Thursday, October 20, 2005
Genesis 25
Genesis 25
“End or Beginning?”
I have a friend who is in his last week of work right now. He is getting ready to leave one job, and getting ready to start another. Even though it is the same type of work, only with another company, it is still the end of one thing, and the beginning of another.
There are goodbyes to say, and phone numbers to exchange. There are people with whom he will plan to see again, and others who may never be seen again, as well as last looks around. It is both a joyous occasion as well as a sad one at the same time.
Isaac is in a similar situation to my friend. His dad has died, and the end of a generation has come. But, with that, so a new generation is emerging. How does he put away old things and then start new?
Vs. 1-8
The end of Abraham’s life finally comes. The man whom Moses (the author of Genesis) spends the most time on, has finally passed away. He had others in his life after the death of Sarah, even other children. But, Abraham left everything to Isaac. I am sure that this “everything” consisted of things as well as last words. Can you imagine the words of the great patriarch as he leaves the world? So many years of walking with God to pass on to his son. He may have reminded him that at one point he was willing to offer his best to God in the form of Isaac, encouraging Isaac to always surrender everything to God.
Vs. 9-10 “There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah”
Abraham finally is laid to rest by his two first-born sons, right next to his beloved wife Sarah, in the tomb that he had worked so hard to get in the field of the Hittite.
Vs. 11 “God blessed his son Isaac”
It is important to realize that God also blessed Isaac to carry on the work that God had given Abraham. God had called Abraham to receive the land, and carry on a blood line through Isaac that would bless the world. Now, it is Isaac’s job to hear from God, pass on the promise, teach his sons to hear from God, and in time be the generation who takes the promise of the land. This is the emerging generation of faith, with Isaac now the new patriarch. This is the official “passing of the torch”.
Vs. 12-18 “This is the account of Ishmael”
Abraham has had a son with the servant Hagar, and now that his father is buried and Isaac has received the blessing from both his father, and from God, Ishmael leaves. He goes on with life as he sees fit. He has sons, settles lands, and dies. That is the extent of it. From these sons the Islamic Religion draws it’s ancestry.
Vs. 19-21 “Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife”
Isaac gets married, and becomes a man of God. He takes his needs and desires to God who honored his father Abraham, and he learns to be a man of God. The torch of Faith has been passed, and Isaac is now the patriarch who follows God.
Vs. 22-end “Two Nations are inside of you”
God reveals to the couple that Esau and Jacob are to be two nations of people, and one will serve the other. God has set forth the promise that there is already a plan for the children to fulfill.
What is Isaac and Rebekah’s responsibility at this point?
It is to raise the next generation to have faith in God. We see here by the early stories of Esau and Jacob that Isaac and Rebekah have their hands full with these two.
How does this apply to us?
Our job is both to be a generation of faith by fulfilling the call God has on our lives, and to call out the next generation. We must BE people of God and CALL OUT the future generation of God. This is our responsibility.
Matthew 28:19-20
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
“End or Beginning?”
I have a friend who is in his last week of work right now. He is getting ready to leave one job, and getting ready to start another. Even though it is the same type of work, only with another company, it is still the end of one thing, and the beginning of another.
There are goodbyes to say, and phone numbers to exchange. There are people with whom he will plan to see again, and others who may never be seen again, as well as last looks around. It is both a joyous occasion as well as a sad one at the same time.
Isaac is in a similar situation to my friend. His dad has died, and the end of a generation has come. But, with that, so a new generation is emerging. How does he put away old things and then start new?
Vs. 1-8
The end of Abraham’s life finally comes. The man whom Moses (the author of Genesis) spends the most time on, has finally passed away. He had others in his life after the death of Sarah, even other children. But, Abraham left everything to Isaac. I am sure that this “everything” consisted of things as well as last words. Can you imagine the words of the great patriarch as he leaves the world? So many years of walking with God to pass on to his son. He may have reminded him that at one point he was willing to offer his best to God in the form of Isaac, encouraging Isaac to always surrender everything to God.
Vs. 9-10 “There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah”
Abraham finally is laid to rest by his two first-born sons, right next to his beloved wife Sarah, in the tomb that he had worked so hard to get in the field of the Hittite.
Vs. 11 “God blessed his son Isaac”
It is important to realize that God also blessed Isaac to carry on the work that God had given Abraham. God had called Abraham to receive the land, and carry on a blood line through Isaac that would bless the world. Now, it is Isaac’s job to hear from God, pass on the promise, teach his sons to hear from God, and in time be the generation who takes the promise of the land. This is the emerging generation of faith, with Isaac now the new patriarch. This is the official “passing of the torch”.
Vs. 12-18 “This is the account of Ishmael”
Abraham has had a son with the servant Hagar, and now that his father is buried and Isaac has received the blessing from both his father, and from God, Ishmael leaves. He goes on with life as he sees fit. He has sons, settles lands, and dies. That is the extent of it. From these sons the Islamic Religion draws it’s ancestry.
Vs. 19-21 “Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife”
Isaac gets married, and becomes a man of God. He takes his needs and desires to God who honored his father Abraham, and he learns to be a man of God. The torch of Faith has been passed, and Isaac is now the patriarch who follows God.
Vs. 22-end “Two Nations are inside of you”
God reveals to the couple that Esau and Jacob are to be two nations of people, and one will serve the other. God has set forth the promise that there is already a plan for the children to fulfill.
What is Isaac and Rebekah’s responsibility at this point?
It is to raise the next generation to have faith in God. We see here by the early stories of Esau and Jacob that Isaac and Rebekah have their hands full with these two.
How does this apply to us?
Our job is both to be a generation of faith by fulfilling the call God has on our lives, and to call out the next generation. We must BE people of God and CALL OUT the future generation of God. This is our responsibility.
Matthew 28:19-20
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
