City Life Starter

Written by Stefan Johnsson

The Word

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.

¹² 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. ¹⁷ (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.

Genesis 25:1-18

¹⁶ Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Genesis 4:16

Now all the earth used the same language and the same words. ² And it came about, as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.

Genesis 11:1-2 (NASB)

¹¹ So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other.

Genesis 13:11

Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, ² “Moses My servant is dead; so now arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.

Joshua 1:1-2 (ESV)

Reflection

Chapter 25 of Genesis concludes the story of Abraham. Even though both Jacob and Esau were born prior to Abraham’s death, the narrator is letting us, as readers, know that the focus on the story will now turn to Isaac. The conclusion to Abraham’s life provides us some important references that can be found throughout the Genesis story.

We see in the life of Abraham that after Sarah’s death, he remarries. Keturah is seen as a concubine to Abraham, just like Hagar. That is, concubines are those whom no bride price is given. Only Sarah came with a bride price and it is only through her that God’s promise will be fulfilled in the lineage of Isaac. Abraham’s full inheritance was given to Isaac and only gifts to his other sons and wives. Yet, one may wonder why Abraham remarried? Whatever his intentions were, what is clear is what he does before his death.

Abraham sends Keturah and all her children to the east, away from the promised land. He knew that, just like with Hagar and Ishmael, the promised land was only to be given to Isaac and was not to be split amongst those whom God did not grant it to. Abraham had known enough about God’s providence that keeping Keturah in Canaan would’ve been against God’s will.

Another interesting point here is that Abraham sends Keturah eastward. We have several references in Genesis to people being sent east. It is considered as moving away from God. Cain left Eden and went east. The people who built the Tower of Babel went east, away from God’s purpose to stay together and build a name for themselves. Lot left Abraham to go east into a land filled with people doing detestable acts. And here, Abraham sent Keturah east, away from Canaan, which was to be God’s “Eden” for the Israelites.

On the opposite end of this, Joshua brought the people of Israel over the River Jordan into the promised land to the west. What we get from this is that moving west is going back to Eden or towards God when going east is moving away.

So what can we infer from this? The promised land was only for those who were born of the promise, coming from the lineage of Isaac, born of Sarah.

Application

All of us once were the people of the east. Joshua(which is another way to say Jesus in Hebrew) was a representation to the Jews that only through the cleansing of the living water(River Jordan) washing their sins into the dead sea, were they able to move west into the promised land. Today, Jesus is leading us the same way. It is only through Him that we can be grafted into the vine and become sons of the promise. We get to inherit the promised land through the blood shed for us on the cross, washing away our sins by the living water.

This is the story of the Bible, because of Jesus we can travel west, back into a relationship with our Father in heaven and into the promised land.

What shall we take from this? That there is only one way to heaven, and it is through the blood of Jesus.

Prayer

Father in heaven, thank You for saving me. You gave me the opportunity to travel west into the promised land thanks to Your Son Jesus who died on the cross for my sins and rose on the third day. Just like Keturah and her children, who were outcasts from the promise, I am able to return to You because of what Jesus did for me. Lord, You are a merciful and loving Father. Thank You for rescuing me. Amen, amen.