Theme: Eulogy for Abraham
Text: Genesis 25: 5-10
Introduction
A. This passage we have this morning records the end of a great life. It’s about the death of someone who was taken by God from among a pagan people and was made the Father of the Faithful. He was taught the harsh lesson of faith and obedience. He suffered for God but enjoyed the best God had to offer him. In the end his life is concluded by the words “and he was gathered to his people.”
B. Normally, when someone dies we talk about how he lived his life, some of the events surrounding his death, and his spiritual standing before God. Actually this is what our passage is all about. It gives us the eulogy about Abraham’s life. Now as we conclude our study in the life of this great man, we will consider certain characteristics that were present in his life that need to be found in our life as well, and let us see some similarities with what had been said about him and what might be said about us when we too leave this world.
I. HOW HE LIVED HIS LIFE
1. It was a life of obedient faith. That is one of the clearest and most striking characteristics of how Abraham lived his life. He took every step of his journey by faith in God. He obeyed God without questioning even the circumstances seemed confusing. He learned to let go of his life and left it in the hands of the Lord. And through his absolute confidence in God, he was able to overcome and put to end his struggles with worry and fear. That is also true with us. We could forever put to end the struggles we have with worry and fear if by faith we entrust our whole life into the hands of God.
Abraham’s faith was so apparent and vivid so that others identified and declared it, like the author of the book of Hebrews. And most wonderfully, God commended Abraham’s life of faith. This is the kind of life that God wants everyone of His children to live; that they live their life in complete confidence and obedience to Him.
Would that be the characteristic people would say about how you lived your life until your last minute here on earth? Can you honestly say with Paul, “the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me?”
2. It was a life of overflowing favor. - Because Abraham walked in faith and followed the Lord regardless of where He leads him, God abundantly blessed the life of this amazing man. He blessed him financially, militarily, physically, spiritually, and God blessed Abraham’s family as well. Of course, this had been the oft-repeated promise that Abraham had been given by the Lord. God had promised to bless him and God did just that!
Friends, the Word of God guarantees us that a life lived for the Lord is a life that will not lack blessing. He may not bless us the way we want Him to bless us, but we have the guarantee and assurance that God shall bless our lives in the ways that matter most.
II. HOW HE LAID DOWN HIS LIFE.
In his life, Abraham was a wonderful example of what a believer should be, but even in his dying there are precious truths that can be seen in him that should mark all those who know the Lord Jesus. In dying, Abraham laid his life:
1. With Readiness. Verse 8 says, “He gave up the ghost.” There was not struggling to stay, but a simple releasing of life when it came time to go. He had lived a full and long life, 175 years, but when the time came to make the crossing out of this life into the next, Abraham did so with grace and serenity. Why? It’s because he had spent his life looking for a particular city. Not a city that can be found on this earth, but an everlasting city made by the hands of God in Heaven. Abraham knew that Sarah was waiting on him on the other side. He knew that the only way to reach that city and to be with Sarah again was to give up the ghost. That he did without fear, fretting or fighting. His deathbed scene was one of peace!
Everyone of us here knows that there will be a day when we too will make this crossing. It’s not something we discuss, but it does come to mind from time to time! And there are times that we seem to think of it more often. However, those who know the Lord have a great assurance when we look at the day of our departure! We have the Lord’s promise concerning that day. For us, it will be a time of laying aside the temporary for the permanent. It will be a time of leaving the land of the dying to enter the land of the living. It will be a time of passing through the veil to stand in the presence of the Lord Himself. It will be nothing more than a departure from this life and an entrance into a new and better life in that same city Abraham looked for.
2. With Reassurance. Verse 8 further says, “and he was gathered to his people.” It is not a reference to the grave! No, because he was buried with Sarah in Canaan while his people (family) had died in Haran and Ur. It means that Abraham was gathered to those who had died before him in faith! He went to that place where those who also died in faith were waiting for him. And there they were all waiting for another One Who came into their midst with some glorious news one day! Yeah! The Bible tells us that when Jesus died on the cross, He descended into Paradise with the glorious news that redemption had been purchased for all those who had died in faith! With that news, He led them out of Paradise and into Heaven in a glorious parade of triumph and victory. Abraham somehow knew that by faith. He brought that hope in his deathbed.
Believers of Jesus have better assurance. We don’t have to go to the place where the Old Testament believers went and stayed until the day when the Lord paid the price of their redemption. After the death of the Savior, the way is opened and all those who died in faith are immediately gathered home to the presence of the Lord in Heaven!
III. HOW HE LOVED THE LORD.
This is the third characteristic of Abraham’s life that is worthy of note –how he loved the Lord. As you read the Bible, you see the love of Abraham being displayed and declared. There are lots of people who want to tell us how much they love the Lord. Abraham didn’t talk about it, he just did it! There is a big difference! All through his life, he simply obeyed what the Lord told him to do! When the Lord said go, he went. When the Lord said do, he did. When the Lord said stay, he stayed. He obeyed even when the command was difficult and costly. He obeyed when every instinct within him told him to do the opposite. You see, the true essence of love for the Lord is that genuine love always manifests itself in obedience to God, regardless of what He says to do!
Well, we can say anything we wish about the level of our love for Him, but the ultimate expression of our love for Jesus will be found in how we obey Him in whatever He tells us to do. Those who walk in obedience to God are those who really love Him!
C. Now that we consider these characteristics from the life of Abraham, evaluate yourself. How your life really measures up? How is your life being lived? Are you ready to lay it down the right way when the time comes? Do you really love the Lord this morning?
These are extremely important questions that need to be addressed in your life and mine this evening. No, we don’t need to be Abraham ourselves, but we need to look at those areas in our life that could be changed to line up more clearly with what God found pleasing in Abraham’s life.
