifixion story, two Gospels clearly recall some of the final words of Christ.
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
"Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which means in English, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"
The first words of Psalm 22 are- My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
For all who would listen, Jesus is identifying with every person who is suffering terminal loneliness. His Heavenly Father had to turn away from Him because Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin, because you and I placed our sins on Him on that cross through substitution. We asked Him to take our sins away. He took our sins away from us and placed them on Himself while He hung there on that cross. (He did that positionally because as God He can transpose time). He did that for you because He loves you.
Whatever is happening in our lives is no surprise to God. He has it all under control. He has experienced your hell. He loves you no matter what you are going through. Do you know that God is alive, well, and still speaking today? He still desires to have a personal relationship with you- to offer you comfort, love, guidance, forgiveness, and acceptance. But you must ask Him- ask Him to come to live inside of your heart. And when He takes you to Heaven it is just the beginning of your life and not the end of it.
Include God in your plans
Four Bible Scriptures on Loneliness To Help You-
"Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, O Lord, have never abandoned anyone who searches for You"
"I am holding you by your right hand- I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, "do not be afraid. I am here to help you"
"My eyes are always looking to the Lord for help, for He alone can rescue me from the traps of my enemies. Turn to me and have mercy on me, for I am alone and in deep distress"
"Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close"
If you are elderly and live in a city and have the health to travel, you might consider joining a local senior citizens club. They usually have a lot of activities there such as showing movies and playing bingo. Sometimes they take field trips on a bus and go sight seeing. This will help give you some physical and mental stimulation and help get you into circulation.
Visit friends and family as often as you can. During holidays my mother usually always had the entire family over for the holiday meal. She equated food with love and always loved her family. This was always a rewarding time for her in more ways than one.
No matter what age you are, you can always cultivate new friends and acquaintances. There are usually local clubs with people who share the same interests as you that you can join. Many times church activities include young folks, the middle aged, and senior citizens. Just because God is invisible, does not mean that He cannot hold your hand and comfort you.
Abraham's obituary-
Abraham's obituary is briefly listed in these verses. Abraham lived to be 175 years old
Abraham was considered to be the Friend of God and Father of the Faithful (Isaiah 41:8). Abraham was a man of faith- a righteous person before God
God's words to him had come true:
Where did Isaac live?
The initial family tree of Ishmael-
The bible book of Genesis is a book about beginnings. In this passage of scripture is a description about the beginning of the Ishmaelites- the Arabs of today. What relevance can that have for you and I today? Ishmael had a troubled childhood. He suffered shame, pain, and rejection by those who were supposed to love him and protect him. However, God through Moses listed the descendants of Ishmael. Why? I believe God is informing us that every life and every individual is important and has great worth to Him. No matter what kind of a dysfunctional family situation you had or how troubling your upbringing was, God loves you and is happy to have you as a member of His family if you turn to God and put Him first in your life.
Praying for the gift of children:
It appears that God healed Rebekah of sterility. She was healed because she and Isaac prayed, having faith. It was God's will to heal in those days and it is His will to heal today. When you or I need healing, let us approach our Great Physician, having faith in Him
Isaac had no children so he prayed to the Lord. The Lord answered his prayers and gave him two children instead of one. God answers prayers and sometimes He might doubly bless you or give you a double portion because of His great love and concern for you. He gave the patriarch, Job, a double blessing also
Isaac and Rebekah had two children- Esau and Jacob. Esau became the father of the Edomites and Jacob became the father of the Israelites. Edom and Israel were, eventually, two powerful nations.
The bible doctrine of election-
In the New Testament, Paul the Apostle, mentions this election
Verse 23, in this passage of scripture, is considered to be an early poem:
Why was Jacob elected? Was he elected because he was handsome, morally superior, rich, educated, or came from a good family? No. Many times God will elect a person who other people will doubt is the right person for the position. Why? Maybe because God looks at the heart of a person
The births of Esau and Jacob:
The prophet Hosea stated:
Be careful what you name your child- if it is a negative name, he or she may live down to their name as Jacob did. That is the opposite of a person living up to a good name. For example, there was a man in my paternal family tree named after an outlaw. Even though he was a preacher, he lived down to his name, like an outlaw, by committing some hidden secret sins that later caused him to be disrespected.
Sibling Rivalry (Favoring one child over another):
If you want to avoid a lot of family problems among your children, treat them all equal. Sometimes, you have to will to do this if your emotions don't go along. Spend quality time with each of them and show each of them that you love them. Treat each of them as though they were special because they are. However, if you play favorites, then it may be "a recipe for disaster" down the road of life.
Esau is called Edom:
Esau ate red cabbage and because of it was nic named "Edom" meaning "red". Sometimes, a person can be given a nick name for a number of reasons. My father, in the army during World War 2, was nick named "China Boy" because his last name was Rice and rice is what the Chinese ate. Have you ever had a nick name?
The Esau Syndrome-
What was a birthright and is there a birthright today? A birthright is a right or privilege or possession to which one is entitled by birth. It is also associated with family legacy and family inheritance. Today, in the western culture, it is of little importance due to legal inheritance laws. But, in the oriental culture of that day, it was of paramount importance. Why? Because, legally, the first born son had certain rights. What were those rights? What did the birthright include? What good was it? If one had the birthright, one was:
Besides his physical birthright, Esau rejected his spiritual birthright. Why is that significant? Because Esau had no regard for the Lord or for the things of the Lord. He did not want God in his life, in his thinking, or in his life. He decided to build his life's foundation on the sand of atheism
The Lord was rejected?
Let me elaborate a little more on Esau despising his spiritual birthright. Esau could have chosen to love and serve God. He could have chosen to belong to God. Esau could have chosen to be the spiritual head or priest of his family under God. He could have chosen to be the one by whom the Messiah should come- through Shem through Abraham through Isaac and then through Esau. In that case, the blood line of Christ would have flowed through him instead of Jacob. But Esau chose against all of this. Esau despised his birthright- all these spiritual treasures were without value to Esau. And because Esau chose to belong to Satan and chose to reject God, then, later, God stated-
Abraham's obituary
"Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim. And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country"
(Genesis 25:1-6).
Abraham was old and alone and lonely. Why? Because he had buried Sarah, and now his son, Isaac, was married and living elsewhere. He faced life alone and was lonely. Sometimes we may face loneliness in our own life. Maybe loved ones have died or moved away and we have to face this state. If you find yourself alone, don't feel like you are an isolated case because many folks are lonely or feel alone. What is the life application here? Let's do what Abraham did. Let's bury the past and start life over again. He made a choice NOT to live in the past. Pick up the pieces of your life and get going with life. Go places, do things, join a church group or club or social bunch of some kind. Be other centered- the more you help someone else, the less time you will have to think about yourself. Do what you can to make yourself less lonely.
Her name was Keturah and she was much younger than he was- as a matter of fact, she could still have children, so he started another family with her. The idea here is that yesterday is over and tomorrow is better. Have hope for a brighter tomorrow. Abraham's end time marriage to Keturah in typology may represent God's end-time dealing with the nation of Israel and it's people. Christ receives Israel as His own and they receive Him- and it all turns out ok.
Mark 15:34 NIV (see also Matthew 27:46)
(Psalm 22:1a NIV)
He has you in His
Psalm 9:10.
Isaiah 14:13.
Psalm 25:15-16.
Psalm 27:10.
"And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years. Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people. 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; the field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife. And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi"
(Genesis 25:7-11).
(Genesis 25:7) and knew his grandsons, Esau and Jacob as teen agers as they were about 15 years old when Abraham died. Ishmael was about 88 and Isaac about 75 at this time.
(Romans 4:3). He left a father's godly legacy to Hebrew descendants under covenant
(Genesis 3:16, 15:5, 22:17) and also to gentile Christian believers
as he was their spiritual father
(Galatians 3:7). He was also a good role model for us in regards to his importance, identity, and inheritance.
"And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age"
(Genesis 15:15).
Isaac lived at Lahairoi. This name means "(God) who liveth and seeth me". God is omnipresent- that means that God is everywhere at the same time. Because He is omnipresent He can see you and I at all times. He is there to bless us, help us, and to answer our prayers because He is the ever faithful One. However, some folks think that they can commit secret sin(s) and God won't see them do it. That is not true. God sees it all. There is nothing hid from Him.
"Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham: 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, and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah: These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations. And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered unto his people. And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren"
(Genesis 25:12-18).
"And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac: 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. And Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children struggled together within her; and she said, if it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said unto her:
"Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger."
And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb"
(Genesis 25:19-24).
Isaac and Rebekah were married for years but had no children. They were praying folks who prayed to God for children. I imagine that they prayed for nineteen years or more. I want to encourage you to persevere in prayer. Remember that delay does not mean denial. Keep on praying for the desire(s) of your heart. The good Lord gave us a parable about perseverence in prayer
(Luke 18:1-6).
(James 5:14). This is the beautiful part about having a saved mate today. You and your mate can agree on spiritual matters and then pull together in the same direction. You can pray together, worship together, raise your family in the fear of the Lord together, and love your way through life together with the Lord. It can be a beautiful relationship.
(Job 42:10).
The doctrine of election, also called the doctrine of selection, can be observed in these passages of scripture. What is that? It is simply God's choice of an individual, a city, a nation, or more. The one chosen has a divine appointment with destiny. The one chosen will be used to accomplish a certain matter, at a certain time, at a certain place, and in a certain way. God elects those He chooses to be instruments to help keep the world in a certain spiritual condition and on a divine time table because God is in total control of this earth and His universe. He has a divine plan that He is following. Any individual, who God elects, is usually one who chooses to follow God's plan for his or her life by obedience with love. What is interesting is that, sometimes, God can elect an unbeliever to accomplish His will.
(Romans 9:11-13).
"Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger."
Esau was elected to be the father of the Edomite nation. Jacob was elected to be the father of the Israelite nation. This was a prophecy of two nations. In this poem is seen the spiritual principle of opposites- the stronger son (Edom) would hold the inferior position while the weaker son (Israel) would hold the superior position. Eventually, the older one, the Edomites, did serve the younger one, the Israelites. When did that happen? That happened during the reign of King David of Israel. The Edomites were subject to the house of David for many years
(2 Samuel 8:14).
(1 Samuel 16:7). Maybe because God can see what a person will become rather than looking at a person at the present moment. And there may be other reasons. One time I went for a job interview. The interviewer asked me some interesting questions and I answered them the best way that I knew how. He asked four other individuals the same questions and then chose me for the position. After I worked there for awhile I asked him why he had asked me those specific questions. He told me that he wanted to hire a person who thought like he did. Do you and I think like God thinks?
"And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them"
(Genesis 25:25-26).
The name Esau means "red" or "earth colored". It can also mean "he that acts". He was probably named this because he was red and also the child who acted first in being born. The name Jacob means "he that supplants". In other words, the name Jacob in Hebrew is the word Yaaqob and means "usurper" or "supplanter" or "one who follows at another's heels". The English word "supplant" means to take the place of another by trickery or force. Jacob was named this because he grabbed his brother's heel and it was interpreted to mean that he was trying to take his brother's place in being born first. Therefore, it appeared he lost the birthright by being born second.
"The Lord hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will He recompense him. He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God: yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us; even the Lord God of hosts; the Lord is his memorial. Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually"
(Hosea 12:2-6).
"And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob"
(Genesis 25:27-28).
Family problems can start when one parent favors one child over the other(s). In this case Isaac favored Esau but Rebekah favored Jacob. There was a power struggle, not only between Esau and Jacob, but also between Isaac and Rebekah. Each made a family alliance that was contrary to the other. And because Jacob was raised in this dysfunctional way, he thought this way of acting was normal. In later years, Jacob would choose to favor Joseph over Joseph's brothers that would lead to more family problems.
"And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: and Esau said to Jacob, feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom"
(Genesis 25:29-30).
Trading away God's "life-long" gift
in order to satisfy
a short term appetite
Esau rejected his birthright:
"And Jacob said, sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright"
(Genesis 25:31-34).
1) to receive a double amount of his father's money and property
2) to be the physical head of the family
3) to be the spiritual head of the family (the family priest)
4) to receive his father's best blessing and approval (the opposite of rejection)
5) to be in the godly lineage of the Messiah (the Savior) to come
6) to receive the title-deed to the Promised Land of Canaan
7) to be a patriarch of a future great nation
Esau lost all of this.
(Matthew 7:26-27). The sand of unbelief does not make a good foundation for one's life. Life is full of choices and a wise person will make wise choices. Esau rejected his birthright, he married idol worshipping women, he produced idol worshipping children, he wanted to murder his brother, and many descendants of his in Edom, in later years, were hostile enemies of the Israelites. Some folks think that Esau was spiritually cold and too much like Cain. Jacob felt that he could not trust Esau and that is one reason that he left home.
Have you ever been rejected? Have you ever given a gift to someone and had them throw it down and then slap you in the face showing contempt to you? How do you think it might make you feel? I believe this is how our Lord felt when Esau rejected God's birthright gift. As a matter of fact, our Lord, a mighty king, gave a parable about a similar rejection:
"And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said: the kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, tell them which are bidden, behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: and the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city"
(Matthew 22:1-7).
"I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness"
(Malachi 1:2-3).
Because Esau rejected God, then God rejected Esau.
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As of April 14, 2013
