Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

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Genesis 25

What should I learn from this chapter?

• The Timeline of God’s Agenda with the Jews
• Timeline: See BC Timeline Notable Events

Abraham and Keturah

Genesis 25:¹ Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah.

 Genesis 25:² And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.

Genesis 25:³ Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim.

Genesis 25:⁴ And the sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

Genesis 25:⁵ And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac.

Genesis 25:⁶ But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the east.

Abraham’s Death and Burial

Genesis 25:⁷ This is the sum of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years.

• Overheard “If I were Abraham I could live another one hundred years.”

Genesis 25:⁸ 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.

• Abraham died in 1816 BC. Ishmael was 89, Isaac was 75, and Jacob & Esau were 15 years old.

Genesis 25:⁹ 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,

Genesis 25:¹⁰ the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife.

Genesis 25:¹¹ And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God (‘ĕlōhîm) blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac dwelt at Beer Lahai Roi.

The Families of Ishmael and Isaac

Genesis 25:¹² Now this is the genealogy of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham.

Genesis 25:¹³ And these were the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,

Genesis 25:¹⁴ Mishma, Dumah, Massa,

Genesis 25:¹⁵ Hadar, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.

Genesis 25:¹⁶ These were the sons of Ishmael and these were their names, by their towns and their settlements, twelve princes according to their nations.

• In the 76th year after Abraham offered Isaac up to God as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah, the Jebusites built the wall Jebus which became Jerusalem, the place of Mount Moriah.

Genesis 25:¹⁷ These were the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred and thirty-seven years; and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.

• Ishmael died in 1768 BC.

Genesis 25:¹⁸ (They dwelt from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt as you go toward Assyria.) He died in the presence of all his brethren.

• Note: Jacob (Isaac’s son) had 12 sons and Ishmael (Abraham’s son) had 12 sons. Ishmael was Abraham’s son and Jacob was Abraham’s grandson through Isaac, who was the son of promise).

Genesis 25:¹⁹ This is the genealogy of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham begot Isaac.

• Isaac was born 1891 BC one year after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as well as one year after Abraham’s circumcision. He had to be circumcised for Isaac to be born
• Isaac was born from a circumcised father. Circumcision is a God given ritual of cleanliness which represents the cutting away of worldliness, ie the flesh. The flesh profits nothing.

Genesis 25:²⁰ (In 1851 BC) Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah as wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian.

• In 1851 BC Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah.Forty means “Time for a Change”.

Genesis 25:²¹ Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

Genesis 25:²² But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ).

Genesis 25:²³ And the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) said to her:

“Two nations (the Arabs and the Jews) are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, and the older (Esau, the Arabs) shall serve the younger (Jacob, the Jews).”

• The two nations are the Jewish people and the Edomites, separated in enmity.
  The Edomites, that is the Arabs, are stronger in number than the Jewish people.
  However; the Edomites will serve the Jewish people when Jesus reigns on earth in Jerusalem.
  
  • Zechariah 8:23
    “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” ’ ”
    
• But the Jewish people are stronger in the promises of God: the land, a kingly line, prophets, the law, the priests, and a coming Messiah.
  
  • These blessings in other places of scripture represent a Jewish banquet table.
    Especially notable is the rich man in the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19).
    See Topic: The Rich Man and Lazarus

Genesis 25:²⁴ So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb.

• In 1831 BC Esau and Jacob were born. Complete opposites – in opposition. Being “Unlike”, they also didn’t like each other.
• It had been twenty barren years for Rebekah before she conceived. Isaac was sixty years old.

Genesis 25:²⁵ And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau.

Genesis 25:²⁶ Afterward his brother (Jacob) came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob (supplanter). Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

Genesis 25:²⁷ So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents.

Genesis 25:²⁸ And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Esau Sells His Birthright

Genesis 25:²⁹ Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field (hunting), and he was weary.

Genesis 25:³⁰ And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom (literally, “Red”).

Genesis 25:³¹ But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.”

Genesis 25:³² And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?”

Genesis 25:³³ Then Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day.”

So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.

Genesis 25:³⁴ And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of (red) lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way (he didn’t give it a second thought). Thus Esau despised his birthright.