GENESIS 25: Abraham’s Heritage

It wasn’t until after he found a wife for his son Isaac, and thus assured the line of descendants for the promised seed, that Abraham thought about his own need for company.

(Genesis 25:1)  Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. 

He had six sons with her:

(Genesis 25:2)  She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.  

In this portion we see the names of the sons of Keturah and the names of some of their descendants:

(Genesis 25:3-4)  Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim.  (4)  The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

These descendants of Abraham will later become tribes that populated the Arabian Peninsula.

AHBRAHAM INCREASED

In the original Hebrew chapter 25 begins in a curious way that is lost in the translation. It says: “VaYasaf Abraham…” which literally means: “And Abraham added (or increased)…”

El capítulo 25 comienza de una forma curiosa en hebreo, que se pierde en la traducción. Dice: “VaYasaf Abraham…” que literalmente significa: “Y añadió o incrementó, Abraham…”

It seems ironic that the chapter that tells us about Abraham’s death, begins by saying that he continued adding, or increasing. Even when a person dies, his legacy continues through his descendants, and this is what we are reading about in this chapter. 

This chapter also teaches us that even at an advanced age we may continue to be productive.

(Ecclesiastes 11:6)  In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.

SETTLED INHERITANCE

Another great life lesson we find in this chapter is the wisdom of leaving all inheritance issues settled before dying.

Even though Abraham had more children, he decided that his only heir would be Isaac, because he was the spiritual heir of the promise. However, he also took care of his other children.

(Genesis 25:5-6)  Abraham gave all he had to Isaac.  (6)  But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country.

His other children were not abandoned, because he gave them material goods. However, Abraham made it clear that the spiritual inheritance, the divine promise for the land, was for the son of the promise.

The same thing had happened with Ishmael.

(Genesis 21:10-13)  So she said to Abraham, "Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac."  (11)  And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son.  (12)  But God said to Abraham, "Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named.  (13)  And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring."

This may “offend” some, because it seems to be unfair. But we know for a fact that God is perfectly righteous, and there is a good reason for everything he does. We may try to understand the mind of God, but we will not always be satisfied because we have a limited mind. But we know that God has his own reasons…

The Apostle Paul mentions this topic in the book of Romans.

(Romans 9:6-16)  But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel,  (7)  and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named."  (8)  This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.  (9)  For this is what the promise said: "About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son."  (10)  And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac,  (11)  though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad--in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls--  (12)  she was told, "The older will serve the younger."  (13)  As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."  (14)  What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means!  (15)  For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."  (16)  So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

The most valuable part of the inheritance that Isaac received from Abraham was not as much the material wealth as were the calling and the covenant. It was a spiritual inheritance, and the decision was not Abraham’s, but God’s. The land is God’s and he decides who will receive it.

The truth is that Abraham did not thrust his children out of “his property” – since he did not yet own the land. What he did was to separate his children, because each one of them had a different destiny…

Keturah’s children were given goods, “gifts”, as an inheritance. It made no sense for them to remain in a land where they were “foreigners”. They were given the freedom to develop their own lives wherever they wanted. And that is what they did. Instead of being servants in a foreign land they were lords of their destiny in their new land. They headed east, where they would find many uninhabited places. Some founded their own cities and nations, while others were merchants and lived a wandering lifestyle. Many places in Asia Minor (Turkey), the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East are named after the other sons of Abraham.

According to Josephus the historian, Epher invaded Libya, in northern of Africa, and the continent was named “Africa” in his honor.

In contrast, Isaac had to remain as a foreigner in the Land of Canaan, because he had a calling, a purpose, a destiny in a land that was not yet his.

Isaac and his half brothers could not live together as a “tribe”, but separated from each other, each fulfilling his own purpose. Isaac had a spiritual calling. Isaac, as well as his descendants, had to separate themselves from the rest of the nations to form a separate nation, holy unto God. That is why God brought them to Canaan and Egypt to live as “foreigners” until he turned them into a nation.

ISHMAEL’S DESCENDANTS

In this chapter we also find the generations of Ishmael:

(Genesis 25:12-16)  These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's servant, bore to Abraham.  (13)  These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael; and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,  (14)  Mishma, Dumah, Massa,  (15)  Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.  (16)  These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments, twelve princes according to their tribes. 

It is interesting to notice that Ishmael’s descendants also formed 12 tribes, just as Israel’s descendants will.

Ishmael had a long life: 137 years.

(Genesis 25:17-18)   (These are the years of the life of Ishmael: 137 years. He breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.)  (18)  They settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria. He settled over against all his kinsmen.

His descendants populated the desert between Israel and Egypt, and also part of the Arabian Peninsula. Most of them were wanderers and some merchants.

On our next study we will read what happened to Isaac, the son of the promise…