Abraham's Will (Gen. 25:1-6)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10-31-2006

 

My Worship Time                                                                        Focus:  Abraham’s Will

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Genesis 25:1-6

 

            Message of the verse:  “1 Now Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah.  2 She bore to him Zimran and Jokshan and Medan and Midian and Ishbak and Shuah.  3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim and Letushim and Leummim.  4 The sons of Midian were Ephah and Epher and Hanoch and Abida and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah.  5 Now Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac; 6 but to the sons of his concubines, Abraham gave gifts while he was still living, and sent them away from his son Isaac eastward, to the land of the east.”

            Abraham did not loose the regeration of his body that God had given to him so that Isaac could be conceived as seen in these four verses.  Verse five tells that all that Abraham had he gave to his son Isaac, that is his material possessions.  However Abraham left spiritual gifts that are still being given out to this day, and I want to look at five of these spiritual gifts that Abraham left in his will.

1. Abraham left us a clear witness of salvation through faith.  Genesis 15:6 tells how Abraham was saved, and it is the same way all believers in any time period were saved, and that is by faith.  “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”  Paul wrote about this in Romans 4:1-5, and also Gal. chapter three.
2. Abraham also leaves us the example of a faithful life.  James picks up on this in his letter, chapter 2:14-26, where he speaks of the works that Abraham did after he was saved, and these works proved his salvation.  Ephesians 2:10 speak of works that are to be done by all believers.  “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
3. From Abraham we learn how to walk by faith.  The way to describe this is to repeat what has been said many times in these SD’s, and that is that the victorious Christian life is a series of new beginnings.  Charles H. Spurgeon said, “The pith, the essence of faith lies in this: a casting oneself on the promises.”  This is how one learns to walk by faith, and that is believing on the promises of God in spite of circumstances and not asking for explanations.
4. Abraham gave the world the gift of the Jewish nation.  It is through the Jews that we have the knowledge of the true God plus the Word of God and the salvation of God.  (John 4:22)
5. Because of Abraham, we have a Savior.  “The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham,” and this is how the New Testament begins telling all who read it that the blood line of Jesus Christ has come through Abraham and also David.

 

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  As I look back on my study of Abraham I know that it was in God’s timing that I study about this great man of faith for a couple of reasons:  1.  This study has related to me because of what I am going through in my life.  Remembering that the victorious Christian life is a series of new beginnings has truly giving me new insight and has helped me with some of the struggles that I have had over this past summer.  Being taught that I am to trust the promises of God and not ask for explanations is something that too has had a great impact on my life as Sandy and I go through the storm and trial of having our investments up in the air for the last three and a half years plus.  God has also given me an opportunity to teach what I have been learning and going through to a group of people at our church on the first and third Sundays of each month, and even though this has “taken me out of the boat,” and caused some IBS problems, God has been faithful to get me through it.

 

The Word of God has been very refreshing to me as I read and studied it this morning, and it has also been a great challenge to me.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  Continue to ask the Lord to teach me contentment, and to direct my paths, so that my walk with the Lord will be like Abraham’s life was.