Genesis 25:1-4. The Posterity of Keturah. (This Genealogy, and Abraham's death recorded here, because no more is to be said about Abraham. Abraham however, lived till Jacob was 15. Shem died 1846 B.C.)
Genesis 25:1 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.
(Abrahan took another wife. Keturah = increase, the second wife after Sarah's death).
1846 B.C.
2 And she bare him Zimran (=celebrated), and Jokshan (= fowler), and Medan (= contention), and Midian,
(= strife. Medan and Median were half-brothers with Ismael, and they were mixed up together in their dealings. See note on 37:25,28 and cp. 16:12; 17:20.)
and Ishbak (= left behind), and Shuah (= wealth).
(Many teachers of the Bible teach that Moses married a daughter of a Kenite, however we read in Exodus 3:1; Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb." Notice that Jethro is a title, while Midian is the tribe that Moses' father in law was part of.
Then in Exodus 18:1: "When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses..." This is also a second witness to the fact that Moses' Father-in-law was a Midian priest; and for his real name it is given in Exodus 2:18, and Numbers 10:29. Moses' father in law's name was "Reuel", and the fact that he was a priest of Midian, shows he was from the stock of Abraham. For Midian was the son of Abraham, through his wife "Keturah".
So we see that Moses married a daughter of Abraham, by Katurah, and not some Kenite, who are the offspring of Satan, through Cain. "Reuel" lived in the land of the Kenites, and held the title of Jethro. Just because Abraham lived in the land of the "Canaanites" did not make Abraham a Canaanite.
It is important that we understand whether the name is attached from a geographic location, or from their birthright. Anyone who challenges the bloodline of Jesus Christ is ignorant of the Word of God, and is taking liberties that makes him a heretic, placing themselves in a dangerous position before the Lord. Mark him well.
3 And Jokshan begat Sheba (= seven, or oath), and Dedan (= low country). And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim (= steps), and Letushim (= hammered), and Leummim (= peoples).
4 And the sons of Midian; Ephah (= gloomy), and Epher (= calf), and Hanoch (= dedicated), and Abidah (= father of knowledge), and Eldaah (= favored of God?). All these were the children of Keturah.
(Midian again is the tribe that Moses will marry into. So we see Abraham didn't count it finished at the age of one hundred and forty, and his family grew. These children of Abraham are overlooked by most Bible teachers, and their tribes, or nations are rated among the heathen nations, instead of being considered of Abraham.)
25:5-11. Abraham's History. Death.
5 And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.
6 But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.
(Abraham was generous with his gifts, remember the bag of water, and loaf of bread he gave Hagar, when he sent her away with his son, Ishmael. It was important to Abraham that his wealth be kept together, and passed on to Isaac. Abraham knew where all the wealth of his blessings were to flow, and before his death, he made sure all lose legal ends were cleared up, and there were no doubts as to where the birthright was to go. "Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.")
7 And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.
(Therefore a sojourner for 100 years, cp. 12:4. Abraham had Isaac at the age of one hundred, and married Keturah when he was one hundred and forty years old. So Abraham lived another thirty five years after the marriage to Keturah to sire these sons to her.
Remember, Abraham was seventy five years old when God gave him the unconditional promise. Abraham lived exactly one hundred years after the promise, and in Biblical numerics one hundred symbolizes "the children of the promise".)
8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost (i.e. spirit), and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.
(An idiomatic Euphemism for death and burial. Abraham's "people" were idolaters-Josh. 24:2. See note on 2 Sam. 12:13.)
9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah (see 23:9), in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;
10 The field which Abraham purchased (see 23:16) of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.
(So now we see that both Sarah and Abraham are buried in the cave of Machpelah. See Gen. 49:31 - The 5 buried their form an acrostic of the 6th. {I}saac, {S}arah, {R}ebekah, {A}braham, {L}eah = ISRAEL-see Heb.11:13.)
11 And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi.
(Lahai-roi was the "well of the Living God", and this is the place where Isaac sought mental comfort after the death of his mother, Sarah.)
25:12-18. The Generations of Ishmael.
12. Ishmael. Birth.
13-16. His sons. Names and dwelling.
17. Ishmael. Death.
18. His sons. Their dwelling.
12 Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian,
(i.e. from the land of Egypt, not of Egyptian blood.)
Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham:
13 And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth (= heights); and Kedar (= dark-skinned), and Adbeel (= offspring of God), and Mibsam (= sweet odor),
14 And Mishma (= a hearing), and Dumah (= silence), and Massa (= burden),
15 Hadar (= naughty), and Tema (= a desert), Jetur (= an enclosure), Naphish (= refreshment), and Kedemah (= eastward):
16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations.
(#12 = Governmental completion/perfection, whether Good or Bad. These sons had already split up, to form their own tribes and nations. These nations today comprise most of the Arab nations of world.)
1773 B.C.
17 And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died (i.e. spirit returned to God); and was gathered unto his people.
18 And they dwelt from Havilah (= circle) unto Shur (= a wall), that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren.
(died = had inheritance. Heb. naphal, to fall, esp. as a lot, giving inheritance. Hence, to dwell with, as in Prov.1:14. Cp. Judg. 7:12, to encamp, laying along the ground. Ishmael was to dwell in the presence [Heb."on the face"] of his brethren, i.e. mixed up with them [16:12]. See 37:25,28,36; 39:1, and cp. Judg. 8:24 [Midian, being his half-brother, 15:11,12]. Naphal never rendered "die" elsewhere.)
19. The birth of Isaac.
20-22. Marriage with Rebekah.
23-28. Isaac's two sons.
29-24. Esau and Jacob.
19 And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac:
(It is important to keep track of names and generations, for God gives blessings and duties to different ones, and even following Jesus Christ's death, these unconditional promises continued on, even though many of these peoples didn't and still don't know who they are.)
1856 B.C.
20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian
(Not of that blood line. They lived in that geographic location, but they were not of the race of the Syrians. The Syrian race is a mixed lineage, and thus polluted, in reference to the lineage that the coming Messiah would be born into. If your not careful you will allow yourself to be misled into believing there was a flaw in the lineage of Christ.)
of Padanaram (= the table land of height), the sister to Laban the Syrian (same as above, i.e. location).
21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
(Rebekah was barren for forty years, after Isaac married her. So Isaac would be sixty years old here. It seems like being barren runs in the family. She entered the marriage with the vision that she would multiply as numerous as the stars in the sky, and the sands of the sea, and here she is barren. However, just as God had the appointed time for Sarah, He also had the appointed time for Rebekah to conceive.)
22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it be so, why am I thus?" And she went to enquire of the LORD.
(i.e. why is this happening in my womb? This was not a normal pregnancy, for these two little rascals literally fought in the womb continually. The ladies can relate to this much more then I can, but it must have been quite difficult for Rebekah. This was not normal, yet she was not complaining but inquiring what this all meant.)
23 And the LORD said unto her, "Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger."
(Down through the many generations this has become the 2 Super-powers of today, U.S. & Russia. Even though Russia is week right now she will rise up in the end times. Don't fall asleep!)
24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.
(This identification of being red all over, gave him the nick name of "Edom", which means red. Can you identify any nation today which holds red dear? Of course it's Russia. So we will see that throughout the Bible, Esau will also be called Edom, and his children Edomites.)
26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel;
(Heb. yakob, where the name Jacob, heel catcher: hence contender.
He was named after the fact that he was born hanging on to Esau's heel. The fight started in Rebekah's womb, and is going on even today. There is no trust between our nations, and those who rely on truth from Russia, have moved so far left that they have gone beyond the communistic bounds of Russia. This is the most difficult problem we have today in America, for they are undermining our nation, and the Christian people are allowing it. Ezekiel 38 and 39 tells us how it will all end, and that time is coming shortly.)
and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.
1836 B.C.
27 And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field;
("The field is the world". He was a worldly man not a Godly man.)
and Jacob was a plain man (or pure in heart), dwelling in tents.
28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison:
(= Heb. hunting, hunting put for what was caught. Eating was strong in Esau too. It was "the will of the flesh" which Isaac's faith overcame in Ch.27, for he wished to bless Esau, and he loved his savory meat. See 27:3,4. Cp. Heb.11:20)
but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 And Jacob sod pottage:
(Jacob planned well and stored food, where Esau hunted and found food by chance.)
and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:
(He was starving to death. Russia still thinks and operates today as their father Esau did 3800 years ago. Esau was willing to sell his whole nation, to quiet his stomach for the moment.)
30 And Esau said to Jacob, "Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint:" therefore was his name called Edom.
(Edom = red, ruddy. Russia has been the "red nation" for many years since 1917 when Communism took over. We are talking about the system of government not the people necessarily. Communism does not work. It is ungodly, it does not provide for the people. That is why they [descendants of Esau] are always begging from the U.S. [descendants of Jacob/Israel]. See 27:28.)
31 And Jacob said, "Sell me this day thy birthright."
(This included: 1. The Father's blessing and supremacy [which went to Jacob, Ch.27, and Judah, 49:8. 1 Chron. 5:1,2]; 2. A double portion [which went to Joseph Ch.48. 1 Chron.5:1,2]; and 3. The Domestic Priesthood [which after going to the firstborn of each family was vested in Levi for the whole nation, Num. 3:6,12. Cp. Num. 16:1-3].)
32 And Esau said, "Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?"
(There was a famine in the land, and the hunting became difficult, and in the Hebrew "at a point to die"; is better translated; "I will sell it".)
33 And Jacob said, "Swear to me this day;" and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
(Esau treated his birthright as merchandise.
The famine was caused by our Heavenly Father, which limited the game in the area. God knew the mind of Esau, and his disrespect for God's birthright promises that were to passed on from generation to generation. Just as God can cause the flood of Noah's day, so also can He make the game scarce.
Remember that it was God that said, while the two children were still in the womb, that "the older shall serve the younger". Esau didn't care anything about God in the first earth age, and in the flesh age he hadn't changed.)
about 1812 B.C.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
(Note the 4 "and's" = the number of the earth, marking the deliberation of Esau's acts, and their solemn significance, he despised grace. He hated it. He did not care about his Father [in heaven], hence in Heb.12:16 he is called "a profane person".
Romans 9:12 "It was said unto her, "the elder shall serve the younger." 13 As it is written, "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated."
So to understand why God deals with people, even babies, in this earth age; you must be aware of what went on in that first earth age. That first earth age is the time when God destroyed all living forms of life from the face of the earth, and then He started over, as it is recorded in Genesis 1:2 and on through the chapter.
Esau was a man of the world and the world knew Esau well, and Esau placed all value on worldly things, and for that reason God despised Esau.)