25:1 THEN AGAIN ABRAHAM TOOK A WIFE, AND HER NAME [WAS] KETURAH.
A.Sarah was 127 at her death - 23:1.
B.Abraham was 10 years older than Sarah - 17:17.
C.So Abraham was now something over 137.
25:2 AND SHE BARE HIM ZIMRAN, AND JOKSHAN, AND MEDAN, AND MIDIAN, AND ISHBAK, AND SHUAH.
25:3 AND JOKSHAN BEGAT SHEBA, AND DEDAN. AND THE SONS OF DEDAN WERE ASSHURIM, AND LETUSHIM, AND LEUMMIM.
25:4 AND THE SONS OF MIDIAN; EPHAH, AND EPHER, AND HANOCH, AND ABIDAH, AND ELDAAH. ALL THESE [WERE] THE CHILDREN OF KETURAH.
A.Of these names, the one which stands out is MIDIAN.
B.From Midian descended the Midianites, who were enemies of the Israelites.
25:5 AND ABRAHAM GAVE ALL THAT HE HAD UNTO ISAAC.
25:6 BUT UNTO THE SONS OF THE CONCUBINES, WHICH ABRAHAM HAD, ABRAHAM GAVE GIFTS, AND SENT THEM AWAY FROM ISAAC HIS SON, WHILE HE YET LIVED, EASTWARD, UNTO THE EAST COUNTRY.
A.Many gifts were given to each of his children.
B.But the bulk of his estate (Verse 25, "all that he had") went to the son of promise.
25:7 AND THESE [ARE] THE DAYS OF THE YEARS OF ABRAHAM'S LIFE WHICH HE LIVED, AN HUNDRED THREESCORE AND FIFTEEN YEARS.
25:8 THEN ABRAHAM GAVE UP THE GHOST, AND DIED IN A GOOD OLD AGE, AN OLD MAN, AND FULL [OF YEARS]; AND WAS GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE.
25:9 AND HIS SONS ISAAC AND ISHMAEL BURIED HIM IN THE CAVE OF MACHPELAH, IN THE FIELD OF EPHRON THE SON OF ZOHAR THE HITTITE, WHICH [IS] BEFORE MAMRE;
25:10 THE FIELD WHICH ABRAHAM PURCHASED OF THE SONS OF HETH: THERE WAS ABRAHAM BURIED, AND SARAH HIS WIFE.
**Thus the simple account of Abraham's death and his funeral.
25:11 AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THE DEATH OF ABRAHAM, THAT GOD BLESSED HIS SON ISAAC; AND ISAAC DWELT BY THE WELL LAHAI-ROI.
A.Now the record is going to give the descendents of the first two sons of Abraham (Ishmael and Isaac), with emphasis on Isaac (the Old Testament is not a history of mankind, but is a tracing of God's scheme of redemption).
B.The record begins with Ismael; God had promised Abraham that Ismael would beget 12 princes - 17:20.
25:12 NOW THESE [ARE] THE GENERATIONS OF ISHMAEL, ABRAHAM'S SON, WHOM HAGAR THE EGYPTIAN, SARAH'S HANDMAID, BARE UNTO ABRAHAM:
25:13 AND THESE [ARE] THE NAMES OF THE SONS OF ISHMAEL, BY THEIR NAMES, ACCORDING TO THEIR GENERATIONS: THE FIRSTBORN OF ISHMAEL, NEBAJOTH; AND KEDAR, AND ADBEEL, AND MIBSAM,
25:15 HADAR, AND TEMA, JETUR, NAPHISH, AND KEDEMAH:
25:16 THESE [ARE] THE SONS OF ISHMAEL, AND THESE [ARE] THEIR NAMES, BY THEIR TOWNS, AND BY THEIR CASTLES; TWELVE PRINCES ACCORDING TO THEIR NATIONS.
25:17 AND THESE [ARE] THE YEARS OF THE LIFE OF ISHMAEL, AN HUNDRED AND THIRTY AND SEVEN YEARS: AND HE GAVE UP THE GHOST AND DIED; AND WAS GATHERED UNTO HIS PEOPLE.
25:18 AND THEY DWELT FROM HAVILAH UNTO SHUR, THAT [IS] BEFORE EGYPT, AS THOU GOEST TOWARD ASSYRIA: [AND] HE DIED IN THE PRESENCE OF ALL HIS BRETHREN.
A.The account of the death of Ismael at age 137 (Verse 17).
B.Isaac is to be the next major patriarch (Abraham was the first); the covenant is to be continued with him as the spiritual link to Abraham -- thus now is given the record of Isaac's family history.
25:19 AND THESE [ARE] THE GENERATIONS OF ISAAC, ABRAHAM'S SON: ABRAHAM BEGAT ISAAC:
25:20 AND ISAAC WAS FORTY YEARS OLD WHEN HE TOOK REBEKAH TO WIFE, THE DAUGHTER OF BETHUEL THE SYRIAN OF PADAN-ARAM, THE SISTER TO LABAN THE SYRIAN.
**Chronologists say they had been married about 20 years, so Isaac was now about 60.
25:21 AND ISAAC ENTREATED THE LORD FOR HIS WIFE, BECAUSE SHE [WAS] BARREN: AND THE LORD WAS ENTREATED OF HIM, AND REBEKAH HIS WIFE CONCEIVED.
25:22 AND THE CHILDREN STRUGGLED TOGETHER WITHIN HER; AND SHE SAID, IF [IT BE] SO, WHY [AM] I THUS? AND SHE WENT TO INQUIRE OF THE LORD.
**She was wondering what the problem was, and the language may suggest she wanted to die, or may have thought she was dying.
AND TWO MANNER OF PEOPLE SHALL BE SEPARATED FROM THY BOWELS;
AND [THE ONE] PEOPLE SHALL BE STRONGER THAN [THE OTHER] PEOPLE;
AND THE ELDER SHALL SERVE THE YOUNGER.
A.This is Hebrew poetry -- two sets of rhyming thoughts; It is a most important passage.
a.He foreknew that Jacob would be a great man, and so chose him for service.
b.This was not a choosing for Jacob's salvation, but a selection of the one through whom the BLESSING (THE PROMISE) would be passed.
c.So, was this predestination? No, it was preKNOWLEDGE.
d.Or, was this foreordination? No, it was foreKNOWLEDGE.
B.See the reference in Rom 9:6-13.
25:24 AND WHEN HER DAYS TO BE DELIVERED WERE FULFILLED, BEHOLD, [THERE WERE] TWINS IN HER WOMB.
25:25 AND THE FIRST CAME OUT RED, ALL OVER LIKE AN HAIRY GARMENT; AND THEY CALLED HIS NAME ESAU.
25:26 AND AFTER THAT CAME HIS BROTHER OUT, AND HIS HAND TOOK HOLD ON ESAU'S HEEL; AND HIS NAME WAS CALLED JACOB: AND ISAAC [WAS] THREESCORE YEARS OLD WHEN SHE BARE THEM.
A.ESAU: "Hairy." He was also called EDOM, which means "Red" - Verse 30, "And Esau said to Jacob, feed me, I pray thee, with that same red [pottage]; for I [am] faint: therefore was his name called Edom." So it has been assumed that Esau was covered with red hair.
B.JACOB: "Supplanter," one who goes around, gets ahead, takes advantage.
25:27 AND THE BOYS GREW: AND ESAU WAS A CUNNING HUNTER, A MAN OF THE FIELD; AND JACOB [WAS] A PLAIN MAN, DWELLING IN TENTS.
A.JACOB WAS A PLAIN MAN: The original for PLAIN means "mature" (Jacob became a spiritually mature man).
B.He lived quietly; in contrast to Esau, he was a believing man like Abraham and Isaac; he was interested in God's promises.
25:28 AND ISAAC LOVED ESAU, BECAUSE HE DID EAT OF [HIS] VENISON: BUT REBEKAH LOVED JACOB.
**When this situation exists, there will be problems!
25:29 AND JACOB SOD POTTAGE: AND ESAU CAME FROM THE FIELD, AND HE [WAS] FAINT:
25:30 AND ESAU SAID TO JACOB, FEED ME, I PRAY THEE, WITH THAT SAME RED [POTTAGE]; FOR I [AM] FAINT: THEREFORE WAS HIS NAME CALLED EDOM.
25:31 AND JACOB SAID, SELL ME THIS DAY THY BIRTHRIGHT.
A.The eldest son had some important rights: upon him was bestowed the family leadership, and a double portion of the inheritance, which was called the "birthright."
B.This also included a superior spiritual blessing, so it was valuable in the monetary realm and in the spiritual realm.
C.Jacob was not always a man of faith, but he seems to have desired to please God. He knew the covenant promise and saw it as a sacred responsibility, and he wanted to carry it.
25:32 AND ESAU SAID, BEHOLD, I [AM] AT THE POINT TO DIE: AND WHAT PROFIT SHALL THIS BIRTHRIGHT DO TO ME?
25:33 AND JACOB SAID, SWEAR TO ME THIS DAY; AND HE SWARE UNTO HIM: AND HE SOLD HIS BIRTHRIGHT UNTO JACOB.
25:34 THEN JACOB GAVE ESAU BREAD AND POTTAGE OF LENTILES; AND HE DID EAT AND DRINK, AND ROSE UP, AND WENT HIS WAY: THUS ESAU DESPISED [HIS] BIRTHRIGHT.
A.DESPISED: Took it lightly, casually -- he loved it less than a bowl of soup! This was his sin.
B.The promises concerning the coming Deliverer would have been passed on to the firstborn, but Esau did not value God's promise, and wanted to satisfy his stomach rather than hold to the spiritual blessing which was truly valuable.
C.In Heb 12:16 he is called a "profane" (common) person.
D.God knew ahead of time that Esau would be like this and would not be a good leader for the people of God.
E.He knew that Jacob was going to be different, and thus chose him to receive the blessing.
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