## Faith of Abraham - Part 16

## Genesis 25:1-11

Last week we looked at the death of Sarah. Tonight we want to consider the death of Abraham as we bring this study to a close. In chapter 24 Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac. This was an important responsibility that Abraham wanted to take care of in order to assure that he would have descendants. In chapter 25 we come to the close of Abraham's life.

(Ecclesiastes 7:1) A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

There is much that we can learn from the final years and death of this great man of faith. This is the 2nd installment of Faith in the Dark.

I. Wrong Ideas About Old-Age.

(Leviticus 19:32) Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.

(Joshua 14:10-11) And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.

A. What is your ideal picture of retirement?

1. Do you see yourself rocking away on the porch with nothing to worry about?

2. Too often we have a misconception of this time of our lives.

3. Most people who reach retirement age say that it is over-rated.

4. A popular bumper sticker is this: Retired! No Job - No Work - No Pressure - No Money.

B. Many people approach their twilight years with faulty ideas.

1. "Leave me alone."

a. I've earned the right to do nothing.

b. I've done my job and paid my dues, now I deserve to live for myself."

c. This attitude characterizes a preoccupation with self.

2. "I am worthless; I have nothing more to contribute"

a. I'm too old and no one cares anyway.

b. This attitude characterizes one who has checked out of society and quit on themselves.

3. "Why can't I just die?"

a. I have nothing to look forward to but pain, suffering, and eventually the grave.

b. This attitude characterizes a combination of the other two.

c. They have selfishly decided that they want to check out of the human race and avoid the pain.

II. The Example of Abraham.

A. His New Wife. v1

1. Sarah was dead and buried.

2. Isaac was married to Rebekah.

3. Abraham was around 140 years old at this time.

4. The question should not be why did Abraham remarry? but why not!

5. He'd had a wonderful relationship with Sarah.

6. He was most assuredly a family man...so why not?

7. He wasn't dead yet, so why should he quit living?

B. His New Family. v2-4

1. Keturah and Abraham had six children and many grandchildren.

2. There is no sign of Abraham giving up on life...he wasn't retired, he was re-fired!

3. For a man who had lived much of his life without children of his own, at the close of his life he was surrounded by them.

C. His Plan for the Future. v5-6

1. Abraham was a responsible father who made plans for the distribution of his earthly wealth.

2. In our selfish society it is easy to buy into the notion that we should live only for today and let our kids take care of the future by themselves.

3. Paul said, "...for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children." 2Co. 12:14b

4. Another popular bumper sticker: I'm spending my children's inheritance.

5. Abraham made sure that his children were taken care of properly.

D. His Final Departure. v7-11

1. He lived 175 years.

2. "...A good old age, an old man, and full of years."

3. The emphasis here is not just on quantity, but includes quality.

4. His two sons, Isaac and Ishmael, came back together for his funeral and burial.

5. He was buried beside Sarah in the cave at Machpelah.

6. And God's blessing came upon Isaac.

God had promised Abraham that he would die in peace, and he did. Like everything else in life, to be successful in old age, you must start working at it very early in your life.

As we come to the close of our study of the Faith of Abraham, we have found that there is much that we can learn from him. God preserved the account of this man's faith that it might be a great example to each of us today. He was a real man, with real failures as well as successes. He reminds us that we are called to live by faith…not sight! And our lives for God will increase in blessing as we increase our faith!