Genesis 25:5 & 6 records that to Isaac, his promised son, Abraham gave all that he had, but unto the sons of his concubines, Abraham gave gifts and sent them away from Isaac his son. Abraham’s son, knew that there was a likelihood of conflicts to ensue between Isaac and his other step-brothers, probably because of his experience with Ishmael, the son he had through the Egyptian maid servant, Hagar. Ishmael mocked Isaac (Genesis 21:9) which was noticed by Sarah. Now, Abraham does not want to repeat that and so he sends his other children away to protect his son, Isaac, because he loved him. If only his grandson, Jacob had followed suit, the conflict between the brothers of Joseph and Joseph may have been curtailed, though we learn later that it was God’s sovereign design for that conflict between Joseph and his brothers to happen.
Points to ponder:
We see that because Abraham loved his son, he sent potential conflict away. While we can learn this concept of avoiding conflict for our personal and professional lives, we must not fail to recognize how great God’s love was and is for us. For we learn from the scripture, that because God our Father, loved us so much, he sent his only begotten Son, whom he loved and with whom he was well pleased, not away from conflict, but right into conflict – to redeem our souls from the devil. Greater love, God had for us than anyone else, even while we were sinners and enemies of God.
God loved you and me so much that he sent his Son, Jesus, into conflict for us. Are you and I willing to love God in return and submit to the Spirit of God that is in conflict with the flesh?
Genesis 25:5-6 (KJV)
5 And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.
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.
