Genesis 25:1-18    Click here for Bible Verses

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 25:1-18.  Let’s go!

Genesis 25:12-18 (NIV)
 Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah.
 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah.
 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan; the descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites and the Leummites.
 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.
 Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac.
 But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east.

On verses 1-6:  Here we learn that after Sarah died Abraham took another wife called Keturah who bore children as well.  However, to go in line with God’s words about Isaac and how through Isaac Abraham would become the father of many nations and how his descendants would take over the land of Canaan, Abraham sent away his and Keturah’s children eastward with gifts, so that none of them would compete with Isaac for the land of Canaan.

Just as Isaac was protected and set apart by his father Abraham for a special purpose and inheritance, so you have been protected and set apart by your Heavenly Father for a special purpose and inheritance.  Thus you do not need to worry about other people competing with you when it comes to God’s inheritance for your life, because you have a unique calling and destiny that cannot be compared to others.   As 1 Peter 1:3-5 says, “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”

You are set apart and shielded for a special purpose that no one else can fulfill other than you.

Genesis 25:7-11 (NIV)
 Altogether, Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years.
 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.
 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite,
10  the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah.

11  After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.

On verses 7-11:  What an incredible life Abraham lived.  At the end of his life, he is buried with his wife Sarah in a cave in the field that he bought in Canaan, the land that God promised to him and his descendants.  By being buried there in Canaan, it was a powerful visual proof that Abraham had made it to the land that God has promised him, that despite all the ups and downs he experienced in life, Abraham made it where he was supposed to be.  As a GPS machine would say, “You have reached your destination”.  Abraham reaches his destination partly because he exercised great faith and even more because of God had tremendous mercy on his life.

What can we learn from this?  At the end of your life, may you be buried in the land of your inheritance.  In other words, may it be said of you, after all the difficulties and trials you experienced, that you made it to where God wanted you to be, that you fulfilled your destiny and served God’s purpose in your generation. 

Genesis 25:12-18 (NIV)
12  This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Sarah’s maidservant, Hagar the Egyptian, bore to Abraham.
13  These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,
14  Mishma, Dumah, Massa,
15  Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah.
16  These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers according to their settlements and camps.
17  Altogether, Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people.
18  His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the border of Egypt, as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.

On verses 12-18:  Here we see a list of Ishmael’s first descendants.  Verse 18 states that Ismael’s descendants settled near the border of Egypt and lived in hostility toward their brothers, just as God had foretold in Genesis 16:12.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the life of Abraham, whose faith is in many ways a great example for us and whose faith opened the door for all of us today to be called Your children through faith in Jesus Christ.  Thank You for shielding me and setting me apart for a unique calling that cannot be compared to anyone else.  At the end of my life may it be said of me that I was buried in the land of my inheritance, that I fulfilled Your destiny and purpose for my life.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!