Written by: Sydney Jones – Boys’ Brigade

Genesis 25 v 1 & v 5-8
Abraham married again, and his new wife was Keturah.

Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. But before Abraham died, he did give gifts to the sons of his other wives, then sent them to the east to be away from Isaac.
Abraham lived to be 175 years old. He breathed his last breath and died at an old age, after a long and satisfying life. 

Notes
In this account of Abraham’s death, we might think the most remarkable part is the great age at which he died. One hundred and seventy-five years is, indeed, remarkable, but lives are not assessed on length alone. More significant perhaps is that it was also a satisfying life.
There is an epitaph to be envious of! 

Even though we may be many years away from when our epitaph will be written, we can look back over our lives, however short, and ask ourselves if they have been satisfying. Most of us have some regrets over what we have done or the direction our life took, but Christians surely should be different. If we serve God and follow His plan for us then our lives too will be satisfying. 

We might ask ourselves why Abraham had such a successful life, and two characteristics stand out. One was his obedience to God’s commands. At times this would have been very difficult and a severe test of faith – such as when God commanded him to offer his own son as a sacrifice. The second was his complete confidence in God. He trusted God to guide him and believed God’s promises.

Fortunately, the demands God makes on us are not as extreme as being prepared to sacrifice something as dear as a son, although there are lesser sacrifices we must be prepared to make. God still calls us to obedience, which is only possible if we seek His will.

Looking over Abraham’s life, we note his obedience to and utter confidence in God. 

Genesis 25 v 9-11
His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron east of Mamre. (Ephron was the son of Zohar the Hittite.) So Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah in the same field that he had bought from the Hittites. After Abraham died, God blessed his son Isaac. Isaac was now living at Beer Lahai Roi.

Notes
Before Abraham died he had named Isaac as his heir. There may have been some tension between the two brothers as they buried their father. Ishmael was the elder and had been supplanted when Isaac was born. However, God had made it clear to Abraham that the many descendants he promised would be through Isaac.

Here is an example of God choosing the person He wants rather than the one we might expect. This would not be the only time. David was chosen to be king although the youngest in his family, and Joseph was the eleventh of twelve brothers.

What is our response when God wants us to do something? Do we, in fact, assume that others who are older, more experienced, or, in our eyes, more qualified, are the ones God will choose? We all have gifts which God can use, and rather than wait to be asked perhaps we should be more active in offering them. Many jobs in our churches go unfilled, not because there is no one with the necessary expertise but because of an unwillingness to step forward. In the church in the world at large there is an urgent need for Christians to provide leadership. 

Very often the problem is a lack of confidence, but that can be an advantage. The more uncertain we are, the more we are driven to rely on God. Indeed, getting involved in Christian service is a good way of strengthening our faith. 

Genesis 25 v 12 & v 17-18
This is the family history of Ishmael, Abraham’s son. (Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian servant, was Ishmael’s mother.)

Ishmael lived for 137 years and then breathed his last breath and died. His descendants lived from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt stretching towards Assyria. They often attacked the descendants of his brothers.

Notes
Ishmael was Abraham’s son by the servant of his wife Sarah. Sarah thought she could not have children, so she suggested Hagar have Abraham’s child. Unfortunately, when her own son Isaac was born her attitude changed and both Hagar and Ishmael were thrown out. However, God did not abandon them and in fact promised Ishmael that his descendants would become a great nation.

The information we are given about Ishmael is rather sketchy. Apparently he grew up to become an archer. Although he was Abraham’s eldest son, he had not been named heir and so it is not surprising that tension existed between his descendants and those of Isaac.

We can only guess how Ishmael felt about being usurped by Isaac. Perhaps he held a grudge, but maybe he accepted his lot and got on with his life. We do know from Genesis 21 v 20 that “God was with the boy as he grew up”.

It can be difficult living in some else’s shadow. Being a younger sibling, having well-known, high profile parents, working for a charismatic boss, can make us feel overlooked or that expectations of us are higher than is reasonable. We want to be valued for ourselves rather than because of whom we are related to or work for.

It is therefore good to remember that God sees us as individuals, loves us for ourselves and His forgiveness is for our sins alone. Our status in the family, at work or in the world at large is unimportant, but our individual relationship with God is.

Genesis 25 v 19-21
This is the family history of Isaac. When Abraham’s son, Isaac, was 40 years old, he married Rebekah, who came from North West Mesopotamia. She was Bethuel’s daughter and the sister of Laban the Aramean. Isaac’s wife could not have children, so Isaac prayed to the LORD for her. The LORD heard Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant.

Notes
Of the three patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - Isaac emerges as a somewhat shadowy figure with very little known about him except that he was the boy almost sacrificed by Abraham, and was the father of Jacob and Esau.

Isaac was getting on in age when he found that Rebekah could not have children. It would have been a matter of considerable disappointment to them both. God had promised Abraham that, through Isaac, he would have many descendants who would be a great people. How, therefore, was the promise to be fulfilled? It was natural that Isaac should take the problem to God and seek His help. Sure enough, God responded and Rebekah became pregnant.

Prayer is fundamental to the Christian life and is both a skill and a habit. Unfortunately, too often prayer is just an afterthought or something to fall back on when things are difficult. Whereas, if we talk and listen to God regularly, we maintain channels of communication which make it much easier to discern God’s will for our lives.

Once we develop the habit of prayer, it then becomes easier. There is a lot to be said for setting aside a few minutes each day specifically for prayer, but we can also talk to God at any time.

We might take just a few moments to ask ourselves these questions:
- Do we regularly set aside some time specifically to pray?
- Do we recognise answers to prayer and thank God accordingly?
- Do we bring all our concerns to God in prayer or just use Him as a last resort?
- Is prayer an enjoyable experience? If not, what should we do about it?

These are questions which might usefully be shared with a partner or other Christians.

Genesis 25 v 22-23
While she was pregnant, the babies struggled inside her. She asked, “Why is this happening to me?” Then she went to get an answer from the LORD.
The LORD said to her,
“Two nations are in your body, and two groups of people will be taken from you.
One group will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”

Notes
Rebekah was expecting twins and, like most new mothers-to-be, was a bit anxious, especially when the babies started kicking. When she expressed her anxieties to God, one wonders whether she was reassured by the answer. More likely, she would have been somewhat puzzled with the talk of two nations and wondered how the older would serve the younger.

We can imagine that Rebekah, like many new parents, wished that she could see into the future just to be reassured that all would be well with their children. There are probably times when we too wish we could have some indication of what lies ahead of us. “If only I could turn the clock back” is often heard from those who have done something they regret. I suppose we would all be much nicer people if we could just see a little ahead.

We can only trust God for our future because it is in His hands. Like any father He only wants the best for us, but so often we find ourselves in difficulties because we have insisted on going our way rather than His. God does not guarantee a smooth path, nor can we avoid the pressures and risks from living in a sinful world. However, we have His promise to be with us on the journey and our destination is certain.

Genesis 25 v 24-26
When the time came, Rebekah gave birth to twins. The first baby was born red. Since his skin was like a hairy robe, he was named Esau. When the second baby was born, he was holding on to Esau’s heel, so that baby was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

Notes
Here were a pair of twins who could not have been more different. Not only did they look different - one had much more hair than the other - their personalities were different as well.

There must be some advantages to being a twin. There would have been companionship as they grew up, but also, if like most brothers, an element of competitiveness. Perhaps the worst thing for twins is that they are always seen as one of a pair rather than individuals in their own right.

The great thing for us is that God sees us as individuals. No matter who our parents are or which social status we have, He loves us for ourselves and judges us for what we do.

We have to develop our own relationship with God. Our parents may have brought us up in a Christian environment, and we may attend church ourselves and subscribe to Christian values, but we still have to enter into our own transaction with God to claim His forgiveness through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

Perhaps in our daily lives we are always one of a crowd, well down in the pecking order. In God’s eyes we are unique. Being a supporter of Christianity is not enough; we must make our own personal commitment.

Genesis 25 v 27-28
When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled hunter. He loved to be out in the fields. But Jacob was a quiet man and stayed among the tents. Isaac loved Esau because he hunted the wild animals that Isaac enjoyed eating. But Rebekah loved Jacob.

Notes
Here in a few words is a description of family life in which Esau and Jacob grew up. It is likely that the parents loved both of their children, but Isaac preferred Esau because he was active and outgoing, whereas Rebekah preferred Jacob who was quieter and content to stay around the house.

The family has always been the foundation of most societies, where children can grow to maturity in security, where they are loved and where they are protected. Unfortunately, in many families this is not the case and, as a result, many children emerge emotionally damaged with their ability to create a stable family of their own impaired.

It is sad that in many apparently well-adjusted families there are relationship problems between siblings or between parents and children. Christians are not immune to this, and there are many fine Christian leaders who do great work in their church and community yet have relationship problems within their own family.

We might spare a few moments to think about our own family. Do I find it impossible to get along with my brother/sister? Is my relationship with my parents poor? If so, then now is the time to do something about it. Perhaps nothing much more than a simple apology is required. For more longstanding problems you might need to get advice from a trusted friend. It may be easier said than done and you may not be successful at first, but persistence will bring change.


word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text taken from the Youth Bible, New Century Version (Anglicised Edition) copyright 1993 by Word Publishing Milton Keynes