Genesis 25

Genesis 25:1-34

Genesis 22:1-24; Genesis 23:1-20; Genesis 24:1-67; Genesis 25:1-347. The Seventh Manifestation of God to Abraham (Genesis 22:1-24; Genesis 23:1-20; Genesis 24:1-67; Genesis 25:1-34) Three great facts are set before us in these chapters: First. The supreme test of Abraham’ s faith-the offering up of Isaac, the son in whom all the promises were to be fulfilled (Genesis 22:1-18). This was the supreme test of Abraham’ s faith. At all other times he had been given a promise to step out on, but no promise is connected with this incident. Abraham is told to take his son, his only son, the son in whom all the promises were to be fulfilled, and offer him for a sacrifice on Mount Moriah. This was really the last of the four great surrenders in Abraham’ s life, which he had been called upon to make. These surrenders were: The sacrifice of home and kindred (Genesis 12:1-20); the separation from Lot (Genesis 13:1-18); the giving up of his own plan of life (Genesis 19:1-38); and how the sacrifice of his only and well-beloved son Isaac. It was good for Abraham that this supreme test did not come at the beginning of his pilgrim life, but after years of communion and fellowship with God. This is a mark of God’ s goodness and kindly consideration. “ The valley of the shadow of death” is not at the beginning, but in the middle, of Psalms 23:1-6. Not until we have been well fed in green pastures, and satisfied to the full our thirst in still waters; not until we have had soul refreshment and the blessed experience of walking in the paths of righteousness with God as our Companion, are we called upon to pass through the valley of the shadow. How good God is! There will no temptation take you but such as man can bear, and “ God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). “ As thy days, so shall thy strength be” (Deuteronomy 33:25). Abraham got his greatest blessing through this the greatest of all surrenders. His servants observed the glory that shone on his face as he returned, and for this reason the proverb originated, “ In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen” (Genesis 22:14). There are some things in this narrative that need a word of explanation: First. There is the word “ tempt” -“ Now the Lord did tempt Abraham.” This word is used in the Scriptures in at least two senses. When used of Satan in his relations with mankind, it expresses an evil intent, and means to seduce or cause man to fall (Matthew 4:1; 1 Corinthians 11:3). In this sense, temptation cannot be attributed to God, for God never thus tempts any man (James 1:13-17). The word “ tempt” used of God is to be understood in the sense of testing or proving the good that is in man, separating the wheat from the chaff, the gold from the dross; but always in order that the wheat and the gold may be the prominent thing (Genesis 22:1; Matthew 6:13). Second. The command to offer up Isaac is to be understood literally. Abraham did not misunderstand the command of God, when, with uplifted hand, he was ready and willing to offer his son. Nor was Abraham feigning or misrepresenting when he said to his servants, “ Abide ye here … and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you” (Genesis 22:5). When he used the pronoun “ we,” he was not using the language of dissimulation, but of victorious faith. This we are given to understand in Hebrews 11:17-19. Could Abraham believe in God now without his son, as he had believed before without him? Was he persuaded that God was able to raise Isaac from the dead if that was necessary in order for the fulfillment of His promise (Romans 4:16-17; Romans 4:21; Hebrews 11:17; Hebrews 11:19; Romans 4:24-25)? Third. It is apparent that Abraham did not think it wrong to thus sacrifice his son. A knowledge of the customs of the time leads us to believe that such a sacrifice was regarded as the highest virtue and the supreme test of religion. Had Abraham considered it to be wrong, he would not have done it, nor would he have considered such a voice to have been the voice of God. One sometimes wonders if this sacrifice was necessary because of the probable condition of Abraham’ s religious experience. Is it likely that he had entertained hard thoughts of God for sending Ishmael away, and that this led him to make compensation by the glad sacrifice of Isaac? However the command came to him, it became his conviction that God wanted him to offer up his only son. Fourth. It does seem, however, that although Abraham did not think the sacrifice of Isaac to be wrong, the actual slaying of Isaac would have been wrong in the sight of God. How, then, can this be reconciled with the direct command of God? May it not be sufficient to reply that God meant Abraham to offer Isaac in so far as he himself was concerned; that God intended that Abraham should offer Isaac in spirit only, and not in outward act, even though Abraham himself understood God to desire the literal sacrifice of Isaac; that what God desired of Abraham was an offering of the spirit, and not of blood? Does not the narrative bear out this view, inasmuch as Abraham is allowed to proceed as though God actually wanted him to offer up his son literally? In any event, it is clear that God would teach Abraham some important lessons. He would teach him the true meaning of sacrifice; that it lay in spirit more than in act; that the consecration of a living soul is far more important than the offering of a dead body (Romans 12:1). Beyond all question, God intended that Abraham should know that human sacrifice was now to receive a final blow. It is not going too far to say that God gave to the patriarch that day a lesson in substitution and vicarious sacrifice. May it not be that in the substitution of the ram for Isaac that the expression of the New Testament is fulfilled, “ Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad” (John 8:56), and “ Preached before the gospel unto Abraham” (Galatians 3:8). In man’ s extremity, God’ s opportunity was manifest. Not until the hand of Abraham was uplifted, and, so far as father and son were concerned, the whole sacrifice complete, was the substitution provided. It must have seemed to Abraham as though to offer his son, to make that sacrifice, meant the end of all his hopes; that nothing more was left. But when Abraham had gone all the way with God, then we are told that the Lord provided. It was “ seen in the mount” that God doth provide Himself a sacrifice. Then came the greatest of all blessings to Abraham (Genesis 22:15-18). Is not this the way God deals with men today? Not until we have come to the end of ourselves and laid absolutely all we have on the altar of God; not until we come to the end of trust in all that is earthly, do we get the fullness of the blessing of God. Abraham’ s faith, so gloriously portrayed by Paul (Romans 4:9-25), was corroborated and witnessed to by his works, upon which James lays so much emphasis (James 2:14-24). Laid on Thine altar, O my Lord divine, Accept my gift this day, for Jesus’ sake. I have no jewels to adorn Thy shrine, Nor any world-famed sacrifice to make, But here I bring, within my trembling hand, This heart of mine, a thing that seemeth small; And yet, Thou dost know, dear Lord, That when I yield Thee this, I yield my all; Hidden therein, Thy searching eye can see Struggles of passion, visions of delight, All that I am and fain would be. Now from Thy footstool, where it vanquished lies, The cry ascendeth, ‘ May Thy will be done,’ Take it, Lord, ere my courage fail, And merge it so in Thine own will That if, in some future day, my plea preveil, And Thou give back my will, it may so fair have grown, So changed, that I shall know it no longer as mine, but as Thine. Typical Teaching In this chapter (Genesis 22:1-24) many see in Abraham a type of the Father sparing not His own Son, but freely delivering Him up for us all (Romans 8:32; John 3:16); in Isaac, a type of Christ, who was obedient even unto death (Philippians 2:5-8); in the ram caught in the thicket, a type of Christ being offered as a substitute for the sinner (Hebrews 10:5-10); in the preservation of Isaac from death by sacrifice, which to Abraham was as a resurrection from the dead, a type of Christ’ s resurrection (cf. Hebrews 11:17-19; Romans 4:20-25).

Genesis 25:7-11

Genesis 25:7-11 Death of Abraham (Genesis 25:7-11) Abraham lived to be one hundred and seventy-five years old. He “ died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.” Here again we come across the comforting expression “ gathered to his people.” Just what is meant by this expression we have seen under the description of Sarah’ s death. Abraham was buried in the same sepulcher with his wife, Sarah, in the cave of Machpelah, in the parcel of ground which Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite. Beyond the silent river, In the glory summer land, In the beautiful forever, Where the jeweled city stands, Where ever-blooming flowers Send forth their sweet perfume, My heart’ s most loved and cherished, In heaven’ s beauty bloom. And when I cross that river, The first I will adore, The first to bid me welcome, Upon that golden shore, Will be my loving Savior, The One who died for me, That in the long forever, From sin I might be free. The next one who will greet me, In the mansions fair and bright, Will be my sainted mother, Arrayed in garments white, And then that gray-haired father, Close pressing by her side, Will clasp my hand with fervor, Just o’ er the swelling tide. Then curly-headed brother, And little sister dear, And bright-eyed little baby, With merry laugh and cheer, Will all then cluster around me To bid me welcome home, And watch with me the gathering Of loved ones yet to come. Oh, the joy that there awaits me When I reach that golden shore, And clasp the hands of loved ones, To part with them no more.

Genesis 25:19-34

Genesis 25:19-34; Genesis 26:1-35; Genesis 27:1-46; Genesis 28:1-9; Genesis 35:1-29II. History of Isaac (Genesis 25:19-34; Genesis 26:1-35; Genesis 27:1-46; Genesis 28:1-9; Genesis 35:1-29) So far, we have observed that the history of the patriarchs-Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob-have crystallized around a number of visions, or manifestations of God: Seven to Abraham; two to Isaac; and seven to Jacob. The nature of these visions is determined by the character of the men to whom they are given. Those to Abraham were for revelation-all that Abraham needed to lead him to do the will of God was a knowledge of that will; those to Isaac were for corroboration-being a timid, quiet man, he was in danger of losing heart, and compromising; those to Jacob were for the purpose of restraint-being willful, impulsive, and full of selfish initiative, he was constantly running ahead of God and continually substituting his own plans for those of God. Not much is said in the Scriptures about Isaac, although he lived to be the oldest of the patriarchs. His value in history seems to lie in the fact that he was the connecting link in the patriarchal history. He led a quiet, uneventful life. He was, characteristically, a man of peace. When Abimelech required him to leave Gerar, he left; when the Philistines filled his wells, he dug others; when herdmen wrangled over a well, he gave it up; when this well, too, was disputed, he gave it up also, retired and set to work on a third. Yet all the time his flocks and herds increased, and he was prospered. Like his father, he went down into Egypt and fell into sin. His death closed a comparatively uneventful life. Isaac’ s history is not as orderly arranged as that of Abraham, his father. The broken character, therefore, of this history necessitates that we look at it from a different view-point. There are five prominent things to remember in Isaac’ s life: his name; birth; marriage; career, which crystallizes around two visions of God; and his death.

1. Isaac’ s Birth and Name (Genesis 17:17-19; Genesis 18:12-13; Genesis 21:6) Like Christ’ s, Isaac’ s birth was miraculous, and his name foretold. His birth occurred in the divine line in which barrenness seemed to be prominent, and consequently miraculous and supernatural intervention was necessary. We should not fail to notice this fact in connection with the promised seed up to and including Christ. Isaac’ s name means “ laughter,” and was, in all probability, a daily reminder, not only of Sarah’ s sin, but also of the faith of Sarah and Abraham. It was also a daily reminder of the power of God. Sarah could say, “ Now you may laugh with me, but you cannot laugh at me.” No doubt the birth of Isaac brought joy and gladness to Abraham and Sarah, just as did the birth of Jesus Christ to His mother and the world (cf. Luke 1:46-56; Luke 2:10).

2. The Marriage of Isaac (Genesis 24:1-67) This is the first detailed account of a wedding in the Bible, and sixty-seven verses are devoted to it. While there are many spiritual lessons and typical significations in this chapter great care should be exercised lest one fall into the difficulty of over-spiritualizing, and looking for types where in reality they are not found. It might be well in this connection to lay down a safe rule for the study of typology in the Word of God. It is unquestionably a safe rule to follow in the study of the types of Scripture, not to make anything in the Old Testament a type which the New Testament does not sanction or declare to be such. For illustration, we know that the Passover was a type, for 1 Corinthians 5:7 distinctly teaches this truth. Melchizedek (Genesis 14:1-24) is typical of Christ, for the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews clearly says so (Hebrews 5:10; Hebrews 7:1-22). There may be many points of similarity between Old Testament characters and Christ that should not be called types of our Lord Jesus. We would not be understood as saying that there is absolutely nothing typical in the Old Testament but what the New Testament distinctly and clearly states to be such. We would be understood, however, as distinctly stating that the rule just given is a safe one to follow, and keeps one from falling into the error, so prevalent in many quarters, of overdoing the typical teaching of the Word of God. Some expositors see in this chapter a picture of Christ choosing a Gentile bride for Himself, set forth under the figure-historical, of course-of the call of Rebekah to be the bride of Isaac. Abraham’ s steward, Eleazar, is likened to the Holy Spirit. At all events, there are five lessons in connection with marriage in this chapter: First. There is the responsibility of parents to see that their children are married within the circle of religion and in accordance with the will of God. Many parents seem to think that their children are “ well married” and have made a “ good match” if auspicious circumstances have characterized the marriage. It does not seem to have occurred to them to inquire as to whether the one seeking the hand of their child is a Christian or not. Think of it, parents; pause, and ponder before you allow your consent to be given to an unchristian marriage! Think of a Christian parent giving his daughter to be the life companion of an unbeliever!

Parents, are you giving your children in marriage to a child of God, or a child of the devil, which? Before God you must answer this question. Do you say you do not know? It is your business to find out. God holds you responsible for this thing. The religious question in marriage is the prime question. Second. That there must be no intermingling of seeds; that is to say, there must be no marriage of the Christian to the worldling (Genesis 24:3-4). Light cannot have fellowship with darkness, nor he that believeth with an infidel. The ethics of Christian marriages are set forth clearly in 2 Corinthians 6:14-17, and 1 Corinthians 7:39 : 2 Corinthians 6:14. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:15. And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 2 Corinthians 6:16. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 2 Corinthians 6:17. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 1 Corinthians 7:39. The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord. From these words it is evident that the matter of the choice of a partner in marriage is one that should be of great concern to the Christian. “ Only in the Lord” -these words should be graven with the pen of iron upon every Christian heart. This is no arbitrary law-that a Christian must marry a Christian; it is absolutely necessary to the Christian’ s happiness: “ How can two walk together except they be agreed?” Marriage must be based upon affinity, not only physical, mental, and moral, but spiritual also. For the Christian any other marriage but a Christian marriage is forbidden. Someone has said that for a young man or young woman to be wholesomely married is the next thing to being regenerated. Young Christian, be you man or woman, listen to these words-“ At liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.” Too many regard wealth, position, or title as the main qualifications to a good marriage. They seem satisfied with these things. Christian young woman, think and ponder what these scriptures mean before you marry a man who is not a believer on Jesus Christ. When you ask the consent of your earthly father, do not forget to consult your heavenly Father. Too often the heavenly Father is overlooked. Think of it, Christian young woman, what it means to marry an unconverted man; no family altar in your home, no voice of prayer, no reading of the Bible. When you or your children are sick or, perchance, dying, and you want someone to pray for you and for them, and you ask your husband to pray, he will reply, “ I can’ t pray.” If you ask him to read you some comforting portion of the Bible for which your soul is pining, he will answer, “ I cannot read the Bible for you; I don’ t know where to turn to find the comfort you need.” And when the angel of death shall hover over the cradle, or you yourself are passing through the valley of the shadow, and you need someone to beseech God for you, to help and comfort you, for you yourself are not able to pray-think of it, Christian young woman, to be married to a man who cannot minister to you in the most sacred things of your soul in the most desperate hours of life! Think and ponder before you leap. Do not be deluded by the false philosophy that you may marry an unconverted man in order that you may lead him to Christ. The odds are a thousand to one that you will be led away from the Lord. Any pastor who would think it wise to give you a leaf out of his notebook will tell you that some of the saddest incidents which have come under his notice and dealing have been those of brokenhearted wives, who once were sweet, Christian young women, but who married unconverted men, thinking that they would reform them after they were married to them. There can be no agreement between a Christian and an unbeliever. If an agreement is reached, it is an agreement, almost always, to give up prayer, asking the blessing at the table, and going to church.

Yet it shall be: thou shalt lower to his level day by day, What is fine within thee growing coarse to sympathize with clay, As the husband is, the wife is; thou art mated with a clown; And the grossness of his nature will have weight to drag thee down, He will hold thee, when his passion shall have spent its novel force, Something better than his dog, a little dearer than his horse. -Tennyson Third. The responsibility attached to the choice of a residence (Genesis 24:4-9; Genesis 24:37-41). We have already, in the case of Lot (Genesis 13:1-18; Genesis 18:1-33; Genesis 19:1-38), seen the dangers that come from a Christian man locating himself and family in the midst of ungodly surroundings. Abraham is very careful to insist that his servant, Eleazar, shall bring Isaac’ s bride back with him to his country. Isaac must not, under any circumstances, go into that heathen country to take up his residence there (Genesis 24:2-6). Fourth. There must be harmony of religious faith. How can two walk together in peace and unity except they be agreed? Fifth. The important part that prayer has to play in the choice of a life partner. This chapter is honeycombed with the thought of prayer in connection with the choice of a bride (cf. Genesis 24:2-3; Genesis 24:7; Genesis 24:12-14; Genesis 24:40-43; Genesis 24:48; Genesis 24:52). One cannot fail to be impressed with the quick answers to prayer related in this chapter (cf. Genesis 24:15; Genesis 24:45): “ And it came to pass, before he had done speaking;” “ And before I had done speaking in my heart” -these are the expressions that indicate quick answers to prayer.

This marriage was surely made in heaven. It was prayer, and not chance, which gave Isaac his wife. Why should young men and women today neglect to pray with reference to the matter of marriage and the choice of a life partner, which, next to their soul’ s salvation, is the most important event in their lives.