Genesis 25 · The Lantern

Abraham and Keturah

And Abraham took another wife, and her name was Keturah.

The holy Apostle always furnishes us with occasions for spiritual understanding and, though few, nevertheless shows to the diligent the necessary indications by which it may be recognized in all things that "the law is spiritual." He himself, then, in discussing Abraham and Sarah, says in a certain place: "He was not weakened in faith," he says, "when he considered his own body…

(Chapter 25, Verse 1) And Abraham added and took another wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. And Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. And the sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah.

As for those who prefer to read no symbolic meanings into such facts, they still have no ground of complaint against Abraham.

And she bore him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.

And Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were the Asshurim, and the Letushim, and the Leummim.

And the sons of Midian: Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah.

And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac.

But to the sons of the concubines that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts; and while he was still living he sent them away from Isaac his son, eastward, to the land of the east.

The Death of Abraham

And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life that he lived: a hundred and seventy-five years.

And Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, old and satisfied; and he was gathered to his people.

And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which faces Mamre —

the field that Abraham bought from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried, with Sarah his wife.

And it happened after the death of Abraham that God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac lived by Beer-lahai-roi.

The Descendants of Ishmael

And these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham.

And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, by their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,

and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa,

Hadad, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.

These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments — twelve princes according to their tribes.

And these are the years of the life of Ishmael: a hundred and thirty-seven years. And he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.

And they settled from Havilah to Shur, which faces Egypt, going toward Assyria. He fell in the face of all his brothers.

Jacob and Esau

And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham fathered Isaac.

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 — as his wife.

And Isaac pleaded with the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD was moved by his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

At every single reading, "when Moses is read," we must pray to the Father of the Word, that He may fulfill even in us that which is written in the Psalms: "unveil my eyes, and I will consider the wonders of your law." For unless He Himself opens our eyes, how shall we be able to see these so great mysteries that are shaped in the Patriarchs, which are figured now in wells, now…

One question is worth raising initially: If she and her husband were conspicuous for their good life and both concerned for chaste living, why was she barren? We cannot find fault with their life or say barrenness was the result of sin.

Thus Isaac, the son of the promise, who as a figure of our Redeemer became obedient to his father even unto death, was born of parents who were old. He had a mother who had long been barren.

And the children crushed against each other inside her, and she said, “If it is so, why is this happening to me?” And she went to inquire of the LORD.

The very vitals of Rebekah are stirred, though the child is a long way from birth and there is no breath of air. Behold, the twin offspring struggles in the womb of their mother, though there yet is no sign of the two nations.

"God blessed Isaac," and Isaac prayed for Rebekah, who was barren. After twenty years God heard him, and she conceived. Her sons struggled together within her womb. She went to inquire of the Lord, and it was told her, "Two nations are in your womb," that is, the Edomite and Hebrew nations. To whom did she go to inquire?

Almost everyone accepts the fact that blessed Isaac represented a type of the Lord our Savior. Therefore Isaac prefigured Christ and blessed Rebekah the church, because although like the church she remained sterile for a long time, she conceived through the prayer of blessed Isaac and the Lord's gift.

And the LORD said to her: “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from your body shall be divided; and one people shall be stronger than the other people — and the older shall serve the younger.”

And her days to give birth were fulfilled — and look, twins in her womb.

And the first came out red, all of him like a coat of hair; and they called his name Esau.

"And the firstborn son came forth," it says, "ruddy, and all hairy like a hide. And she called his name Esau. And afterward his brother came forth, and his hand was entwined about the heel of Esau; and he called his name Jacob." Another Scripture recounts of these that "Jacob supplanted his brother in the womb," and the indication of this thing is that his hand was entwined abo…

(Verse 25) And the first came out red, all over like a hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was threescore years old when Rebekah bare them.

Two twins were born at so short an interval of time that the second had a hold on the foot of the first. Yet they were so unlike in their lives, character, conduct and the love their parents bore them that this unlikeness made them enemies one of the other.

And after that his brother came out, with his hand gripping Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

And the boys grew. And Esau was a man who knew hunting, a man of the field; and Jacob was a whole man, living in tents.

And Isaac loved Esau, for hunted game was in his mouth; but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Esau Sells His Birthright

And Jacob was boiling a stew when Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted.

And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me gulp down some of that red stuff — that red there — for I am exhausted.” Therefore his name was called Edom.

And Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright first.”

This vice of gluttony delivered Adam up to death; by the pleasure of the appetite consummate evil was brought into the world. Through it Noah was mocked, Canaan was cursed, Esau was deprived of his birthright and married into a Canaanite family. Lot became his own son-in-law and father-in-law, by marrying his own daughter.

Reason would then curtail the attractions of gluttony and the other excessive desires and would check the passions and emotions of the body. Therefore temperance comes before correction and is the mistress of learning.

I have already put it to your holinesses yesterday that the reason why the elder son is called Esau is that no one becomes spiritual without first having been "of the flesh" or materialistic. But if they persist in "the mind of the flesh," they will always be Esau. If, however, they become spiritual, they will then be the younger son.

And Esau said, “Look, I am going to die — what use is a birthright to me?”

And Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” And he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.

And Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. So Esau despised the birthright.