Freed to Serve

Brothers and Nations

(Genesis 25:19-28, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, February 22, 2015)

[19] These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham fathered Isaac, [20] and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. [21] And Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. [22] The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?”

The story of Genesis now shifts from Abraham very briefly to Isaac and Rebekah, and then on to Jacob and his twelve sons. In this passage the focus is first on Rebekah, Isaac's wife—her difficulty in conceiving, the eventual fruit of Isaac's answered prayer, the struggle within her body, and her confusion about what was happening to her. The Lord was with her through it all.

So she went to inquire of the LORD. [23] And the LORD said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other,
the older shall serve the younger.”Because she knew that God was her God, she confronted her confusion by inquiring of the Lord. He spoke to her—how, we are not told. But we have His words. The story of two brothers was about two nations that would come from them. One would be the father of Israel, the other, Edom. They were struggling in a prophetic way inside their mother Rebekah. Through the tussle, now combined with God's explanatory word, God was revealing that these two nations would be at war with each other, and that the descendants of the younger twin would be His chosen nation. Israel would be stronger than Edom at key moments in their history, and Edom would be forced to serve Israel. This would take many centuries to play out, but it was revealed first here in the Word of God given to Rebekah—given in connection with a special life event also from Him.

[24] When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. [25] The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. [26] Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.
[27] When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. [28] Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.Eventually the boys were born with some more interesting details of struggle and distinction. Isaac preferred Esau, but “Rebekah loved Jacob.” Much later God revealed through the prophet Malachi that Rebekah was right, saying, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” But in our day, through the Messiah descended from Jacob, adoption into Israel comes for all who believe.

Put the Word to Work: What is your people group by birth? What about by adoption? There is no shame in being either low or high. Who or what is your real master? Have you found forgiveness and peace from the King of Peace? How has He loved you? How do you love Him back? Jesus has transformed both submission and dominion so that we no longer need to be stuck in old patterns of bondage and oppression. We have been freed to serve God and others.

Memory Verse from the Songs of Ascents—Psalm 128:1 – Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways!

Gospel Reading—Matthew 18:21-35 – The parable of the unforgiving servant

A Complicated Family

The Sons of Abraham

(Genesis 25:1-18, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, February 15, 2015)

[25:1] 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.As we come to the end of the Abraham story started in Genesis 12, we are given further details regarding the end of Abraham's life. As far as we can tell from the Bible, Abraham had at least eight sons, Isaac by Sarah, Ishmael by Hagar, and six or more by a wife named Keturah and unnamed concubines, about whom we know very little, except for the Midianites. Almost anything that anyone might try to conclude about the descendants of Abraham by Keturah and his concubines would be largely conjecture. What the Lord does reveal to us in the Scriptures is very succinct: 1) “Abraham gave all he had to Isaac,” and 2) Abraham sent away other sons with gifts to some undisclosed eastern location. These other sons were not the child of the promise.

[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.Abraham lived to a “good old age.” When the day came for him to die, he was “gathered to his people.” His body was buried in the same cave where he had buried Sarah. After Abraham's death, “God blessed Isaac his son.”

[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.Meanwhile Ishmael would have twelve sons. The overwhelming fact of history regarding the descendants of Ishmael is that we can no longer identify them with any certainty. Ishmael himself would live a long life. He would live to the east of Egypt. We are told that Ishmael “settled over against all his kinsmen.” Since the dawn of sin... many messed-up family lines.

Put the Word to Work: The purposes of the Lord would not be accomplished by mere physical descent, but by His powerful grace. Sons of Abraham by faith in Christ shall be blessed.

Memory Verse from the Songs of Ascents—Psalm 127:4-5 – Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Gospel Reading—Matthew 18:15-20 – If your brother sins against you

The Lord Will Show Steadfast Love in his Provision

God Provided a Wife
(Genesis 24, Preaching: Pastor Nathan Snyder, February 8, 2015)

God had promised Abraham descendents through his son Isaac.  But at the start of this chapter, Isaac is still unmarried.  Abraham must arrange a marriage for his son.  He did not want his son marrying one of the women from among the Canaanites.  So he sent his chief servant to his relatives in Mesopotamia.  This unnamed servant, who is clearly himself a man of great faith in the Lord, was to bring a wife back to Isaac in the land of Canaan.  Since God had led Abraham out of Haran and promised to give the land of Canaan to his descendents, Abraham would not permit Isaac to move back to the land of his relatives.  He trusted that the Lord would provide so that this would be unnecessary.

This faithful servant devoted himself to completing the mission.  He knew that success was dependent on the faithfulness of the Lord, so he earnestly prayed that God would show “steadfast love” to Abraham by providing a wife for his son.  What are we to make of the test he concocts to determine whom Isaac’s bride should be?  The test he lays before the Lord is actually a character test.  When he asks for a little water to drink for himself, if the woman offers of her own accord to water all of his ten thirsty camels, this would show that she is generous and eager to serve.  Rebekah shows up even as he is still praying and she does exactly this.  When the servant discovers that she is from the relatives of Abraham, he immediately gives thanks to God for showing steadfast love and faithfulness to Abraham by leading him to Abraham’s kin (verse 27).

When the servant explains all these things to Rebekah’s family, they cannot help but recognize the Lord’s providential leading.  They are willing that Rebekah go with the servant, but they wish to keep her for a time before saying goodbye.  The servant is urgent to return since God has prospered his mission.  When they bring the matter to Rebekah to ask what she will do, she says simply, “I will go.”  The blessing her family pronounces upon her and her offspring resembles the blessing given to Abraham’s offspring by the angel of the Lord in 22:17.  So Rebekah and her maids travel to Canaan with the servant and his men.  When they arrive, Isaac takes her to be his wife.  The narrative ends with the touching words, “and he loved her.  So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.”  The Lord was gracious in his provision to Isaac, and to Rebekah.

What are we to take away from this story for ourselves?  A strategy for securing a bride for our sons?  Hardly.  This chapter is another demonstration of God’s steadfast love and his faithfulness to keep his covenant promises to Abraham.  Isaac must have a wife if God’s promises and purposes for Isaac were to come true.  Indeed, this was necessary for our salvation.  No wife for Isaac, no more descendents.  No more descendents, no Savior for the world.  Do you realize that your eternal destiny was wrapped up in the success of this mission to find Isaac a wife?  Praise God that Abraham’s servant was faithful, that he sought the Lord in prayer, that Rebekah came out to the well just when she did, that her family was willing to let her go, and that she was willing to go and be joined to Isaac as his wife.  If God provided all that was necessary for our salvation, including a wife for Isaac, then of course he will provide all that is necessary for us to serve him faithfully in the life he has ordained for us to live each day, whether that be as a single person, or married, or in whatever life situation God has for us.  God knows exactly what each of us needs to fulfill his purposes for our lives, and he is loving and faithful to provide.  What we need in our daily mission, like Abraham’s servant, is to seek God, trust him, and be faithful. 

Put the Word to Work: God will provide all that we need to fulfill his good purposes for our lives.  He wants us to move forward in faith.

Memory Verse from the Psalms of Ascents: Psalm 127:3 – Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 18:10-14 – The Parable of the Lost Sheep