Daily Devotions
Genesis
"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation!" Psalm 68:19
Text: Genesis 25:1-34
HEROES OF FAITH
There were many people whose lives may be described as “heroes of the faith”. The Book of Hebrews noted some of the people who antedated Abraham.
“By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain,
through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God
testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.
By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death,
‘and was not found, because God had taken him’; for before
he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved
with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household,
by which he condemned the world and became heir of the
righteousness which is according to faith.”HEBREWS 11:4-5, 7
Abraham was added to the Hall of Faith in the following text.
“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to
the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And
he went out, not knowing where he was going.
By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country,
dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him
of the same promise.”HEBREWS 11:8-9
THE DEATH OF ABRAHAM
The evening years of Abraham were perhaps not as significant as the earlier ones. The Scriptures however made mention that he lived a very full life. He was the only person recorded to have lived more than the 120 years that God had limited the life span of mankind (Cf. Genesis 6:3) in the post-diluvian age.
“This is the sum of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived:
one hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed
his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years,
and was gathered to his people. And his sons Isaac and Ishmael
buried him in the cave of Machpelah, which is before Mamre,
in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, the field
which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth. There
Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife.”GENESIS 25:7-10
The death of Abraham brought about the reconciliation of Isaac and Ishmael. Isaac would be 75 years of age, and his brother Ishmael would be 89 years old. There was no reason for them to feud against each other. The squabbles of earlier years were all but forgotten and forgiven. The two brothers joined hands to give to their father a good and honourable burial! God had blessed Abraham greatly in his life indeed!