SUBJ: The
death of Abraham and those things concerning both the fullness of life
and the hope of eternal life that effect the passing of the faithful.
AIM: That we
might look to the living of our lives as in the presence of the Lord and
seeking to walk by faith that our lives, regardless of length, might be
full of days.
INTR: We do
well to show respect unto the sojourn that the Lord has allotted us in
this world, and we are shown something of this in the account of the
passing of Abraham. 1. The death of first Sarah and then Abraham is
well noted in both the Old and New Testaments and thus our attention
must be profitably joined to the accounts. 2. We are to be attentive to and instructed by all things
of the inspired Word and aware that such has been preserved for our
inspiration unto the same example. 3. In Abraham we are not looking
to a perfect life (the scripture reveals the failures), but we do see a
full life and we have that on the authority of inspiration.
THESIS: It should be our aim to honor
God in the full participation of the life given and appointed us and so
to come to its end with a sense of fulness and expectation of that which
is to come: That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye,
being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all
saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to
know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be
filled with all the fulness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)
I. The
Last Years of Abraham (vv. 1-6) 1.
The obtaining of a bride for Isaac marked the end of significant events
in the life of Abraham 1) There were no more recorded instances of
our Lord appearing to Him (there may have been others). 2) The
indications further on in the text suggest that he continued to walk by
faith. 2. There are questions as to the fact and the reason of the
marriage to Keturah which would lead some to, 1) Question the wisdom
of Abraham or even to question his morality 2) Some have suggested
that she may have been taken to wife before Sarah’s death. 3) The
difficulties that have followed in the offspring of his later sons.
3. But all that he had was given to Isaac in acknowledgment of the fact
that he was the promised seed. 4. He gave suitable gifts to the
others and sent them away from Isaac.
II. The Departure (vv.
7-10) 1. It is interesting, if not noteworthy, to account for ages
and events. 1) Abraham was 175 years old at his death 2) He had
lived 100 years after coming to Canaan. 3) He was 100 when Isaac was
born and was 137 when Sarah died and 140 when Isaac married 4) He was
160 when the twin sons of Isaac were born. 2. The first thing noted
was the submissiveness of Abraham in the matter – His life was not
taken. And It was a good old age (we think of others such as Moses).
3. He was full of years – he had had enough: 1) The implication here
is of one who is satisfied and complete as opposed to one who ends his
days in the same bitterness and worldliness in which he lived. 2) The
same thought was attributed to Isaac, to Jacob, to Job, and the High
Priest Jehoiada. 3) Our thoughts might turn to the eventful things in
his life: his call, the four kings and Melchizedek, the promise (thy
shield and thy exceeding great reward), the mandate (I am the Almighty
God, walk before me and be thou perfect) – 100 years of obeying the
Lord. 4) See further: These all died in faith, not having received
the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them,
and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims
on the earth. (Hebrews 11:13) 5) We think of Paul in For I am now
ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have
fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me
only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6-8)
4. And gathered to his people – not merely of dying like all before him;
rather that he would be reunited with those of the faith who had gone
before. 1) We think of the words “Blessed with faithful Abraham” from
Galatians 3:9. 2) We are here referred to the hope that is ever
before us of our final presence with the Lord and all those who love His
appearing. 3) From Alexander MacLaren: “So when our turn comes, we
may rise thankfully from the table in the wilderness, which He has
spread for us, having eaten as much as we desired, and quietly follow
the dark-robed messenger whom His love sends to bring us to the happy
multitudes that throng the streets of the city. There we shall find our
true home, our kindred, our King. ‘So shall we ever be with the Lord.’”
III. The Blessing Passed (v. 11) 1. The promise realized by
Abraham and confirmed by our Lord in that He blessed Isaac and 2. We
see him at the site where he had dwelt before to continue his own life
of fulness in the Lord.
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