Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Keturah


Gen 25:1 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.
Gen 25:2 And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.
Gen 25:3 And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim.
Gen 25:4 And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.
Gen 25:5 And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.
Gen 25:6 But 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.
Gen 25:7 And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.

Sarah was the wife of Abraham and the legitimate mother of Isaac, the promised son. Sarah died at the age of 127, so Abraham was at least 137 when he took Keturah as his wife and concubine. Hagar, Sarah's Egytian handmaid and the mother of Ishmael was a wife of Abraham and was considered a concubine as well. These were wives of lesser status, the concubines so called, of Abraham. The son's of Keturah were given gifts, but were sent away from Isaac, to the east. They were not to be given the blessing and inheritance from Abraham.

Keturah means covered with perfume or incense. One of the sons through Keturah was Midian, the father of the Midianites. Later Joseph would be bought by Midianites who sold him to Potiphar  in Egypt. Later on as time passed Moses would leave Egypt and marry a Midianite woman named Zipporah. Eventually the Arabic Midianites would be the enemies of Israel. They came together in an alliance with the Amalekites against Israel.

Jdg 6:2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.
Jdg 6:3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;
Jdg 6:4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.

Gideon was called

Jdg 6:12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.
Jdg 6:13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us?
 and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

Read this story of how Gideon defeated and destroyed the Midianites in Judges 6 and 7.

The angel of the Lord interceded against the enemies of Israel. It is believed that the angel of the Lord was Jesus, before he came in the flesh. He is the messenger of God, the Word of God, and the Son of God.

Jesus had this to say about Abraham.

John 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
John 8:57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

Jesus, the I AM has always helped his people.

Heb 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Heb 13:6  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. 


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Bible message here?

Stick with having ONE wife...