Partial Fulfillment
Notes
Transcript
10/2/24 Big Picture Pt. 8 “Partial Fulfillment” Genesis 23-25
TURN to GEN…CH. 23
Recap:
Recap:
(Q) Where’d we leave off?
Abrahamic Covenant:
Great nation—innumerable descendants
Promised Land— Land of Canaan = belongs to kids
All nations blessed—through Abraham & Offspring
PROBLEM?? — NO KIDS.
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Fulfillment of Promise: Baby Isaac
Gen. ch. 21 —against all odds!!
Old man (good as dead, Heb, 11)
Old woman (biologically incapable, menopause)
Hadn’t worked for years
SUDDENLY: GOD BRINGS INITIAL ANSWER to PROMISE
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Last time = Abraham’s Greatest Test: Gen. ch.22...
(Q) Does anyone remember why this was such a big deal?
REMEMBER: ABRAHAM’S BEEN a BIT....WISHY-WASHY
LOTS of UPS & DOWNS...
&&& ALL PROMISES = BOUND UP in ISAAC— ACCORDING to GOD.
NOW GOD SAYS: GET RID of HIM.
MAIN QUESTION: ABRAHAM… DO YOU TRUST ME???
ABRAHAM PASSES TEST…BELIEVING GOD COULD RAISE HIS SON!
GOD PROVIDES RAM— ABRAHAM = BLESSED AGAIN
PROMISES ENUMERATED....
(T) Where do we go from here?
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Teaching Passage: Gen. Ch. 23:1-25:11
Teaching Passage: Gen. Ch. 23:1-25:11
Gen. Ch. 23:1-20
Gen. Ch. 23:1-20
READ (V1-4) 1 Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites, 4 “I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”
PROMISE FULFILLED—SARAH PASSES ON...
ABRAHAM—DESIRES— GIVE PROPER BURIAL...
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TALKS to RESIDENTS (HITTITES): CONCERNING PROPERTY
BURYING NEAR HEBRON ((WHERE THEY’D SPENT the LAST 60ISH YEARS))
ABRAHAM = SOJOURNER—
CH. 12—HE LEAVES HOMELAND!
HE WANTS PROPERTY to BURY WIFE
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TURN BACK: READ: GEN 17:8
Genesis 17:8 (ESV)
8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”
GOD PROMISED:
LAND of CANAAN (LAND of SOJOURNINGS!) = EVERLASTING POSSESSION/PROPERTY (SAME HB WORD!)
ABRAHAM = LAYING a CLAIM on GOD’S PROMISE
(T) So, how will the locals respond?
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READ (V5-9) 5 The Hittites answered Abraham, 6 “Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb to hinder you from burying your dead.” 7 Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land. 8 And he said to them, “If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar, 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as property for a burying place.”
THEIR OFFER: TAKE WHAT YOU WANT....
“PRINCE of GOD” = BLESSED MAN...
ABRAHAM DOESN’T WANT HANDOUTS
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(REL) How many of you have ever RECEIVED a GIFT W/ STRINGS ATTACHED that wasn’t such a gift after all??
I DON’T EVEN LIKE GETTING RID of SHIRTS SOMEONE BOUGHT ME!
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IF LAND = GIFT.... MAYBE STRINGS?? — NOT REALLY “HIS.”
MAKES a MOTION: CAVE of MACHPELAH— OWNED by EPHRON
ABRAHAM WANTS PROPERTY.
WILLING to PAY FULL PRICE
(T) How till this go down?
READ (V10-16) 10 Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city, 11 “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.” 12 Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. 13 And he said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, “But if you will, hear me: I give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.” 14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.” 16 Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants.
AGAIN—GIFTS ARE OFFERED— “ABRAHAM BURY YOUR WIFE FOR FREE”...
ABRAHAM DOESN’T WANT HANDOUTS
ABRAHAM WANTS PROPERTY
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“IT’S JUST 400 SHEKELS”
PERFECT.
WEIGHS & BUYS.
EXORBITANT PRICE??? SMALL PRICE??? —UNSURE… & DOESN’T REALLY MATTER.
(T) Now, we’ll see how this episode closes,,
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READ (V17-20) 17 So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was made over 18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city. 19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 The field and the cave that is in it were made over to Abraham as property for a burying place by the Hittites.
AWESOME PIECE of HISTORY...
ABRAHAM WEIGHS OUT 400 SHEKELS—PUBLICLY—MANY WITNESSES
NOW ALL HITTITES KNOW: CAVE of MACHPELAH = ABRAHAM’S PROPERTY....
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HUGELY SIGNIFICANT:
ABRAHAM = SOJOURNER/FOREIGNER (23:4)
CH. 20— WELL @ BEERSHEBA = HIS WELL...
ABRAHAM HAD NO PROPERTY...
WENT ABOUT in TENTS… NO PERMANENT DWELLING...
NOW:
ABRAHAM = LAND-OWNER!
CAVE, FIELD, TREES, of MACHPELAH = HIS!
&& EVERYONE in TOWN KNOWS IT!
Cave of Machpelah = BURIAL PLACE:
SARAH
ABRAHAM
ISAAC
REBEKAH
JACOB
LEAH
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**MOST IMPORTANTLY—WHERE is THIS PROPERTY? REF. (V19) LAND of CANAAN!
THIS PROPERTY PURCHASE = INITIAL, PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
ABRAHAM = HUMBLE PROPERTY OWNER in CANAAN
DESCENDANTS WILL ONE DAY OWN the WHOLE THING...
ONE SCHOLAR () HAS SAID… THEME of the WHOLE PENTATEUCH (FIRST 5 BOOKS)= PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
PART of PROMISED POSSESSION (CH. 17) BECOMES PROPERTY of ABRAHAM (CH. 23)
SMALL, INITIAL FULFILLMENT.
(T) And now, we’re going to see the next step in the fulfillment of these promises:
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Gen. Ch. 24:1-67
Gen. Ch. 24:1-67
READ (24:1) Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.
ABRAHAM = INCREDIBLY BLESSED MATERIALLY
**BUT NOTE: PROMISES = ONLY PARTIALLY FULFILLED...
GREAT NATION??
2 SONS,, ONLY ONE is MARRIED
OWNING CANAAN LAND??
WE’VE GOT a CAVE & FIELD
ALL NATIONS BLESSED??
MAYBE a COUPLE?ISH?
IT’S a START...
BUT WE NEED ISAAC to CONTINUE on the FAMILY
(T) So what are they going to do about this?
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READ (V2-9) 2 And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh, 3 that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, 4 but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” 5 The servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?” 6 Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there. 7 The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘To your offspring I will give this land,’ he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8 But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there.” 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.
MISSION DEVISED:
KEY SERVANT—GOES to ABRAHAM’S HOMELAND—FIND a WIFE FOR ISAAC...
**THIS was a HIKE!** — SEE MAP??
MORE THAN 400 MILES VIA CAMEL!
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KEY THINGS:
WIFE MUST BE of SAME PEOPLE **DON’T MARRY CANAANITES**
**DO NOT take ISAAC BACK to MESOPOTAMIA
2X (V6, V9) — DON’T TAKE ISAAC THERE.
WHY?
THIS LAND = OURS!
&& WE HAVE PROPERTY HERE
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IN FAITH: ABRAHAM DECLARES:
(V7) YAHWEH, the GOD of HEAVEN… HE’LL SEND HIS ANGEL & MAKE IT HAPPEN.
GOD’S BEEN FAITHFUL… HE’S KEPT HIS PROMISE… HE WON’T LET ME DOWN NOW!
(T) So, the servant sets off in faith,
with the condition that if the woman doesn’t come with him
he’s off the hook from his oath.
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READ (V10-14) 10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor. 11 And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time when women go out to draw water. 12 And he said, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.”
GOOD SERVANT—OBEYS— TRAVELS
ARRIVES & PRAYS:
GRANT ME SUCCESS
SHOW STEADFAST LOVE/KINDNESS to ABRAHAM
HESED RELATES to FAITHFULNESS to COVENANT...
GOD’S “COVENANT-KEEPING FAITHFUL LOVE”
Psalm 103:8 (ESV)
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
I. SERVANT APPEALS to GOD’S NATURE
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II. SERVANT REQUESTS a SIGN
A WOMAN WHO OFFERS the CAMELS to DRINK TOO
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**HELPFUL REMINDER NOT to AIM FOR SELF-FULFILLING THINGS...
GIDEON’S FLEECE— NOT a NO-BRAINER—A HARD ASK
ZONDERVAN BIBLE BACKGROUNDS COMMENTARY: “The designated indicator of a “yes” answer is if the girl offers to do far beyond what human nature or the conventions of hospitality would dictate,
specifically, to water all his camels when he asked only for a drink for himself. Such an unusual offer would serve as evidence that deity was overriding all natural instinct and social etiquette.”[1]
THIS GIRL DOESN’T GO the SECOND MILE…SHE GOES a 5K!..THAT’S WHAT HE’S LOOKING FOR.
REMEMBER: THE SERVANT TOOK 10 CAMELS—BIG TASK
GORDON WENHAM: HOSPITABLE DEMEANOR WOULD SHOW SHE FIT IN IN ABRAHAM’S FAMILY
REMEMBER: VISITORS to ABRAHAM DURING HEAT of DAY?? UP & AT EM!,, MEETING THEIR NEEDS
SERVANT’S TEST = PROVING GOD’S WILL & TEST for SUITABLE MATE for ISAAC
(T) Is the servant going to find an answer to his prayers?
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READ (V15-21) 15 Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder. 16 The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden whom no man had known. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. 17 Then the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water to drink from your jar.” 18 She said, “Drink, my lord.” And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. 19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels. 21 The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not.
PROVIDENCE of GOD—ANSWER COMES IMMEDIATELY
**NARRATOR GIVES US INFORMATION SERVANT DOESN’T YET KNOW**
SERVANT DOESN’T KNOW HER BACKGROUND
SERVANT ASKS—REBEKAH ANSWERS—
(Q) WHAT’S SHE SAY in V19?? “until they have finished drinking!
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o***NOTE: WE’RE OFF to a GOOD START.
SHE’S GOT the RIGHT DEMEANOR—AND SHE ANSWERS the PRAYER...
BUT ABRAHAM HAD SAID:
OF HIS COUNTRY
& HIS KINDRED
Rebekah meets part of the qualifications so far:
ANSWERED PRAYER
OF the RIGHT COUNTRY/REGION
(T) BUT is there more???
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READ (V22- 28) 22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel, and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels, 23 and said, “Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?” 24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 She added, “We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and room to spend the night.” 26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord 27 and said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master’s kinsmen.” 28 Then the young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.
REBEKAH PASSES TESTS of CAMELS & COUNTRY
***ALSO of ABRAHAM’S CLAN
HER FATHER = ABRAHAM’S NEPHEW!!
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GOD DOING “FAR MORE ABUNDANTLY”
WATERS CAMELS TILL THEY’RE DONE
SHE’S NOT JUST RIGHT COUNTRY—BUT RIGHT CLAN.
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(Q) HOW’S SERVANT RESPOND to ANSWERED PRAYER??
BLESSES GOD WHO SHOWS STEADFAST LOVE & KINDNESS
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(REL) HOW OFTEN DO WE REMEMBER to DO THIS?
IT’S ONE THING to REMEMBER to PRAY...
IT’S ANOTHER THING to REMEMBER to PRAISE...
DO YOUR ANSWERED PRAYERS JUST GET TAKEN OFF the LIST?
OR DO THEY BECOME “THANK YOU’S” on THE LIST??
(T) REBEKAH RUNS HOME—SHARES NEWS--
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READ (V29- 33) 29 Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban ran out toward the man, to the spring. 30 As soon as he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, “Thus the man spoke to me,” he went to the man. And behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. 31 He said, “Come in, O blessed of the Lord. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.” 32 So the man came to the house and unharnessed the camels, and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and there was water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Then food was set before him to eat. But he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I have to say.” He said, “Speak on.”
INTRODUCED to LABAN (MATTERS MORE LATER)
SERVANT SHOWS UP to EAT—BUT NOTICE HE WON’T EAT TILL HE CAN FINISH HIS MISSION!!
WHAT an AWESOME SERVANT!!
(T) So, what’s he say??
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READ (V34- 41) 34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old, and to him he has given all that he has. 37 My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell, 38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my clan and take a wife for my son.’ 39 I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ 40 But he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father’s house. 41 Then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my clan. And if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’
“INTRODUCES” ABRAHAM— PROBABLY KNOWN to SOME of THEM—AT LEAST BETHUEL
SERVANT RECOUNTS ABRAHAM’S REQUEST && the STORY of HIS DEPARTURE...
(T) And he continues,
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READ (V42-49) 42 “I came today to the spring and said, ‘O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now you are prospering the way that I go, 43 behold, I am standing by the spring of water. Let the virgin who comes out to draw water, to whom I shall say, “Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,” 44 and who will say to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,” let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’
45 “Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her water jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels drink also. 47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. 48 Then I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to take the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son. 49 Now then, if you are going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”
SERVANT FURTHER RECOUNTS WHAT HAPPENED
THE PRAYER
THE ANSWER
THEN PUTS BALL in THEIR COURT.
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GOD’S BEEN FAITHFUL.
HE’S SHOWN STEADFAST LOVE.
HOW ABOUT YOU GUYS??
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READ (V50-51) 50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing has come from the Lord; we cannot speak to you bad or good. 51 Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.”
THESE GUYS CAN TAKE a HINT— GOD is at WORK
“IF THIS IS GOD’S WILL,, THEN WHY WOULD OUR OPINION MATTER??”
(T) So is she good to go then?
READ (V52- 58) 52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth before the Lord. 53 And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments. 54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.” 55 Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go.” 56 But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.” 57 They said, “Let us call the young woman and ask her.” 58 And they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.”
GIFTS ARE GIVEN & CELEBRATION...
NEXT DAY— POTENTIAL DELAY...
· Gordon Wenham: PROBABLY WERE ASKING FOR MORE THAN a LITERAL 10 DAYS or SO....COULD’VE BEEN UP to A YEAR!
SERVANT RESPONDS: GOD’S PROSPERED the WAY—LET’S GO
FINALLY BALL = PUT in REBEKAH’S COURT— SHE GOES.
(T)
READ (V59- 61) 59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,
“Our sister, may you become
thousands of ten thousands,
and may your offspring possess
the gate of those who hate him!”
61 Then Rebekah and her young women arose and rode on the camels and followed the man. Thus the servant took Rebekah and went his way.
REBEKAH & SERVANT DEPART W/ BLESSING...
BLESSING NEARLY PARALLELS GOD’S BLESSING to ABRAHAM!
(T) We’re going to see this scene close:
READ (V62- 67) 62 Now Isaac had returned from Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the Negeb. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming. 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel 65 and said to the servant, “Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
ISAAC & REBEKAH COME TOGETHER
(T) And now, to close this chapter in Genesis and in the life of the patriarchs,
I’m going to read the first few verses of chapter 25…
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Genesis CH. 25:1-11
Genesis CH. 25:1-11
ME: READ (25:1-11) 25 Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 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. 5 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.
7 These are the days of the years of Abraham’s life, 175 years. 8 Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. 9 Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, 10 the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with Sarah his wife.
11 After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi.
Do you see how God’s promise is beginning to be fulfilled??
MANY DESCENDANTS of ABRAHAM
REMINDED: ONE SON of PROMISE
INHERITANCE WENT to ISAAC
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ABRAHAM DIES & IS BURIED in SOLE PIECE of PROPERTY HE OWNED....
WAS HE DEAD WHEN the SERVANT RETURNED??
NOT 100% SURE of CHRONOLOGY—GORDON WENHAM THINKS PROBABLY
REGARDLESS…ABRAHAM GRADUATES
R.C. SPOUL: PATRIARCHS TAKE GOD’S BLESSING & TURN it TO RELAY RACE...
DEATH of ABRAHAM---BATON is PASSED TO ISAAC....
ISAAC WILL BE NEXT ONE to CARRY the BATON of PROMISE TOWARDS the FINISH LINE....
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Takeaways:??
Takeaways:??
WHEN WE PRAY & GOD ANSWERS— WE OUGHT to RESPOND as the SERVANT DID—IN PRAISE.
DON’T JUST TAKE THINGS OFF PRAYER LIST—
ADD THEM to a PRAISE LIST...
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GOD is a COVENANT KEEPING-FAITHFUL GOD...
PUT HIS “COVENANT-KEEPING FAITHFUL LOVE” ON DISPLAY IN ANSWERING PRAYER....
BUT SOMETIMES the PROMISES AREN’T EVEN FULFILLED in OUR LIFETIMES—YET GOD’S PURPOSE STANDS...
Heb. Ch. 11:13-16
Heb. Ch. 11:13-16
TURN & READ (HEB.11:13-16) 13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. [2]
CONSIDERING: THEME of PENTATEUCH = PARTIAL FULFILLMENT...
THEY DIED in FAITH...
(Q) ARE YOU WILLING to DIE in FAITH?
(Q) DOES GOD HAVE to WORK in YOUR TIMEFRAME to BE FAITHFUL???
FAMOUS STORY: GEORGE MULLER PRAYING FOR 5 PEOPLE DAILY FOR CONVERSION...
OVER YEARS MANY CAME to FAITH
BUT the LAST TWO CAME to FAITH OVER 50 YEARS LATER,, AFTER GEORGE HAD DIED...
GOD ANSWERED the PRAYER—AFTER GEORGE WAS GONE!
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REMINDER: IF GOD FULFILLS HIS PROMISE—IT DOESN’T MATTER WHEN....
HE’S STILL a PROMISE-KEEPING GOD...
2,000 YEARS of CHURCH HISTORY,, CHRIST’S 2ND COMING HAS BEEN AWAITED...
WE MIGHT DIE BEFORE HE COMES BACK TOO
GOD is STILL FAITHFUL...
EVEN if WE DIE,, THE PROMISES & PLANS of GOD DO NOT DIE...
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THROUGH FAITH— PATRIARCHS WERE STRANGERS & EXILES on EARTH....
NOT ONLY GEOGRAPHICALLY
BUT in THEIR LIVES
ABRAHAM WAS a SOJOURNER & FOREIGNER...
BOTH NATURALLY
AND SPIRITUALLY
SO ARE WE…AS WE AWAIT A HEAVENLY COUNTRY ALONGSIDE the REST of GOD’S PEOPLE...THAT WE WILL ONE DAY INHERIT… AMEN?
---Close in Prayer---
[1]John H Walton, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (Old Testament): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009), 101.
[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Heb 11:13–16.
