THROUGH THE BIBLE COMMENTARY
This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears.
Bruce McGee,Pastor
205 Adams
Columbia, LA 71418
GENESIS
CHAPTER 25
1 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.
Abraham remarried after Sarah died, and his wife gave him six sons.
But Abraham remembered that Isaac was the one appointed by God to be
the heir.
So Abraham gave gifts to the other sons and sent them away before he died.
And he left all that he had to Isaac.
One can readily see why God would choose such men as Noah and Abraham to
accomplish such miraculous tasks. They were men who believed and trusted
God. They lived their lives according to God's Word. Noah and Abraham,
you will notice, had only ONE wife.
There are some very interesting facts here that many folk miss.
When you're studying through the Bible, sometimes you "pass over" some
really good information. For instance,
1) Midian inhabited the country NW of the Gulf of Aqabah, or
the Sinai Peninsula. That's where Moses went when he ran
from Pharoah (Ex. 2:15).
2) According to Ex. 2:16-18, Ruel (Jethro) became Moses'
father-in-law and was a "shepherd of God." So the
Midianites continued to worship God although they were
sent away before they learned very much from Abraham.
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. 11 And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahai-roi.
Abraham died at 175 years of age. Isaac and Ishmael got together
to bury him. He was buried in the same place as Sarah.
Note that Isaac is blessed and lives at the same well that
Hagar named "God Who sees me."
Shouldn't we live our lives realizing that God SEES me?
12 Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham: 13 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, 14 And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, 15 Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah: 16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations. 17 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. 18 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.
Ishmael had 12 sons, just as God promised. Each of these
sons became "princes," or leaders of a large tribe or "nation."
Mostly, Ishmael's tribes all settled in the area SW of Beer-Sheba,
in the "Wilderness of Shur."
19 And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac: 20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-aram, the sister to Laban the Syrian. 21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
Rebekah, like Sarah was "barren." When Isaac prayed for her, God
gaver her twins.
OH! What wondrous things are wrought by prayer!
22 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. 23 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.
Something was wrong. The two babies were "contesting" one another
before they were born. Rebekah asked God why, and He told her.
God is still working "all things together for good to them that love
God, to them that are the called according to His purpose."(Rom. 8:28)
He was planning the use of these two men even before their birth.
One of them was "chosen" to carry the "seed" that God had promised
Eve. The Christ was to be born through Jacob's descendents.
24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. 26 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.
Jacob had a "me-first" attitude, even before birth. Note in vs 26,
they were born 26 years after Isaac and Rebekah were married.
27 And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. 28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Oh! My! We can learn a lot from these two simple verses.
Essau was a "man's man." He was a hunter, a cattleman, etc.
Anf for this reason Isaac loved him. The word
"loved" here means preferred.
But Rebekah, on the other hand, loved Jacob.
This shows parental preference toward children, and
proves to be divisive to the family.
Notice this "preference" was in spite of the fact that
God had made the statement in vs 23.
Friends, parental preference will destroy a home. But,
denying God's Word will certainly destory a home.
29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: 30 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. 31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. 32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? 33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34 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.
The story of Essau selling his birthright is more than just
the story of how Jacob became the heir. It is told to
show how Essau placed his focus on TODAY rather
than the future. While we aren't guaranteed tomorrow, we are
to plan for the future. To Essau, it just didn't matter.
He was "a man of appetites." Voraciously consuming the NOW
We read this story and we automatically think, "What a
horrible thing, that a man would sell his birthright
for a little pleasant food."
But that's just exactly what a Christian does when he sins!
After we are given "heirship" to the throne of God through
our Lord, Jesus, we often sin. And many times, we sin
just to satisfy some sensual pleasure.
Then, our fellowship, our relationship with God is broken. And it needs restoration.
Thank God, He has provided a restoration remedy!
(See 1John 1:9)
What about this name "Edom?" In 2Samuel 8:14 we find that
David eventually conquered the Edomites (Essau's decendents)
and made slaves out of them. But later one, in Obadiah
we see that the Edomites are still around and still causing
grief to Israel. Obadiah says (in Obad. 1:9, 10, 18),
that God will "cut them off" for ever.
No Edomites are known today. No descendents of Essau.
LISTEN to God's Word. It is true ALL the time!
Now this doesn't mean that God condones deceipt and trickery.
Jacob's very name means "deceiver." But remember,
God sees and knows ALL. And thank God, He looks
beyond our faults and sees our NEEDS.
Please continue to follow along in Bible study with us.