Abraham’s Progeny

"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)

We have there the final accounting of God's promise to Abraham concerning his first son Ishmael, born of Hagar the concubine' the promise that we saw earlier in Genesis:

"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. " (Genesis 17:20)

It is interesting, and most likely significant in a way that I don't understand, that Ishmael has twelve sons and there will be twelve tribes of Israel, although not by Isaac, but by one of Isaac's twin sons named Jacob.

Now that Abraham's passing has been told, and Ishmael's history has been told, the bible puts its focus on the child of promise, Isaac:

"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 intreated 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 enquire 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. 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: 19-26)

After twenty years of marriage without bearing a child, Rebekah finally conceives, and similar to the birth of Isaac, it is all due to God, who, having heard Isaac's prayer, answers it and blesses Isaac and Rebekah with not one son, but two. This should be some encouragement to us to persist and be patient in waiting on answers from the Lord. Both Isaac, and his father, Abraham, had to wait to receive God's answer to prayer, or even God's spoken promise; in today's "gratification NOW" world, it isn't that God has changed and no longer answers prayer, but rather that we don't know how to wait on His answers and promises, and so we move on ahead of God instead of waiting on Him. That's how we miss God. That's why the world doesn't see God's power at work perhaps; because we can't wait to receive the promises, and so we never become faithful witnesses of Him to the world at large who are desperate for someone with the power to save them. They don't know that Jesus can deliver them from evil because we don't wait on Him to deliver US from evil…we take matters into our own hands rather than wait on God.

How long are we willing to wait to see what God has in store for us? Can we truly wait twenty years, as Isaac did? Do we even take the time to entreat the Lord as Isaac did, or enquire of the Lord as Rebekah did?

The twins were named Esau and Jacob. The name Esau means "hairy," but it is of the root word Edom which means "red." Just a few more scriptures along and we will see that Esau IS Edom. They are considered one and the same. When you read the word Edom or Edomites it is as though you are reading Esau or Esauites. And that particular "red" of Edom (or Esau) is the same color as red lentils, a prominent food of the middle east still today. God chose the names of these twins for a particular reason, and we will soon see what God foreknew about these children that Rebekah and Isaac didn't at the birth of their sons, when we see the importance of the "red" in Esau's life.

The second twin born, arriving on the scene grasping Esau's heel, as though either to hold Esau back or to overthrow Esau altogether, was given the name Jacob which means "supplanter" or "layer of snares." God prophesied that Jacob would rule over Esau; an idea that is totally without precedent in a land where being first-born holds tremendous importance, as we will see.

Twins they may be, but we will see that their personalities are as different as night and day. We will also see all that God has prophesied over the twins soon come to pass.

Abraham’s Final Years

"Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. And the sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the east. This is the sum of the years of Abraham's life which he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last 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, which is before Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife. And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac dwelt at Beer Lahai Roi." (Genesis 25:1-11)

The actual Hebrew says that Abraham "had taken" Ketturah to wife; meaning that she was already a concubine, not a replacement for Sarah. This reference to Ketturah and her children, the commentators state, is out of chronological sequence and given only to record the other children of Abraham here at the telling of his passing. But even though Keturah bore six sons to Abraham, none of her children are allowed to inherit from Abraham "all that he had." With the exception of a few gifts to each of his children, the bulk of Abraham's estate goes solely to Isaac. In fact, Abraham sees to it that all of his children eventually are moved eastward away from Isaac (into Arabia), most likely to prevent the kind of persecution that Isaac once experienced as a child from his brother Ishmael or to prevent any interference with Isaac's inheritance.

It is surprising to see that both brothers, Isaac and Ishmael, are in attendance at the burial of their father, Abraham. Any animosity one might feel towards the other, has been set aside in order to honor their dead father. Abraham is buried next to his wife Sarah in the cave that he purchased for her burial.

And Isaac now dwells in a place called Beer Lahai Roi; a place we have heard of before. It is here that Hagar, Ishmael's mother, encountered God as she fled into the wilderness to escape Sarah's wrath after Hagar displayed her contempt for Sarah. The Lord found Hagar there in the wilderness, next to a spring of water. The Lord convinced Hagar to return to her mistress, Sarah, and He prophesied over her unborn child, telling her, among other things, that the child would be a son named Ishmael (Genesis 16).

That place of the spring of water was thereafter called "Beer Lahai Roi" which means "well of the Living One seeing me." This is an appropriate place for Isaac to reside in as the "Living One" obviously "saw" Isaac as well and blessed him after Abraham's death. While we are not told here the manner in which Isaac was blessed, it most likely is the blessing of children (the source of many descendants), as promised to Abraham; a promise which must be carried out through Isaac in order to be fulfilled.

In fact, it is only because we are told that Abraham died at age 175, that scholars have calculated that Abraham lived long enough to see Isaac's children reach 15 years of age. Thus, Abraham was able to witness the further fulfilling of God's promise to Him before he died.

Possessing the Gates of the Enemy

"Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, 'The thing comes from the Lord; we cannot speak to you either bad or good. Here is Rebekah before you; take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as the Lord has spoken.' And it came to pass, when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he worshiped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth. Then the servant brought out jewelry of silver, jewelry of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother. And he and the men who were with him ate and drank and stayed all night. Then they arose in the morning, and he said, 'Send me away to my master.' But her brother and her mother said, 'Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten; after that she may go.' And he said to them, Do not hinder me, since the Lord has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master.' So they said, 'We will call the young woman and ask her personally.' Then they called Rebekah and said to her, 'Will you go with this man?' And she said, 'I will go.' So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her: 'Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and may your descendants possess the gates of those who hate them.' Then Rebekah and her maids arose, and they rode on the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed. Now Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he dwelt in the South. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming. Then Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel; for she had said to the servant, 'Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?' The servant said, 'It is my master.' So she took a veil and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death." (Genesis 24:50-67)

It is to the credit of Bethuel and Laban that, whether they actually worship the Lord or not, they do at least acknowledge His existence and will defer to His choice of Rebekah as the bride for Abraham's son, Isaac.

And it is to Rebekah's credit that she is agreeable to go immediately with the servant to meet her husband-to-be. Perhaps all the extraordinary circumstances of the previous day stirred up in her heart a desire to know more about the God who had orchestrated it all, and to see just what it was God had in mind for her.

While I have my concerns about whether Abraham's relatives worship God versus idols, they, like Abraham, are descendants of the line of Shem (not from the line of cursed Canaan); Abraham heard God when He spoke, perhaps these might have as well had they been the ones chosen. I cannot say for sure. It is only future scripture that tells me Laban has household idols that concerns me about the other relatives there; nevertheless, Rebekah is obedient to the Lord, as surely the Lord knew she would be before He chose her.

But now let's look closely at the blessing that is spoken over Rebekah as she is about to depart from the home of her family. We are not sure who is actually speaking this blessing over her. It appears to be spoken, not by her father or mother, but by more than one sibling, as the opening begins with "our sister." Whether the speakers realize it or not, it is a prophetic blessing, thus inspired by the Lord to be spoken over her.

Rebekah will indeed become the mother of thousands of ten thousands, for all those who descend from her children will be great in number. And even more importantly, her descendants will possess the gates of those who hate them.

That last part of the blessing can be seen both in the natural and in the spiritual.

In the natural sense, Israel, whom Rebekah will be seen as the mother of, is surrounded by many enemies who HATE Israel, and can be said to possess the gates (or the borders) of its enemies' lands; borders that the enemies want possession of, so that the land of Israel can become theirs.

But in the spiritual sense, this possession of the gates has even greater meaning. Just as Paul tells the Roman Christians (Romans 9:6-8) that the true seed of Abraham are those who are children of the Promise, in other words those who are born (again) by faith; Rebekah is the mother of those who BY FAITH "possess the gates of those who hate them."

There is one party in particular who is responsible for the hatred of all those who belong to the Lord: and his name is Satan. Satan is the enemy of the "ekklesia" – "the called out ones" – all of those called by faith, as Abraham was, to follow the Lord, whether in Abraham's times or our own.

But Jesus Christ died on the cross in obedience to the Lord and was resurrected by the power of God, all of which gave Him the authority to TAKE the keys of the kingdom back out of the hands of Satan (to whom those keys had been surrendered by Adam and Eve when they sinned against God) and to share the ownership of those keys with those who are considered to be His own Body: the church, the "ekklesia." There is a lot of truth in that last sentence which seems complicated to those who do not yet know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but it is the simple "Good News" of the gospel to those who do.

The simple Good News is this: Jesus Christ died on the cross to atone for our sins, thereby reconciling us to God and securing a "pardon" for us by which we escape the punishment for those sins of hell. But it is because of the resurrection power of God that has been made available to us through Jesus Christ (the same power that brought Jesus back to life again on the third day after his death on the cross) that allows us – by FAITH in Jesus – to overcome the lies of the enemy whose desire is to see us live our lives as slaves to sin even though we have been set free by Jesus and have been given the keys to the prison gates. All are made free in Christ, but they don't know it. Either the Good News has not reached their ears yet, or they have heard the Good News and have rejected it for they cannot believe.

They are the ones who believe instead, that they are trapped in a prison cell of SIN; sins that plague them and possess them and over which they believe they have no control, no power.

But the TRUTH now is that we have been given the key to the gate of that prison cell and can get up, open the gate, walk away from sin, thereby breaking its power over us once and for all.

The KEY is Jesus Christ Himself. He is all we need to possess the gates of our enemy.

And all of this was prophesied thousands of years ago when the Lord found a bride for Isaac in Rebekah. For the "ekklesia" is the BRIDE of Christ and so this was an appropriate time to make such a prophetic announcement.

We, the chosen bride, have been given spiritual gifts, the greatest gift of all being our bridegroom, Jesus Christ, who gives us as our wedding gift: the key to the gate of our prison cell and sets us FREE in such a way that none can prevail against us as long as we believe in and cling to our bridegroom, Jesus.

Jesus Christ said: "…upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18)

A Promise in the Making

"Then the man came into the house. And he unloaded the camels, and provided straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. Food was set before him to eat, but he said, 'I will not eat until I have told about my errand.' And he said, 'Speak on.' So he said, 'I am Abraham's servant. The Lord has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old, and to him he has given all that he has. Now my master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell, but you shall go to my father's house and to my family, and take a wife for my son.' And I said to my master, 'Perhaps the woman will not follow me.' But he said to me, 'The Lord, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father's house. You will be clear from this oath when you arrive among my family; for if they will not give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.' And this day I came to the well and said, 'O Lord God of my master Abraham, if You will now prosper the way in which I go, behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin comes out to draw water and I say to her, 'Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink' and she says to me, 'Drink, and I will draw for your camels also' – let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master's son. But before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah, coming out with her pitcher on her shoulder, and she went down to the well and drew water. And I said to her 'Please let me drink.' And she made haste and let her pitcher down from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will give your camels a drink also.'. So I drank, and she gave the camels a drink also. Then I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter are you? And she said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' So I put the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. And I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the way of truth to take the daughter of my master's brother for his son. Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. And if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left." (Genesis 24:32-49)

What God begins He is able to finish; granted, this promise will take many centuries to complete…to make Abraham's descendants as numerous as the sand and the stars. But here is the next step in fulfilling His promise to Abraham: He has provided a wife of His own choosing for Isaac.

Abraham, in heeding the word of God to not return to his father's homeland, cannot go obtain a wife for his son, so he must send his servant; whose name by the way is most likely, Eliezer of Damascus, the one who would have inherited all that Abraham had, had Abraham not had a legal heir after all (Genesis 15:2).

And this servant, having been shown by the example of his master what it is to worship the Lord, in fact, calls upon the Lord of Abraham and requests His help in finding this bride. This is a wise servant who knows to turn to the Lord for help.

Note that he does this from his heart rather than a prayer spoken out loud. And note also, that before he has even finished speaking this request in his heart, Rebekah appears at the well. How attentive the Lord is to our prayers!

Now it is up to Rebekah's family to determine whether or not they will allow her to go with Abraham's servant.

Brother Laban

"So it was when the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a golden nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels of gold, and said, 'Whose daughter are you? Tell me please, is there room in your father's house for us to lodge?' So she said to him, 'I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah's son, home she bore to Nahor.' Moreover she said to him, 'We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge.' Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord. And he said, 'Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren.' So the young woman ran and told her mother's household these things. Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban and Laban ran out to the man by the well. So it came to pass, when he saw the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister's wrists, and when he heard the word of his sister Rebekah, saying, 'Thus the man spoke to me, that he went to the man. And there he stood by the camels at the well. And he said, 'Come in O blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.' (Genesis 24:22-31)

Here we are introduced to Laban, the brother of Rebekah, a man whom we will hear more of further along in our study. There is a portion of scripture here that gives us a strong idea about what it is that motivates Laban:

"So it came to pass, when he saw the nose ring, and the bracelets.." (v. 30)

Rebekah offers Abraham's servant generous hospitality without ulterior motive; Laban, on the other hand, is motivated by the wealth that he sees displayed in the jewelry that was given to Rebekah.

Laban calls the servant according to the words he heard from Rebekah's telling of her encounter with the servant: "O blessed of the Lord." But there is no reason to believe that Laban knows the "Lord" of whom he speaks. We must remember that Abraham has been pulled out of this land by God, out of his father's home, in order to follow God. That does not indicate that the folks there knew God at all. Certainly, it will be proven further along that Laban worships household idols; which is most likely the custom for all those who live in Haran.

Motivated by hopes of achieving some gain from this servant of a wealthy relative, Laban becomes hospitality itself. Indeed, he will be receiving gifts from this servant soon.

Rebekah stands in sharp contrast to Laban, her brother who is motivated by ill-gotten gain. She is industrious (she is the first woman at the well that day indicating that she is not slack concerning her chores), she is generous and caring, and, for Isaac's sake, the Lord provides a potential wife who is beautiful as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Nameless Servant

"Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, 'Please, put your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.' And the servant said to him, 'Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?' But Abraham said to him, 'Beware that you do not take my son back there. The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, 'To your descendants I give this land,' He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there.' So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter. Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, for all his master's goods were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. Then he said, 'O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. Behold here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, 'Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,' and she says 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink' – let her be the one You have appointed for your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master. And it happened before he finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milkah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her and said, 'Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.' So she said, 'Drink my lord.' Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink. And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said 'I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.' Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.' (Genesis 24:1-21)

As you read this part of the telling of how Abraham acquired a bride for his son, Isaac, you will find that what takes place on a natural or physical level, has a parallel in the spiritual as well. Look at these points in the event:

-the servant obviously has a name, but it is never used. Instead he calls himself the servant of Abraham. He speaks of Abraham and Isaac, but you know nothing of him personally except as regards his service to Abraham. The Holy Spirit has His name as well, yet He doesn't speak of Himself; rather He lifts up the Father and the Son.

- the servant came out from his home with Abraham, just as the Holy Spirit came out of from the Father – both with the same purpose: to find a bride for the Son.

-the servant brought gifts to give to the bride; the Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to the Bride of Christ as well.

- the bride is chosen by "the angel of the Lord" but she has a choice: to come with the servant and BE the bride, or to decline; the same choice each of us has when we are called by the Lord.

-and Rebekah has a humble servant's heart, running to bring water both to the servant and even to his camels. The bride of Christ will have that heart as well.

This is but one more example of the layers of understanding that the Bible contains; as well it would: it was written by men who were inspired by God. The depths of the bible reveal to us the depths of God Almighty Himself.

The bible is the LIVING WORD of GOD. The WORD of GOD is LIFE to us who have been "born-again," born not just of flesh and blood, but of the Spirit of God. And it is that seemingly "nameless" servant of God, bringing no glory to Himself, it is the Holy Spirit who sustains our lives from this bottomless and limitless WORD of GOD. I thank God for His Son Jesus Christ who died for my sins and gave me undeserved life everlasting, and I thank God for the Holy Spirit who breathes into and sustains my life each and every day through His Word.

Burying Sarah

"Sarah lived one hundred and twenty seven years; these were the years of Sarah. So Sarah died in Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. Then Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, "I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight." And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, "Hear us, my lord: You are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. None of us will withhold from you his burial place, that you may bury your dead." Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. And he spoke with them, saying, "If it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he has, which is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me at the full price, as property for a burial place among you." Now Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the presence of the sons of Heth, all who entered at the gate of his city, saying, "No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field and the cave that is in it; I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. I give it to you. Bury your dead!" Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land; and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, "If you will give it, please hear me. I will give you money for the field; take it from me and I will bury my dead there." And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, "My lord, listen to me; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. What is that between you and me? So bury your dead." And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out the silver for Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency of the merchants. So the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place." (Genesis 23:1-20)

The "sons of Heth" are the Caananites; descendants of Heth who was the son of Canaan, Canaan was the son of Ham upon whom the curse fell, and Ham was the son of Noah. Thus, the curse that fell upon Canaan still had its effects on these "sons of Heth" who are Canaanites and not followers of God as was Abraham. Abraham was descended from Noah's son, Shem. The curse, if you recall, was: "Cursed be Canaan, a servant of servants he shall be to his brethren." But blessings to the other sons were also attached to the curse that Noah pronounced over his son: "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant. May God enlarge Japeth, and may he dwell in the tents of Shem; and may Canaan be his servant." (Genesis 9:25-27)

Now, there is a lot of discussion going on about the cave that Abraham wants to purchase for Sarah's tomb, and even though it (and other options) have been offered to Abraham as a free gift that seems to be given out of deference to his status in the country, still Abraham insists on purchasing it rather than being "given" it. He knows the people that he is dealing with, but he has to purchase a secure place for Sarah's burial that will not be contested somewhere down the line by the heirs of the one who "gave" it. He will not receive it as a gift.

We have heard from the cave's owner, Ephron, the Hittite, who is found sitting in the gates of the city, which is the place where business is conducted. Therefore, Ephron is a businessman, first and foremost. He is not a God-fearing man and Abraham will not receive a gift from such as him, nor will he receive a gift from the sons of Heth. The reason is that none of them fear God, none of them can be trusted. And in Ephron's case, especially, his magnanimous gesture towards Abraham is merely affectation, he really wants money; which is why he mentions the amount to Abraham. Abraham quickly pays and the deal is done. Abraham, who is given no inheritance in the land by the Lord, has just purchased a plot of ground for the first time in his long life of following the Lord; and it is only for burying Sarah in.

In those days it was the customary thing for Abraham to do: to leave his tent, go to Sarah's tent and "mourn" at the door of her tent. But this was Abraham's beloved Sarah, and in addition to "mourning," he wept. And, finally, after quite some time, in an effort to stop his weeping, he stands up, with resolve, and hastens to find a burying place in which to place his Sarah; much as the business of making funeral arrangements allows us to "breathe" for a short moment in the midst of our own grieving when a loved one dies. And then, in our case, when the casket is lowered into the ground, and the earthly remains of our loved one is "out of our sight," we carry our grief with us and continue on in the business of living.

It is of note that Sarah is the only woman in the Bible whose age, death and burial are mentioned; obviously in honor of she who was the spiritual mother of a nation of people whose birth or beginning was "by faith" in the Promise of God.

Concubines

"Now it came to pass after these things that it was told Abraham, saying, "Indeed Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor; Huz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel. And Bethuel begot Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother. His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Thahash, and Maachah." (Genesis 22:20-23)

Many years back Abraham was called by God to leave his country, his family and his father's house, in order to follow where God would lead (Genesis 12:1-3). This proved Abraham's righteousness in God's eyes in that he did not value family more than he valued God; in other words his priorities were in right order with God being of the highest priority.

But that doesn't mean Abraham didn't value his family and perhaps long for news of his family or hope for the best for them even though they were separated by distance for so many years.

Now, someone, perhaps a servant or a traveler, has brought Abraham information about his only surviving brother Nahor (Genesis 11:27) and about all the children that Nahor has fathered throughout these past many years, both with his wife Milcah and his concubine Reumah. And it appears that Abraham is not adverse to hearing about the news, and most likely receives it with gladness.

We haven't talked much about concubines, but since this passage is such a short one, this might be a good time to discuss them.

Concubines are such a foreign oddity to Western culture, or perhaps just an oddity to Christian culture, since even some Westerners made concubines of slave women before slavery came to an end. To many of us, concubinage seems a demeaning and quite deplorable act as we relate it to adultery and having mistresses, yet we have to understand that in the Middle Eastern culture of Abraham's time, it was a legal and socially acceptable thing to do. It was a symbol of status and wealth if a man had a wife as well as a concubine or two (or more). Of course, he had to be wealthy to be able to support the larger family that concubines might provide him in addition to those children his own wife provided.

King Solomon, one of the richest men of those days, had 300 wives (including concubines) and produced 700 children, or thereabouts. Without the wealth he had, he could not have supported so great a family.

The concubines themselves might have been slaves (such as Sarah's maidservant Hagar) or they might just have been of an inferior social status. What they received from such a relationship was economic security; in a society that was harsh on its women, such security was highly valued. The concubines were to be treated honorably and as kindly as the wives, but they never had the same legal equality of social status that the wives had.

The children of concubines also received the economic benefits of belonging to a rich man's household, and as Abraham exhibited, were loved by their fathers; the more children men had the more they counted themselves blessed. But the children of concubines never received the full inheritance that the children of the wife would receive. The bulk of the inheritance went to the children of the wife, while the children of the concubines would receive smaller gifts; thus establishing a perfect breeding ground for jealousy such as we saw from Hagar and her son, Ishmael.

We will hear more of Abraham and concubines as our study continues. But this particular passage of scripture will bear some importance when it comes to Abraham's decision to find a wife for Isaac.

The Voice of the Lord

"Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am." And he said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place. The-Lord-Will-Provide, as it is said to this day. "In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided." Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said, "By myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son – blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba, and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba." (Genesis 22:9-19)

Because the scripture identifies Isaac as "a lad" it is difficult for us to determine his age, however, I was reading the commentary done by Jamieson, Faucett and Brown this morning, and they seem to believe that Isaac was closer to twenty or a bit more. If that is the case, then it is possible that Isaac willingly submitted to becoming the sacrifice that day, trusting either in his father's ability to hear from God or trusting in God as he had well learned from his father. Certainly the scripture gives no hint that there was any struggle or pleas for deliverance on Isaac's part. It does say that Abraham bound Isaac, but still he could have been bound willingly, I suppose.

This event is such a typology of the sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross (Isaac carried the wood upon which he was soon to be sacrificed just as Jesus carried his own cross upon which He was indeed sacrificed for all mankind; the father giving his one and only son – the son promised by God to come by Sarah, just as God gave His one and only begotten Son, Jesus). It would only enhance the typology if Isaac willingly submitted to his father Abraham's will, such as Jesus also did to His own Father, God.

This event takes place on a hill in Moriah. It might have been one of two places: either the hill in Moriah upon which the temple was later built by King Solomon (2 Chronicles 3:1) and upon which currently the Dome of the Rock stands. Or it might be the same hill that Jesus Himself was later crucified on: Golgotha. It took three days journey to reach Moriah, for on the third day is when Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the hill that the Lord was leading him towards still "afar off" (vs. 4). Three days for Abraham to think about what was to come. In our own humanness, we cannot help but wonder what his thoughts were. Were they focused on the Lord God in order to remain obedient? Were his thoughts at rest, because his trust in God was of such strength to allow that kind of rest? Were his thoughts of how this would look to others: Sarah, his servants, the heathens in the land he dwelt in who would hear of the sacrifice eventually and think ill perhaps of Abraham's God? There is no hint to us of anything other than Abraham proceeded without any hesitation and without any delay to fulfill the command of the Lord. But further scripture tells us that he knew that God had promised descendants to come from this one and only child of promise, and he knew that God would raise Isaac from the dead, if necessary, to fulfill His promises to Abraham:

"By faith, Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten [son]. Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed by called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure." (Hebrews 11:17-19)

When they reached the hill, Abraham caused his servants to remain at the foot of the hill, so that they would not attempt to stop what he knew he must do. And then he methodically laid out all that was necessary at the place of offering, ending with placing the bound Isaac on the bed of wood at the altar. And as he is about to cut Isaac's throat (as would have been done with the animal to be sacrificed), a voice from heaven stopped him. That voice belonged to the "Angel of the Lord." Biblical scholars mostly agree that "the Angel of the Lord" is none other than Jesus, pre-incarnate (before He was made flesh), the Word of God speaking from heaven. The Angel of the Lord then proceeded to confirm his promises to Abraham to an even greater degree than when first promised; an increase of blessing because of Abraham's obedience in hearing the voice of the Lord and in doing what was spoken to Him so willingly.

It is important to see that Abraham trusted in the WORD of GOD that had been spoken to Him. This is why it is the WORD of God who speaks to Him when he has accomplished all that he had been commanded. And who is the Word of God, but Jesus Christ…the Word of God that will later be born to a virgin (made flesh such as we are). By trusting the WORD of God, Abraham showed his faith IN GOD by acting in obedience to that WORD that God spoke.

This is once more, a testimony to us of the multi-layered depths of the Scriptures that describes things that can be applied to the natural, but also speaks of things prophetically at depths (or perhaps I should say heights) that man cannot humanly reach, but can only be explored by the power of the Holy Spirit who illuminates the richness of that Word to us.

Such is the case with the blessing that the Angel of the Lord speaks over Abraham: "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." (v. 18)

Jesus Christ was of the seed of Abraham; and all who trust in Him are called the "spiritual seed" of Abraham.

Matthew Henry explains the meaning of that blessing so that we can see how ALL NATIONS, this is no exaggeration on the part of the Lord, ALL NATIONS will be blessed:

"Christ is the great blessing of the world. Abraham was ready to give up his son for a sacrifice to the honour of God, and on that occasion, God promised to give His son for the salvation of man."

Each and every individual from every tribe and nation of the world has a Savior that gave His life for them, a sacrificial LAMB provided by God for their sakes, to SAVE them from the wrath of a HOLY and JUST God…If all will only RECEIVE their salvation from HIM: JESUS CHRIST.

God Will Provide

"Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham." And he said, "Here I am." Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you." So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." Then he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." So the two of them went together." (Genesis 22:1-10)

This passage of scripture is one of the most remarkable and prophetic of the Old Testament; it also one which would greatly offend any who attempt to read it without the Holy Spirit to help their understanding. It is only those who know Jesus who also know the Father; and thus they know the Father's heart and His goodness, just as Abraham did, and can trust in Him enough to be completely obedient without question.

It is clear that worshipping the Lord through burnt offerings is well known to Isaac, who is still a young boy, of what age we are not told; certainly old enough to realize that the most important part of the offering is missing: the lamb. Neither Isaac, nor Abraham's servants, sees anything unusual in Abraham rousing them all so early in the morning to go worship.

But what of Abraham's thoughts as all of this is occurring? What is going through his mind?

What is remarkable about Abraham, to me, is that he is always quick to obey the Lord. He may have doubts later on, or second-guess the Lord, or even lie from time to time; but when the Lord tells him to do something, He just gets up and does it. Has he chosen to do so quickly so as to not have time to think about it? Or is he that trusting of God that he sees no reason to question it?

I think what it is, really, is that Abraham KNOWS the LORD; he knows Him so well that he is able to tell Isaac very easily that "God will provide…" I think Abraham knows (and trusts) the Lord in such an intimate way, which can only come about because Abraham truly "walks" with the Lord, that he knows that God will indeed provide, even if he doesn't understand exactly when and how that will happen. I believe Abraham remembered that through this child of promise Abraham's seed will be multiplied; he knows God's promise is true…he just doesn't know quite yet how it will be handled by the Lord. Still to have to do the act himself, the slaying of his one and only son, has to be the most difficult act of obedience Abraham has ever faced.

The prophetic part of this scripture, of course, is that God, the Father, offered His one and only Son as a sacrifice as well. The life of His Son, Jesus Christ, became the ultimate offering for sin…the sin of all mankind. I believe the Father's heart was just as grieved as Abraham's is now, and yet He was willing to sacrifice His own Son for us all. We are the guilty ones, laden with sin. Jesus had no sin and was that innocent lamb that God would provide for the offering to atone for our sins.

And most remarkable of all, Jesus was as willing to give His own life, as Abraham is willing now to slay is own son; both men in complete obedience to God the Father…no matter how loudly their own human emotions are crying out against it! Jesus loved us enough to do so, just as the Father loved Him.

Abraham also knew the love of the Father towards himself; and the Father does not let him down as we will see in the next passage of scripture.

What is important here is that we understand as well, the love of the Father towards US. God is willing to sacrifice His Son, Jesus, and Jesus is willing to be obedient to the Father in giving up His own life…both in order that we might have redemption from sin that plagues us and receive life everlasting simply by trusting in the love of God enough to receive with a grateful heart that GIFT that God is offering to us through His Son.

We can walk with God and know Him as intimately as Abraham did, if we will but choose to receive the GIFT of Jesus Christ as our Savior and our Lord. There is no cost to us…all the cost has been laid on Jesus. It is simply a choice to trust God.

Once we receive God's gift to us, we will be able to say to others, just as Abraham was able to say to Isaac…..GOD WILL PROVIDE….HE HAS PROVIDED ALL THAT I NEED…HE WILL PROVIDE FOR YOU AS WELL.

Well of the Sevenfold Oath

"And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, "God is with you in all that you do. Now therefore, swear to me by God that you will not deal falsely with me, with my offspring, or with my posterity; but that according to the kindness that I have done to you, you will do to me and to the land in which you have dwelt." And Abraham said, "I will swear." Then Abraham rebuked Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech's servants had seized. And Abimelech said, "I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor had I heard of it until today." So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. Then Abimelech asked Abraham, "What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?" And he said, "You will take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that they may be my witness that I have dug this well." Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because the two of them swore an oath there. Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba. So Abimelech rose with Phicol, the commander of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines. Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines many days."(Genesis 21:22-34)

Beersheba was a place of much significance during the Old Testament times known as the Patriarchal Period. Already it is the place in which Hagar wept at a distanced from Ishmael trying to avoid seeing his death which she thought was imminent (Gen. 21:14-16). It will also be the place that Elijah asks God to let him die rather than be killed by Jezebel (1 Kings 19:3-4). Isaac will live here (Genesis 26), Jacob will leave here to seek a wife in Haran (Genesis 28:10), Joshua will give it to the tribe of Judah first (Joshua 15:28) and then later to the tribe of Simeon (Joshua 19:1-2,9). It will be a defining landmark that will indicate the southern-most area of Old Testament Israel which would stretch from Dan to Beersheba (2 Samuel 24:2). Beersheba was about 45 kilometers from Gaza and bordered the fertile crescent area (that stretched north and south through much of Israel) and the semi-arid Negev desert.

The name Beersheba means "well of the sevenfold oaths," called so by Abraham as a memorial of the covenant he made with Abimelech; a covenant sealed with seven ewe lambs that Abraham gave to Abimelech as a witness of his oath to always deal kindly with Abimelech, Abimelech's offspring,and Abimelech's land in return for the kindness that Abimelech has done to Abraham in allowing him to sojourn in this Philistine territory of which Abimelech is the King.

All of this was settled after an incident in which one of Abimelech's servants seized control of a well that Abraham had dug himself; Abimelech claimed to know nothing of this event and apparently Abraham trusted him, for it was after this incident that they made the covenant between them. The ownership of a well was an important thing, as the well signified your possession of the land that the well was on. Abraham had the right to build this well, as Abimelech had already told him he could stay wherever he wanted and for as long as he wanted. But Abraham provided seven ewe lambs as witness to Abimelech as well, that he did have the right to the well which Abraham himself had dug.

It is clear that in giving seven lambs, Abraham was involving God somehow in the oath, perhaps signifying that God was his witness to his oaths taken that day; and the seven lambs were perhaps prophetic of the perfect lamb to come. We can see some fulfillment beginning already of the promises that God made to Abraham when He first told Abraham to leave his own country of Haran (Genesis 12:1-3).

Once matters are well resolved between Abraham and Abimelech, Abraham plants a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and call upon the name of "the Lord, the everlasting God." I believe the tree is a memorial to future generations of the goodness of the Lord to Abraham, as he dwells here in the midst of a pagan nation.

The Bondwoman and Her Son

"Then she [Hagar] departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs. Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, "Let me not see the death of the boy." So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, "What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation." Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad to drink. So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt." (Genesis 21:14b-21)

And so, as Sarah had demanded, Hagar and Ishmael were cast out of the household and sent into the wilderness (actually, Abraham's intent was most likely for them to make it to the nearest town, but they appear to have lost their way.) This seems harsh to us at first glance, yet it was God's command to Abraham that he heed Sarah's words, which tells us that there is something God understands about this situation that we might not understand, yet Sarah did. But Abraham struggled with it, so God relieved Abraham's fears for his son Ishmael by letting him know that Ishmael would survive and even become a great nation.

Ishmael had to go, for he was of the same spirit as his mother: Hagar provided Abraham with a son and then gloated over Sarah's infertility. Ishmael has had a home and a good father all of these years, and yet his heart bears no gratitude towards his father for that goodness; instead, he mocks Abraham's young son and dishonors himself as well as his father by his actions. Ishmael is after all a child born of the works of man (of the flesh) rather than of the promise of God (of the Spirit).

When the pair becomes lost in the wilderness and near to death from thirst, God hears the desperate cries of Ishmael and provides for him by guiding Hagar to a nearby well. The Lord did not hold Ishmael's actions against him; He still cared for Ishmael and He still upheld the promise He made long ago to Hagar concerning Ishmael. Ishmael grows strong again, Hagar finds him a suitable wife, and from Ishmael and his Egyptian wife comes that large nation promised by God that will later be known as Arabia.

What is interesting here is that both Isaac and Ishmael have the same father. Yet, Ishmael is cast out of the "domain" of his father. He once had a place, but has now lost that place due to the works of his own hands, and naturally so. In the natural realm, he is a son of a bondwoman, a female slave, yet his father is free, so he also is free…but not in the spiritual realm. In the spiritual realm he is a slave…to his passions, to his flesh. He does not have a heart of gratitude towards his father; his own jealousy (carnality) has lost for him all that he had. Thus, he is called the "son of the bondwoman" rather than the "son of Abraham." While God does not forsake him (God hears his cries in the wilderness and provides for him) still he has been cast out of his father's house.

The apostle Paul reveals more of the truth of this passage of scripture when he writes to the Galatians concerning what is happening in the midst of these fairly new Christians. Having received Christ as their Lord and Savior BY FAITH alone and not BY WORKS, these Gentile Christians are being misled by a heretical group called "the Judaizers" (Jews from Judea) who are insisting that they cannot truly be saved unless they are circumcised. To trust in circumcision as proof of salvation, Paul says, is to forsake "the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law [the law of circumcision], then Christ died in vain." (Galatians 2:21)

In other words, to set aside true salvation (the gift of God through Jesus Christ) in favor of obtaining what they must think is a more perfect salvation by the works of man (circumcision) is to be of the same spirit as Ishmael, "the son of the bondwoman" versus trusting by faith that they are children of the Promise like Isaac, "the son of the freewoman."

"Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman." (Galatians 4:30 and Genesis 21:10)

Paul exhorts them to "stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage….and I testify to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace." (Galatians 5:1-4)

The Galatians, having received by faith their salvation, and being prompted by the Judaizers, are now second-guessing God (such as Abraham and Sarah did regarding the "child of the promise") and are attempting, by circumcision, to provide what THEY think is necessary to be saved. What they will create for themselves, if they become circumcised, is slavery (bondage to the law from then on) for they have not trusted that God will fulfill His righteousness in them; instead they seek to fulfill their own righteousness.

When the enemy is busy accusing us and highlighting our weaknesses, Paul's words should encourage us: "For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith." (Galatians 5:5) We are not finished products; we are still a work in progress; our hope is not in ourselves, but in God who is able to perform all that He desires to do in us, if we will but wait on Him and not get ahead of him as Abraham and Sarah did.