#6~Heb.11:8-10 & 17-19 Abraham-pt.2 5-17-14
Today we'll continue our study of Heb. chapter 11: -- "the hall of the faithful chapter"
* Listen as I read today's text:
Heb. 11:8-10 -- & 17-19 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
9By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles (tents) with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him (in his loins) of the same promise: 10For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
++- 17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, -- 18 Of whom (Isaac) it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
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Last time we talked about Abraham, and pointed out that he is called "father Abraham" by more nations than just the Israelis.
~From Abraham came Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Gen. 15: 5 And HE brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
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~ Abraham's had two wives that bore him 7 sons. - Sarah and Keturah.
Genesis 25:1-2 Then again Abraham took a wife. And her name was Keturah. 2And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian. And Ishbak, and Shuah.
~ So Keturah bare him six sons, the daughters are not named.
Then verses 3-4 tell us of the sons that came from these 6 sons, remember Abraham is considered the father of all of these, the father of many nations.
~ We notice here in Gen.25: 1 that Keturah is called Abrahams wife, but in 1 Chronicles 1:32 she is called his concubine.
1st. Chronicles 1:32 Now the sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine: she bare Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.
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~ Listen, it is possible that Keturah was Abraham's "concubine" in the beginning, and then became his "wife" at a later time, perhaps after Sarah's death.
~The very fact that Keturah was Abraham's concubine suggests that Sarah was alive when Abraham first took her.
~ LISTEN; Abraham's sons by Keturah were not considered heirs, so she was indeed a concubine as 1st Chron. 1:32 has it. ---- A concubine was considered a secondary wife, but a concubine did not possess all the privileges that belonged to the primary wife.
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~ Abraham's wife's name was Sarah (Sarai) and they were the parents of Isaac.
* Notice only one son, ISACC by Abraham and Sarah.
~At Sarah's suggestion before she bore Isaac, Abraham went into Sarah's maidservant Hagar, and she bare Ishmael, which Sarah would claim as her own. ---"HAGAR" was Sarah personal servant; she was not just an ordinary slave. -- She was Sarah's handmaid.
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~ The people in Abram's culture regarded a concubine as a secondary wife with some, but not all, of the rights and privileges of the primary wife. -- In effect Hagar became Abram's concubine.
~ Sarai and Abram chose fleshly means of obtaining the promised SEED rather than waiting for God in faith. They let their old native ways guide them rather than God.
~Listen, both Sarah and Abraham jumped ahead of God, they didn't wait for Gods set time, she thought she was now to old to bare children, and in our way of thinking she was, but they over looked the fact that God was involved.
~ Luke 18:28 -- The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
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>Gen. 16:1-3 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
2And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
Listen, 3 And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
-- Here we're told that Sarai gave Hagar to Abraham to be his wife. -- That is, for a second wife, this amounts to a concubine, that she might have children by her. -- Hagar bore Abraham a son and his name was Ishmael, he was the father of 12 sons. -- think of all the people that has been born of these 12 sons, and their all the children of Abraham. Gen.17:20.
Listen, resorting to fleshly means rather than waiting for God to provide what He has promised always creates problems, but as we all know human failure does not alter God's plans.
~ Again in Gen.25:1-2 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. 2And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.
* And then in verses 5-6
5And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. -- 6But 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.
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* Abraham is careful to set Isaac apart as the child of promise.
(But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had) -- This is talking about Hagar and Keturah, --- we know nothing about any other concubines of Abraham, and so we must be careful not to add something that we can't prove by scripture. --
~ Now the sons of the concubines of Abraham were Ishmael by Hagar, and six sons by Keturah in Gen.25:2.
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(and sent them away from Isaac his son;) Abraham did this in order that they might not be troublesome to Isaac and his family later on; and also that there might be no contention among them about inheriting the land of Canaan given to Isaac and his seed. -- "Jacob and Jacobs 12 sons".
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(while he yet lived-Abraham) -- he did this while he was still alive, otherwise after his death a separation would not have been easily made.
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(eastward, into the east country) that would be into Arabia, and the parts thereabout, which lay east from the place where Abraham was; these are the children of the east, mentioned along with the Midianites, who sprung from Keturah.
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~What about the fact that Concubines were not such a hush, hush thing back in the days of Abraham, today people look on such as this as a shameful thing.
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* According to the Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible to do with concubines:
We read this; a man often had one or two concubines in addition to his primary wife..... A concubine was often a slave or part of the booty of war (Judges 5:30). --- A man might have a concubine simply as an economical form of marriage, since no dowry or bride-price was required. --- A concubine could add to a man's prestige by giving him two wives and thus an increased capacity for children. --- Such offspring were normally delivered onto the knees of the legal wife, thus establishing their legitimacy as family members. - The concubine was also another servant to add to his work force.
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~There was a time when people in the Bible had concubines, that's just a fact. (A concubine in the Old Testament context is not a mistress, but more like a lesser wife. The relationship was as binding as a marriage, although the concubine may not have had all the privileges of the full wives.) Perhaps the two most famous are Abraham and Jacob, --- David and Solomon were kings, and had numerous concubines.
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Abraham's grandson, Jacob (also known as Israel), had two wives. (Sisters Leah and Rachel) -- He also had their handmaids as concubines. -- (Bilah and Zilpah) --four of the twelve tribes of Israel were descended through the concubines. -Gen.30:
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~Solomon had problems because of his many wives and concubines.
1 Kings 11:3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. -- They turned him to idolatry.
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While having concubines was at least accepted, if not approved, in the Old Testament, -- it is not acceptable for Christians. -- Even from the beginning God intended that marriage be one man and one woman for life.
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In the ancient world concubines were protected by law; so they could not be sold if they were no longer of interest to the man.
~~ There were at times over bearing financial circumstances of poverty, and it might force a father to sell his daughter into a work or betrothal relationship. -- Her rights were strictly regarded. -- She could not be sold to foreigners; she had to be treated like a daughter if betrothed to his son, and she had to be freed if any conditions were not kept.
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> Exo.21:7-11 And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.
8If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: -- bought back.
-- to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her. -- 9And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters. --- 10If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.
~If the man later marries another woman, he must continue to provide food and clothing for the one he bought and to treat her as a wife.
11And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money. --- She may leave without being redeemed, bought back.
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>Deut. 21:10-14 When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive, 11And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife; 12Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails; (trim) 13And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, (pagan attire) and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.
14And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.
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~Concubines in the patriarchal age and beyond did not have equal status with a wife. -- A concubine could not marry her master because of her slave status, although, for her, the relationship was exclusive and ongoing.
Sometimes concubines were used to bear children for men whose wives were barren. --- Concubines in Israel possessed many of the same rights as legitimate wives, without the same respect.
~Concubines are mentioned primarily in early Israelite history during patriarchal times, the period of the judges, although some later kings also had concubines. While concubines did not have the same status as wives, they were not to be mistreated.
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~ They seem to have received higher status if they bore sons, or at least they are remembered by name.
~ The concubine was a wife of secondary rank. -- They had no authority in the family, nor could they share in the household government.
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~ Christianity has restored the sacred institution of marriage to its original character, and concubinage is today ranked with the sins of fornication and adultery.
Next time Lord willing we'll talk more about Abraham, there's so much in the Bible that involves this great man.
