The Death of Abraham
Today’s Bible Reading – Genesis 25 & 26 and Matthew 13
After serving God for 100 years, “Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years”. This fulfilled a promise God had made to him in Genesis 15:15, when God had promised Abraham that he would die in peace at a good old age.
In addition to a great quantity of life, I think Abraham had also enjoyed a great quality of life for all those years. At the end of his life, he could look back with satisfaction, and even then could still look forward with anticipation to God’s promises. Promises including: Abraham and his descendants would inherit the promised land forever, his descendants would be as numerous as the sand and the stars, and that all nations on earth would be blessed through him.
I suspect only a small minority of people can face death like this. I’m guessing most look back at their life with regret, and look ahead with fear.
You may be wondering how Abraham could die in peace, with peace. I believe it all comes back to his relationship with God. We’re told that Abraham was God’s friend (2 Chron 20:7, Isaiah 41:8, James 2:23). In Hebrews 11, we’re told that Abraham died in faith, having not received what was promised, looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
You may be wondering how Abraham developed such a close relationship with God. I’ll give you a hint, it wasn’t by following the law. He died hundreds of years before God would give the law to Moses. He didn’t become righteous by circumcision, because he was declared righteous years before he was circumcised. Back in Genesis 15, God made a promise to Abraham, and in verse 6, “Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.” Abraham became right with God, because Abraham believed God. And in so doing, Abraham became a model of how all of us can become right with God. Paul used this example in Romans 4 to argue that all are justified through faith alone.
Ephesians 2: 8-10 tells us, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
In chapter 2, James used Abraham as an example to demonstrate the importance of proving faith by deeds. We aren’t saved by works, but those works prove our faith. And lack of works proves lack of faith.
Abraham left quite a legacy. When God reiterated His promise to Isaac, as recorded in Genesis 26:3-6, we read, “…I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, BECAUSE (emphasis added) Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees, and my laws.” Did you catch that? All of this was because Abraham was faithful to God.
The New Testament starts with, “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham.” God had promised Abraham that all the world would be blessed through him, and God kept his promise.
I’d like to leave you with a few questions..
Have you thought about preparing now to face death when it comes? Ecclesiastes 12 encourages us to start young. Ecclesiastes 12:1 says, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them.” Verses 13-14 go on to say, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”
Are you living by faith? Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” And are you demonstrating your faith by your actions?
Finally, what legacy are you leaving? Exodus 20: 5-6 says, “…I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.”
–Steve Mattison
SeekGrowLove.com 