LIVING LIFE TO THE HILT!

Genesis 25:1-11
Bob Bonner
July 31, 2005

Chuck Swindoll once wrote, “Life can be exhausting. The closer we come to the end of our lives, the better retirement starts to look.” Sure enough, I’m now hearing from my peers the word “retirement” rolling off their lips. As I speak to them about it, they share their visions of what it will be like: For some, it’s sitting on a shady back porch alone—just them a rocker and a tall glass of ice tea. To others, it’s swaying gently in a hammock, moved by soft tropical breezes, under the shade of a small grove of coconut trees, just off shore, with a good book to keep them company. In most cases, the various scenarios share in common the absence of annoying sounding telephones, noisy teenagers, and a demanding work schedule. Just a sunset and some quiet music as we go trailing off into the twilight years of our lives.

Pretty appealing picture, isn’t it? But wait a minute!!! Let’s stop and think about this. Let’s get real. Aren’t the very things that exhaust us the same ones that bring fulfillment to our lives? What could be more satisfying than to sink into bed, tired from a day’s work well done? Or knowing your kids need you? Or feeling the ache of creative muscles stretched to capacity? Work is truly a blessing. Maybe when it’s over-demanding it does not feel like a blessing and one should take a break when life gets that way, but not a permanent exit from work.

This morning we are going to look at a man who didn’t understand the word “Retirement” in the sense that many think of it today. This man was that rare example of someone who lived life to the hilt, right up to the end. He is none other than Abraham. When you examine the last 45 years of Abraham’s life, you quickly discover that no moss gathered under his rocker!

When we come to Genesis 25, we come to the closing words, the eulogy of Abraham’s life, and the passing of the baton of leadership to his son, Isaac. When one comes to Genesis 25, it’s easy for one to presume that it naturally follows Genesis 24 in chronological order. But closer examination of the text reveals that not to be so. If you will take a moment, look back at Genesis 24:36. These words are spoken by Abraham’s servant, as he is explaining to Isaac’s future in-laws, Isaac station in life. So, what do we read about Isaac, prior to his being married? We read, “Now Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master in her old age, and he has given him all that he has.” In other words, at this time, Abraham had already given Isaac his inheritance of the land and possessions. In addition, this statement assumes that Abraham had other children at that time, otherwise he would have had no need to have already passed over to Isaac what everyone knew would become his in the first place.

As we look at Genesis 25:1-4, we are not just being told about how those other children came to be, and the issue of the inheritance. We are being given an overview of the closing of Abraham’s life, which had already begun to close down. Hence, this chapter chronologically follows chapter 23, but much in it precedes chapter 24.

Now that we understand the chronological setting, we can view the first four verses of this chapter as Abraham’s new beginning in life, following the death of his first wife, Sarah. And the first step forward in his new life, following Sarah’s death is not getting Isaac a wife, but Abraham’s taking a new wife for himself. In fact, a grieving Abraham getting married again and discovering how his new wife aided in his grieving process and moving on with his life is probably what prompted Abraham to help his son Isaac overcome his grief over the loss of his mother, by arranging for him to have a wife.

Genesis 25:1 begins, “Now Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah.” All I can say to that is “Way to go, Abraham!” He’s 140 years of age and he decides to get married again, and why not?! He’d had a wonderful relationship with Sarah. He loved his home and loved having a family. And he had grown accustomed to the intimate companionship of a mate. So when Sarah died, remarriage became a choice to consider.

Note that in this verse, Keturah is called a “wife” and in verse 6, she is referred to as a “concubine.” Why? Because she was both. Abraham had only two wives and many concubines. Of his many concubines, he had only cohabited with two: Hagar, which was culturally permissible and it only took place after Sarah had encouraged it; and now we see that he has taken his concubine, Keturah to be a wife, after Sarah had died. The reasons that Keturah was mentioned as both a wife and a concubine was twofold: First, to let us know from whence she came and that she was not a Canaanite. And secondly, for legal reasons. Through listing her as a concubine, everyone was made to understand that only Abraham’s first wife and the son of his first wife, Sarah could legally be his heir. Hence, by identifying Keturah as a wife and concubine, no other child from that union could question Isaac’s right to Abraham’s inheritance.

And surprise, surprise, along with this second marriage comes a whole bunch of new baby carriages. According to verses 2-4, Abraham has six more children who in turn, give him ten more grandchildren. We read, “She bore to him Zimran and Jokshan and Medan and Midian and Ishbak and Shuah. Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim and Letushim and Leummim. The sons of Midian were Ephah and Epher and Hanoch and Abida and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah.”

Now, just in case we read that too quickly for you to consider the facts of the matter, in the final 30 or so years of his life, Abraham’s wife spent 54 months pregnant! In a very short period of time, in his old age, Abraham has a second family and was surround by a pack of preschoolers. By the time of his death, the eldest of Abraham’s grandsons from this second marriage are 15 years of age. In addition, many believe that Esau and Jacob were born when Isaac was 60, so Esau and Jacob would have been 15, the same age as their uncles from Abraham’s second marriage! Interesting set of family dynamics, I would say.

When we consider Abraham’s last days, there wasn’t a quiet or dull moment until the day he took his last breath. There is no sign in these verses that Abraham ever lost his zest for life. Instead, we read later, in verse 8 that when Abraham died, he died satisfied with life.

What else might interest you about these children and grandchildren, is that today, all of them either have or had geographical cities or areas named after them, that have been uncovered, except for Medan. It is presumed that descendants of Medan were grouped together with the Midianites and Ishmaelites who were nomadic desert dwellers. It was from these very Midianites that Moses would later take his wife, Zipporah.

In the end, we realize that God’s covenant with Abraham, that he would be the father of many nations (Genesis 17), not just the nation of Israel, comes true.

In addition to learning about his second family, we learn from this passage that before he died, Abraham made sure his life and estate were in order. We read in Genesis 25:5-6, “Now Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac; but to the sons of his concubines, Abraham gave gifts while he was still living, and sent them away from his son Isaac eastward, to the land of the east.”

It’s an interesting observation that when Abraham’s will was written, he didn’t wait till he died to give it all away. He started giving away his wealth to all of his children, to be enjoyed while he was still alive. There were probably several reasons for that, but nothing more important than making sure that there would be no squabbling about who got what in the end and that there wouldn’t be any hurt feelings.

By law, Abraham was not required to give anything to the children of his concubines. But as a gesture of goodwill, and because he loved them all, he didn’t send them away empty handed. In turn, their father’s goodwill probably evolved into goodwill toward Isaac.

When we come to verses 7 & 8 we read a brief eulogy to Abraham. It states, “These are all the years of Abraham’s life that he lived, one hundred and seventy-five years. Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people.”

Wow! What a way to go! What a great epitaph verse 8 would make for anyone. There are four key points to his eulogy. The first is the reference to his dying at a “ripe old age.” Look back in Genesis to chapter 15:15. In this passage, God has visited Abraham. He has taken Abraham, at night, outdoors to give him an object lesson. This object lesson was to support God’s promise to Abraham, that Abraham would become a father to many descendants, to whom God would give them the land known as Canaan as their promised land. But an additional promise he made to Abraham that night was this one, made in verse 15, as to his death. God said, “And as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age.” The word translated “good” in that verse is the same word for “ripe” in Genesis 25:8. I believe this point about Abraham dying at a ripe old age is listed first in his eulogy because it is clearly fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham.

In addition, it is a general statement about his death, that the other three statements in this verse explain in more specific detail. In general, the word for “good” or “ripe” refers to a favorable time, conditions and manner of Abraham’s dying. That is to say that when he died, he didn’t die too early; nor did he die under a cloud of suspicion or after a long ongoing illness that took forever to kill him. Rather, the conditions surrounding his death were normal not tragic or unexpected.

When one studies the specific uses for this Hebrew term for “good” we learn that it is used sometimes to refer to good as in one’s physical beauty or handsomeness. Hence, when Abraham died, he was still a good-looking man. Also, it is a term used to describe “prosperity.” Overall, God’s Word is telling us that from God’s perspective, to die at a ripe old age, means to die a successful man, as only God would judge successful.

The second key point of Abraham’s eulogy declares that he died as an “old man.” This is a title of honor and respect. He died as a respected elder of his community. When he died, people loved him and would miss him greatly. When he got older, people’s last recollection of him was not that he was a crotchety old man with a bitter attitude about life. Rather, he was a warm, strong and gentle man, whose kids and grand-kids adored him. He was a man of integrity, one who died having maintained a high level of morality.

Thirdly, when Abraham died, everyone knew that he died satisfied with life. He had fulfilled his purpose on earth. Hence, there were no significant regrets of a wasted life. Throughout his life, Abraham’s love for God superseded the trials of life. What regrets he did have were outweighed by the future that awaited him with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, whom he had seen on earth on several occasions during his life-time. What failures he may have experienced were overshadowed by his passionate anticipation of living in that eternal celestial city of God. It was in this knowledge that he lived and hoped and which carried him to his grave amidst his own growing pains of faith.

When Abraham died, he died having realized that he had completed what God had called him to do with his life. He did not need one more day to finish anything in his life. When he died, he was ready to be “gathered to his people.”

And that is the last key point to his eulogy. This too was referred to in God’s promise back in Genesis 15, that he would join his “fathers in peace.” But what does that mean to be “gathered to his people?” Who are these people? According to Hebrews 11 and 12:1, these “people” or “his fathers” were the people of faith, the true believers in Jesus Christ who had preceded him in history, people like Enoch, Noah, and Shem. And now, Abraham is in their company, in that invisible realm, from which they can witness us as we serve God until God decides to bring the human story to a close.

In verses 9 &10, we read about his burial. “Then his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, facing Mamre, the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth; there Abraham was buried with Sarah his wife.”

Ishmael comes back for the funeral because, after all, Abraham is his father. Together, Isaac and Ishmael join hands for one last time to bury their father. After this, it is never mentioned again that they saw or spent time with one another.

In this last verse, God declares the transition between the life of Abraham being the patriarch, to Isaac being the patriarch, complete. We read, ”It came about after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac lived by Beer-lahai-roi.”

With that, we close this section of the book of Genesis that deals with Abraham’s life. However, that is not all there is to say about Abraham. There are many other passages one must look at if you wish to do a more complete study of the life of Abraham, the man of faith, the “friend of God.” Allow me to draw your attention to just two key passages that add a fitting epilogue to Abraham’s life.

As we consider Abraham’s life, nothing reveals the stature of his faith more than the following observation from the book of Hebrews. Hebrews 11 is what many call the “Hall of Faith.” Typically, those listed in this passage have one verse to their name. Abraham has 12! Moses is given six. Hence, Abraham was truly a man whose knowledge of who God is, and his ability to confidently trust in Him is not heralded in like kind by any other person in history. There were others who loved God just as much, but none had learned to personally apply what they knew of God’s character to life’s trials as did Abraham.

In reading F. B. Meyer’s work on the life of Abraham, I really liked a particular analogy concerning the fruits or outward evidence of faith that set Abraham apart from many a believer. He described Abraham’s example of a life lived by faith as though his faith were a ladder that extended across the chasm between earth and heaven. That ladder has seven rungs on it that reveal the outward evidences of faith that will cause one’s life to eternally impact the world around one. These seven rungs of practical faith are enumerated by the Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 1:5-8. Let’s close by looking at each of those practical rungs of faith, those rungs that make one’s faith worthwhile or profitable. As we do, it might be a good thing to evaluate your own practical outworking of your faith in regards to each of these seven rungs.

In verse 5 we read, “Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence.” What is meant by “moral excellence?” Moral excellence is knowing what the morally right thing is to do, and having the courage to do it, no matter what the risk may be. Abraham demonstrated on many occasion that his faith possessed the courage to do what is morally right. The specific event in Abraham’s life that demonstrates this type of courage, driven by faith, was that moment when Abraham didn’t even flinch as to what needed to be done, when his nephew Lot had been captured by the Kings of the East and was being taken captive back to the land known today as Iraq and Iran. With only armed servants, and a handful of undisciplined shepherds, Abraham’s men went up against a well-oiled fighting machine from Assyria, only to return from battle victorious, because God, moved by Abraham’s faith, had brought victory to Abraham.

The second rung on Peter’s practical outworking of faith is also listed in verse 5. He exhorts us “...and in your moral excellence, knowledge.” All of his life, after God had called Abraham out of the city of Ur, Abraham’s faith moved him daily, monthly and yearly to seek fresh revelation, new knowledge as to the character of God.

As we have studied Genesis chapters 12-25, I have continually pointed out to you how Abraham’s faith has evolved as he grew in understanding of God’s attributes, revealed by the names of God found in these chapters. Spiritually speaking, when Abraham left Ur, he was not just traveling in earthly unknown territory, but he was also traveling in unknown spiritual country concerning the knowledge of God. But as he climbed the ladder of faith, by the time he died, his intimacy with God had known new heights as he grew in his understanding of God.

The third rung of practical faith is found in verse 6. There we read, “...and in your knowledge, self-control.” Abraham was a powerful and wealthy man. He deserved the respect of those around him. If he had wanted to, he could have killed or had killed many insolent and arrogant people who lived under his own roof, as well as those who shared his territory. The King of Sodom insulted Abraham, after Abraham had rescued the King’s fortune and relatives from the Kings of the East. Abraham could have had him killed easily and all those who had returned from battle with Abraham would have supported him to the fullest. But he did not. Instead, Abraham gave back to the King, what was once the King’s, but all the world knew at that time the King had no claim over, since he didn’t lift a finger to rescue his family or to regain his own wealth.

Another example from under his own roof, was the time that Lot’s herdsman fought Abraham’s herdsman over water rights. Abraham curbed his spirit and generously gave Lot his pick of the choice real estate of the land. The mastering of self-control is the third rung of faith.

Verse 6 goes on to add another practical rung to the faith ladder. It states, “...and in your self-control, perseverance.” That word “perseverance” refers to the willingness to patiently endure, when everyone else cries out “Give it up!” or have quit themselves. As Abraham worked through that long struggle of realizing the birth of his first son through Sarah, there was no complaining or murmuring. Questions, yes! Bitter complaining, no. He learned to abide, live in, wait until God’s perfect timing brought about God’s promised results.

In verse 6, Peter gives us the next practical rung on the faith ladder. He adds, “...and in your perseverance, godliness.” Godliness is not religiosity. Godliness is living with the constant sense of the presence and leading of God in one’s life. As Abraham grew in his faith, as each year passed and he climbed the ladder of faith, he demonstrated a life lived as though it was very natural to worship, think about, consider, talk to and obey God. As he walked with God throughout the promised land, he continually set up monuments to those special times he had had with God. In the end, it was this godliness that led to his earning the title, “The Friend of God.”

The final two rungs of faith are listed in verse 7, “...and in your godliness, brotherly kindness.” There are many Christians who are excited about what God has done for them and are devoted to God. But when it comes to those who live closest to them, they lack tenderness. Not Abraham. He offered the kindness of God to those around him. He was full of affection toward his servants, concubines and all of his children. He did not have to give them all gifts. Yet, in this powerful man’s heart beat affection for others.

The final rung of practical faith, is the ultimate sign of spiritual maturity and connectedness with the living God, and that is love. I like the King James word used here, “charity.” Abraham’s love for family was never stingy or tight fisted. If he possessed the ability to purchase something worth having, he spent the money ungrudgingly. He didn’t buy what he couldn’t afford, but he wasn’t a cheapskate either. When his beloved, Sarah died, he could have taken a piece of property for free. But instead, his love for her was revealed by his generosity, in that he paid more than he should have for her burial plot.

The Apostle Peter concludes his description of practical faith with these words, ^“For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In other words, real faith is a practical faith, that when lived out proves to be useful, not useless and productive, not unfruitful.

Any one of us in this room could die today. It matters not how young you are, trust me. I have known of young people of all ages, who suddenly die without warning from an undiagnosed physical defect either in their heart or brain. Hence, if you were to die today, how similar would your eulogy, or epitaph read in relationship to Abraham’s. Would people say “Well, in his/her younger years, he/she was great. But somewhere along the line, he/she turned into a bitter crotchety old man or woman.” Would they say “He/she drank or worried himself/herself to death.” Would they say, “That person’s life made a difference in the lives of others around him/her.” When you die, you don’t get to write your epitaph or eulogy. So how would others summarize your life?

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