The End of Abraham's Life
Abraham’s long and adventurous life comes to a close. Yet, even here, we see lessons for us to today. Abraham remarried after Sarah’s death and his new wife bore him six sons. Sometime after their birth, Abraham must have sensed the end of his life approaching. He wisely used this time to put his affairs in order. While to our way of thinking, the sending away of these children (just like he had previously done to Ishmael) sounds harsh and even unloving, it actually shows a lot of forethought and even love. Isaac was the son of God’s promise. Abraham knew that all of the Lord’s blessings were going to come through this one and only son (Genesis 17:19). Yet, he loved Ismael and the sons of Keturah and wanted to bless them. By sending them away with gifts of their own, Abraham ensured that there would be no fighting amongst these brothers. He made is clear from the beginning that Isaac would inherit all he had. By giving his other sons gifts while he lived, he was able to honor that decree and still make sure his other sons benefited from his abundant wealth.
Abraham lived 175 years, 100 of those years as a stranger in a land that was not his – though it was promised to his decedents. I doubt any of us will be able to claim such a long life. Whether we spend a short or long time in this world, we each will leave a mark. Every interaction we have with others (no matter how insignificant we think it might be) shades in a piece of their life’s picture. In the end, it does not matter how long we live, nor does it matter how successful or wealthy we were. What matters are the marks we leave behind. Are we coloring in shades of love and mercy? Are we leaving behind tokens of faithfulness? Have we used the time we had wisely and prepared for our passing by making sure those we leave behind are provided for? No one knows the number of days they have remaining. Let us spend each one intentionally investing in the lives of the people around us. Then, when we are gone, we will be missed but never forgotten.
コメント