“Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. 3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan; the descendants of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.5 Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. 6 But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east.7 Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, 10 the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.” NIV

‘’After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac’’ (11).

I was sad to hear recently that Christopher Plummer had died at the age of 91 – the Canadian-born actor whose most famous role was that of Captain Von Trapp in ‘the Sound of Music’. I wrote in my journal that it felt like the end of an era. It was a poignant reminder that the most famous and well-beloved are eventually born away by death.  All the Biblical heroes were mortal. They lived in a fallen world, and even when they lived for a long time, they eventually had to take their leave. Abraham has dominated the Genesis story for many chapters, but now it is the end of an era.

‘The centre of attention now shifts from Abraham to Isaac…Abraham distinguished Isaac from his other sons: he gave them generous gifts, but he made Isaac his heir (v.5,24:35). God gives good things to unsaved people (Matt.5:45; Acts 14:17, 17:25), but only those who are His children through faith in Christ, can claim their inheritance (See Rom.8:17; Eph.3:6;Heb.1:2)’. Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘With the Word’, p.33.

The death of a loved one, such as a spouse or a parent, is a grievous blow. The pain cuts deep and there is no need to pretend otherwise. The wound may never fully heal, but if we are to go on living we have to adjust to the new situation. There is nothing truer than this – life goes on, and we must too. For as long as we live and breathe God has plans for us. As Abraham had a life following the death of Sarah (much as he loved her dearly), so life went on for Isaac after his dad died.

It was the end of one era, but the beginning of another.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, amid life’s changing ‘seasons’, you remain a constant. In spite of hurts and losses that mark our ways, help us to keep you ever before our eyes.