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Studies in Genesis, Our Sovereign God, Lesson 53, Genesis 25
Genesis 25:1-10, Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. 2 And she bare 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. 5 And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. 6 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. 7 And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years. 8 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. 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.
Chapter 25 is a chapter of transition, but that transition furthers God’s perfectly aimed arrow toward the coming of the deliverer that He promised Eve in Genesis 3:15, a deliverer who would bruise Satan’s head.
We find Abraham, now that Sarah is dead, taking a wife named Keturah who bore him six sons, with only two of the sons listed baring him grandsons, seven in all.
It is also mentioned that Abraham had concubines who bore him sons and these sons were sent away from Isaac to the east country.
We also come in this chapter to the end of Abraham’s life where we learn that he lived 175 years, then he is described as giving up the ghost, and also described as being gathered to his people.
So, we see that the cave of Machpelah comes into play here, that cave in which lay Sarah his wife.
Further in the chapter we are told Abraham’s prominent sons, Isaac and Ishmael buried him, so we are given information that Ishmael is still prominent within this family.
And we are herein given the generations of Ishmael, the son of Hagar the Egyptian and a listing of the names of his sons, 12 in all, as promised by God in:
Genesis 17:20, And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
It is of note that Ishmael was given 12 sons but Isaac his brother, was given only 2 sons, however through Jacob he was given 12 grandsons.
Ishmael also lived a long life of 137 years, described as living as the head of a clan from Havilah (the western border) unto Shur (the eastern border), that is before Egypt as thou goest toward Assyria.
He died a peaceful death, dying in the presence of all his brethren.
The remainder of the chapter is devoted to Isaac, Abraham’s son of the promise, that son who remained in the promised land.
We learn here that Isaac married Rebekah when he was 40 years old but until he was 60 years old, 20 years later, Rebekah was barren.
Again, we see God’s coming to the aid of Isaac for Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife and because of this Rebekah conceived.
We are again shown God’s clear hand in this for the two sons to come from this conception are elected to carry out their part of the lifeline toward Christ for this is the prominent theme of the Word of God.
We are sure of this election for God tells Rebekah as recorded in verse 23, 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.
Of course, the next verses announce the birth of twins, the first, a boy, very red and as a hairy garment, and the second, another boy whose hand took hold of his brother’s heel.
So, Jacob, the supplanter, that act pictured by his grabbing his brother Esau’s heel enters the scene.
Grabbing the heel means to overthrow or supplant.
So, this very act at birth is a foretelling of the elder serving the younger as God degreed.
Another indication of election.
The boys are described; Esau the man’s man, a hunter, a man of the field.
Jacob a momma’s boy, a plain man, a dweller in tents.
He liked to be around the comforts of home.
And ending this chapter the great pottage (a thick soup) exchange, a pottage of lentils traded for Esau’s birthright as the eldest son, an exchange motivated by the flesh, the spiritual for the physical.
See verse 32, where …….Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
So, this chapter concludes with the clear definition of the divide between the righteous and the unrighteous.
Those who walk by faith and those who walk by sight.
Esau’s action forever sealed his generations for his generations continue to walk in darkness despising the light.
But the generations of those who walk by faith, those of the generations of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob walk to the city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.0:
Within this chapter it is easy to see that God’s sovereign choice lies behind our salvation.
God sovereignly works all things, according to the counsel of His will. Paul the Apostle who came many thousands of years later wrote of this in: Ephesians 1:10,11, That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: Again, Paul remembers Genesis 25:23 as he writes of this doctrine of election in: Romans 9:10-16, 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 might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. 14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
We learn through the study of this chapter and its direct line to Christ that God’s purpose according to His choice will stand.
God is sovereign, and what He says, He will do.
Our responsibility is to simply submit to His will and commit to His purpose and in the doing of this receive His blessing.
God has so ordered His realm, and no one can change God’s orders.
You may be the founder of a movement and make arrangements that it continues after you are gone but with time you can be sure that your vision will fade and other’s visions will prevail.
But with God’s program no such thing will happen for God’s purposes are eternal for He is eternal.
Everything God said about Abraham’s role in His program came about.
Everything God said about Sarah’s role and Isaac’s role and Jacob’s role fell into place because nothing can thwart God’s purposes.
God had promised to make of Abraham the father of a multitude of nations and this promise is fulfilled in this chapter by listing the sons of Keturah, several of whom grew into nations.
Abraham sends these sons away similar to that which takes place in the paring of a fruit, the separation of that which is valuable from that which is waste.
These sons were not the sons of promise, for Isaac was clearly identified as that unique son who was the blessed one, the one from whom the Messiah would come.
And with the same thought the generations of Ishmael are listed to make the same point, that God’s purposes according to His choice will stand.
Ishmael had been Abraham’s only son for 14 years and Abraham asked God that he might live before Him, but God denied that request because He had chosen Isaac promising Abraham in Genesis 17:20 that Ishmael would become the father of twelve princes and He would make him into a great nation.
So, in chapter 25 the listing of those princes of Ishmael is given, for God’s sovereign choice cannot be annulled.
And the same point is given in the account of the birth of Esau and Jacob.
For great nations to come through Abraham he needed a son which God provided and the same thing was needed in Isaac, but Rebekah’s wife, like Sarah, was barren.
For 20 years they waited but Isaac prayed, and the Lord answered his prayer in accordance with His promise to Abraham.
Here we see that God answers prayer in accordance with His will.
But even in that circumstance God’s sovereignty is displayed.
His election is revealed for He told Rebekah that two nations would come from the twin sons in her womb and that the older would serve the younger.
Esau sold his birthright making himself the servant who exited the line of promise replaced by Jacob the younger as God had so degreed.
Esau became the father of the Edomites.
Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, became the father of the Israelites, the possessors of the promised land.
God, within His sovereignty assembled the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in Egypt that they become a nation to fulfill God’s purpose by conquering the promised land.
We are so clearly taught in Genesis in general and chapter 25 in particular that God chooses certain people for His purpose and that those people will accomplish His purpose.
And you can be sure His purpose is as yet unfolding and we are right in the middle of it.
But a thing to remember in all of this is that God does not operate as man operates for he operates according to the foolishness of God.
Paul taught us this truth and this truth is evident in our Genesis passage.
Paul wrote in I Cor. 1:25-29, Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
We have read of two couples who could produce no children.
One couple was beyond any reasonable age to bring forth children.
One son produced twelve sons but was not the son of promise.
And only by God’s hand of intervention was Isaac and Jacob brought forth.
God indeed chose the weak things of the world to confound the wise that no flesh should glory in His presence.
Ishmael and Esau would have been our choice, men’s men.
It would have been hard to like Jacob but Jacob, the base of the world was chosen by God to bring to naught the things that are.
God choses the foolish things of the world, he chooses those whom the world would never chose and fulfills His purpose through them and from this He gets the glory.
For God’s choice always operates on the principle of grace, not merit for our God is a gift giving God.
For by Grace are ye saved, and that not of yourselves it is a gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.
You can be assured by the word of God that He does not choose those who have earned status, he does not chose on the basis of birth order or strength.
He chose Isaac, he chose Jacob, he chose a shepherd in David, he chose Mary a young girl, a powerless girl from a small town called Nazareth, a town of which was said, can anything good come out of Nazareth?
Paul states in Romans 9:11 that God determined that Esau would serve Jacob while they were still in the womb, before they did anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand.
God chooses according to His grace without any merit and sovereignly works out his purposes.
This is so anti-human nature which craves glory to oneself, but grace is all God and zero of man that God only receives glory.
Any who think holding on to his salvation by some meritorious act knows nothing of God’s grace for none of us has any grip on God, God being the only one who has a grip at all.
Our part is to simply cooperate with God’s plan, and be blessed or if choosing to resist His purpose you many also choose to be set aside while others are raised up to fulfill His purpose.
Abraham submitted and committed himself to God’s purpose, and God blessed him abundantly.
Reading Genesis 25:8 from the American Standard Bible:
8 Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people.
Satisfied with life means he couldn’t ask for anything more from life than God had given him.
He died that way because he had lived to further God’s purpose.
Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Father’s purpose.
He had no will apart from the will of the Father.
He plainly told his disciples and all of us the message of these men of Genesis, that:
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. Mark 8:35
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