May the mumbling commence!
Sarah was gone.
Now Abraham would follow her. And
it would draw his first two sons together.
Sadness can do that. Read from
Peterson’s The Message:
Abraham married
a second time; his new wife was named
Keturah. She gave birth to Zimran,
Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
Jokshan had Sheba
and Dedan.
Dedan’s
descendants were the Asshurim,
the Letushim,
and the Leummim.
Midian
had Ephah, Epher,
Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah – all from the line of Keturah.
But
Abraham gave everything he possessed to Isaac. While he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons
he had by his
concubines, but then sent them away to the country
of the east, putting
a good distance between them and his son Isaac.
Abraham
lived 175 years. Then he took his final breath.
He died happy at a ripe old age, full
of years, and was buried with his family. His sons Isaac
and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron the
Hittite, next to Mamre. It was the field that
Abraham had bought from the Hittites.
Abraham was buried next to his wife Sarah. After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son
Isaac. Isaac
lived at Beer Lahai Roi.
(Genesis 25:1-11)
Now read the same passage from the NIV translation:
Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah.
She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. Jokshan was
the father of Sheba and Dedan; the
descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites,
the Letushites
and the Leummites. The sons of Midian
were Ephah, Epher,
Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All these were
descendants of Keturah.
Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. But
while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent
them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east.
Altogether, Abraham lived a hundred and
seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old
man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. His sons Isaac and
Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron
son of Zohar the
Hittite, the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried
with his wife Sarah. After Abraham's
death, God blessed his son Isaac, who then
lived near Beer Lahai Roi. (Genesis 25:1-11)
Abraham was gathered to his people when he died. But who were his people… his family? He was buried next to Sarah in a cave in the
midst of field that he had bought from the Hittites. Sarah was his family. She walked the life of obedient faith to the
Lord that he did.
And Isaac and Ishmael buried their father. Ishmael is once more mentioned by name. Hagar (Ishmael’s mother) is not mentioned at
all. This is significant. The death of their father brought the
half-brothers together.
Both Abraham and Sarah were buried in the land that they
called home… even though they were both strangers in the land. They had done what they could to bless the
land where they lived.
Will we do the same?
I call the United States of America my home for now… but many times I
feel like a stranger in the land. There is
a land that I look forward to… the Kingdom of God. But even as I look forward to my permanent home,
I am called to bless the place I live in and call home.
May it be so!
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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