|
"Abraham proceeded and took another wife named Ketura. She gave birth for him Ziman,
Yakshan, Medan and Midian. Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. To his concubine children he gave
gifts, and he sent them away from Isaac his son while he was still alive, eastwards to the land of the east." Genesis
25:1-7
These verses record that Abraham excluded his own natural children from his household. Wasn't his attitude
toward them somewhat hard to understand?
When Yahveh revealed his intentions to destroy Sodom - a nation recorded by the Torah as the archetype
of wickedness, Abraham pleaded: "Will you destroy the righteous with the wicked?" Yet he did not appeal to Yahveh when
told to expel Hagar and Ishmael from his household. Moreover, his lavish hospitality to the strangers at his tent seems hard
to fit in with casting his eldest son, Ishmael, out of his home with an inadequate supply of bread and water. Whereas
Ishmael's conduct is stated in a bad light, the only thing the Torah tells us about Abraham's later children is that they
were 'concubine children', with no mention of anything negative about them.
"Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac" testifies that Isaac was his primary son. "Through
Isaac, descendants will be considered yours." Genesis 21:12 Abraham distinguished Isaac from his other
children by giving him physical and spiritual possessions. To his concubine children, those he had by Keturah, he gave gifts
and sent them away while he was still alive, so that they would not contest Isaac's position as his only heir. This does not
appear to reflect positively on Abraham's kindness to his own children - he still sent them away. Why would he do such
an 'unfair' thing?
While Abraham's attitude toward the 'concubine children' is hard to understand, it
gives insight into his relations with his family:
There was no need to give Ishmael any inheritance - Abraham knew that Yahveh had already blessed
him, "I have blessed him, he will beget twelve princes and I will make him into a great nation."
Genesis 17:20
Ishmael was assured of His protection and help throughout his life, independent of Abraham and his
household. Thus when he was told by Yahveh to send him away, Abraham was merely handing Ishmael back over to Yahveh,
to carry out His promise to him. However it appears that Abraham was over-zealous in carrying out Yahveh's expulsion
order by giving Ishmael less than adequate provisions. This, indeed, may be a reason for the test of the 'Akeidah' -
the Binding of Isaac. Would Abraham have put Isaac into mortal danger as well, in his
desire to carry out Yahveh's command?
Yahveh found that it was indeed so - "now I know that you are a fearing person"
and that you acted not only with Ishmael, but with Isaac, out of trust in Me, and out of zeal to observe My commandments.
With the birth of Isaac, Abraham became the father of what was to be a 'great nation'. However, with
Isaac and Ishmael as his only children, he could not be the father of 'a multitude of nations' - a multitude
means more than two. This may explain why he married and fathered six more sons in his old age. When it became
time for them to leave home, Abraham did not drive them out of the household, as was the case with
Ishmael. Rather, "he sent them eastwards, to the land of the east"
where they would be used in spreading Yahveh's Name beyond the Holy Land (the territory apportioned
to Isaac). Thus Abraham should be seen as a Patriarch first and foremost - with perfect faith in
the Almighty and His long-term plan for him, rather than a 'do-gooder' solely driven by his personal emotions.
Comments by Abbas Anthony R.D. Curley, OSB/BCSA/ TH.D. President,
St. Anthony House School of Biblical Theology:
This is so important for all of us to see... and is critical to our Faith in Yahveh and the Messiah
Seed who is the Promise... and the Hope of Israel, as well as the Church, and ultimately all the nations of the earth...
Yahveh was Righteous "tzdek" to cast out those who would eventually KILL the Promise, subverting it
to what Satan would deceive toward thousands of years later via one of the sons of Ishmael, Mohammed and those that follow
that horrid religion of hatred Islam... now, all of us ought to SEE this more clearly, in fact all the prophetic books speak
to the alignment of those nations that HATE the Promise and are actually CALLING for the destruction of the NATION that YAHVEH
has said THROUGH ISRAEL all the NATIONS of the earth would be blessed.
These are all nations directly mentioned through history and surrounding little Israel... the same nation...
the People... that will inhabit from the River Euphrates to the Mediterranean... down to Egypt up to Hamor...Syria...
This is very very very politically incorrect to our ears... BUT Yahweh, Blessed be His Name forever...
cares nothing of what our sense of righteousness is... but Knows His is Perfect...
Thus, around the Promised Land, there are many who will be dispossessed, even as many will have utter
loss before HIM who is HOLY HOLY HOLY at HIS COMING IN GLORY... blessed be the Name forever of Yashua. For Yahveh is
Salvation... and Emmanuel has Manifested this for all to see and receive... by Grace through Faith...
The Judge is coming... may we be found in HIM...
Yahveh does not tend toward political correctedness... but absolute righteousness... and Yahveh sees the
end from the beginning and the beginning from the end... and moves on the basis of Faith having real substance of things hoped
for, the evidence of things unseen...
Immensity of the Mind of God... unfathomable, we do not have enough brain cells to comprehend the breadth,
depth, height or width of the Promise... Isaac had Faith, as did Abraham who became the father of many nations...
|
