As we look into Abraham’s death to discover how we can live a good life and be ready for death when it comes, many of us focus on what we leave behind. Legacy is incredibly important to us and we will talk about Abraham’s legacy, and how we can have a long lasting legacy.
In my last issue, I discussed Abraham’s major life adjustments after Sarah’s death and his marriage to Keturah. Now we come to the final chapter of Abraham’s earthly story – his death and the legacy he left behind.
We all must face death when our time comes, and Abraham’s death teaches us valuable lessons about how to live well and die well. Let’s examine what we can learn from the end of Abraham’s remarkable life.
The Circumstances of Abraham’s Death (Genesis 25:7-10)
We spent a lot of time in Genesis 1-11 and saw how people lived for centuries at a time. People are living less than that in Abraham’s time. Before Abraham’s death, he lives a good, long life of 175 years. I think any of us would love to live that long.
It is not just the longevity of Abraham’s life that is so impressive. He doesn’t just live life. He lives life well. He has a life full of goodness and favor. Any of us would want to live a life like Abraham lived. How we get there is the key.
It’s one thing to live a long life. It’s another thing to live a good and full life. It is the kind of life that leads into the next phase, death. We don’t like to talk about that because no one looks forward to dying. It is different for believers in Jesus.
Many people view death as the end of all things. Atheists do not believe anything happens after death. It seems like such a waste to think that way. Why would we live for just 70 or more years and that is all? Is all we have just this life? Legacy becomes even more important then.
As believers in Christ, we know this is not the end. Death is a doorway to eternity. We walked from this life into the arms of Jesus. He has a place for us (John 14:1-30). There is so much more to life than just the end in death.
Abraham has the same kind of life and death. He was ready for death because of how he lived. We can be ready for death too. How we live our life matters a great deal. It doesn’t just matter for today. It matters for eternity.
When you live a full life of joy, challenges, overcoming, and a deep relationship with the Lord like Abraham, death is not a negative event. Abraham is surrounded by his family and friends in his death. He does not die alone.
The Bible uses the phrase, “Gathered to your people” to describe the end-of-life and the fact that people do not die alone. You can find it throughout the Bible (e.g. Genesis 25:8; 35:29; 49:29, 33; Members 20:24; 27:13; 31:2; Deuteronomy 32:50).
It is just another reward for a good, long life. It is a blessing port upon the other blessings of your life. Before Ishmael and Isaac were born, Abraham did not know he would have an heir because Sarah was barren. Instead, he dies with at least two sons and a legacy of being the father of many nations.
It just goes to show that when you live for God and live a life of faith and trust in Him, He writes a greater story for your life than you could ever have imagined. Abraham’s sons, Isaac and Ishmael, bury their father alongside Sarah.
The area in Machpelah is the plot of ground Abraham bought to bury Sarah. He was preparing for his own death as well. This was the beginning of the land God would give to his descendants. Abraham planned for his death. We must prepare for ours when the time comes.
Wouldn’t it be nice to decide the time and circumstances of your death? That’s not how life works. Only God knows when each of our times come. We can be prepared for them by living a life dedicated to Him now.
Like Abraham, you can build a legacy for yourself. Some people build a legacy of wealth and philanthropy. Others have large families that will last for generations. The greatest legacy we can have is to know God, serve Him, and bring others into His Kingdom. Our legacy on earth is determined by our perspective and priorities.
Although nobody thinks of it this way, death can be a beautiful event. It certainly was for Abraham. The man who thought he would not have children was buried by his two sons. You can determine your legacy. What does yours look like right now?
Abraham’s Legacy after His Death (Genesis 25:11-18)
We are looking at the life lessons we can learn from Abraham’s death. Abraham’s legacy was much more than he could have ever imagined. Genesis 25:11-18 describes his legacy through his children.
It begins by telling us in a short sentence that Isaac was greatly blessed by God. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing to know that God would bless your children in the same ways He has blessed you all these years? God does not have to pour out His blessing. He does it out of love and grace.
Part of the legacy you can leave for your children is to show them the benefits and fruits of a life lived for God’s glory. Train them up in the ways of God and they will not soon forget it (Proverbs 22:6). Show them how to live the best life for God.
Next, Moses gives us the genealogy of Ishmael. I think we often forget about Ishmael because Isaac is the promised son. Do not forget that God promised Hagar that Ishmael would also be blessed (Genesis 16:10-12). We see the abundance of his life through his genealogy.
Ishmael has 12 sons who become princes. He himself lives a nice long life of 137 years. He also is gathered to his people in his death. Even this cursory entrance of the rest of Ishmael’s life in a few short verses shows that he lived a blessed life as well.
I am sure Abraham would have been very blessed to know that his sons lived in such a way. You don’t know how many people you influence throughout your life. Sometimes you are intentional about influencing others.
But many times I don’t think we realize how many people we have influenced. This sure surprises me every time someone tells me I have influence them or inspired them.
Moses then tells us Isaac’s genealogy. Think of Isaac as the book ends of this blessing of Abraham’s children. Isaac is mentioned briefly in Genesis 5. Then Genesis 25:12-16 gives Ishmael’s life story.
Finally, Moses gives us the genealogy of Isaac. We will be studying life lessons from Isaac in Volume 6 coming up next. We will look at this genealogy in more detail then.
Let us remember that it is all for God’s glory. Our legacy is the culmination of living for God’s glory in this life. We do not get to decide how long we live, but we can decide how we live. We cannot force the way people will remember us, but we can make impressions upon people that last the test of time.
Abraham’s death was a good one. It was because of how he lived his life. He influenced his children and countless men and women in his household. Let us not forget all the people Abraham interacted with as we have covered throughout this volume of his life lessons for us. He affected them too.
Life Lessons from Abraham’s Death
As we look at Abraham’s death, there are a number of life lessons we can glean. First, you determine your legacy. Legacy is built over time. It is based on your character and actions with other people. Think of it this way: influence now is legacy later.
Everything you do affects your legacy. The people you influence – family, friends, and strangers – changes the way they see you and react to you. Abraham showed us that a life with much influence increased his reach and ability to bless others.
What kind of legacy are you leaving? Are you raising children who know the Lord and will continue walking with Him after you are gone? Are you investing in others who will carry on the work God has given you to do?
Abraham’s greatest legacy wasn’t his wealth or reputation. It was his faith. He became the father of all who believe. Thousands of years later, we’re still learning from his example of what it means to trust God completely.
You should ask yourself: What will people remember about you after you are gone? Will they remember your faith in God? Will they remember how you trusted Him in difficult times? Will they remember your obedience to His calling?
Next, Abraham shows us what it means to live a full and satisfied life. He didn’t just live a long time – he lived well. When the Bible says he was “full of years,” it suggests he was content with what God had done in and through his life.
How do we live a full life like Abraham? We live by faith, trusting God’s promises even when we can’t see how He will fulfill them. We obey God’s calling on our lives, even when it’s difficult or doesn’t make sense to others. We maintain our relationship with God through good times and bad times.
Abraham saw many of God’s promises fulfilled in his lifetime. He had the promised son through Sarah. He enjoyed great wealth. His name became great, just as God had promised. He was a blessing to others and was blessed by others.
Abraham also died before seeing the complete fulfillment of God’s promises. He never saw his descendants become as numerous as the stars or possess the entire Promised Land. Yet he died satisfied because he trusted God to fulfill what He had promised, even if it happened after he was gone.
We can learn from Abraham’s contentment. You don’t have to see every promise fulfilled in your lifetime to die satisfied. You can trust God to continue His work through others after you are gone. Like Abraham, you can die full of faith and full of years, even if not all your dreams have been realized.
Abraham’s death also reminds us that God’s promises continue beyond our lives. God’s covenant with Abraham didn’t end when Abraham died. It continued through Isaac and continues today through all who have faith in Christ. This should encourage us when we feel like we’re not seeing the full impact of our faithfulness. God can use our obedience and faithfulness to impact generations we’ll never meet.
Like Abraham, we may plant seeds that won’t fully grow until after we’re gone. We may start ministries that won’t reach their full potential until others take them over. We may invest in people who won’t reach their full impact until long after we’ve moved on.
Abraham died before seeing his descendants become a great nation, but his faithfulness made it possible. We can trust God to continue working through our faithfulness long after we’re no longer here to see it.
Another lesson Abraham’s death teaches us is about so that heading family reconciliation. Even though Isaac and Ishmael had been separated for years and had different mothers who didn’t get along, they came together to honor their father.
People will Sometimes it takes a death in the family to remind us what’s really important. Petty disagreements and old grudges seem less significant when we’re standing at a loved one’s grave. Abraham’s death brought his sons together, at least temporarily.
We don’t have to wait for death to reconcile with family members. We can reach out now to heal broken relationships. We can choose forgiveness over bitterness. We can prioritize relationships over pride. If you have family members you’re not speaking to, Abraham’s death should encourage you to make things right while you still can. Life is too short to hold grudges, especially with family.
Finally, we can learn from Abraham’s death that death comes to us all, but how we prepare makes all the difference. No one knows when their time on earth is finished. You can prepare for that day now.
Abraham’s death reminds us that everyone faces death, no matter how faithful they are. Abraham walked with God for 100 years after God first called him. He saw miracles. He was called God’s friend. But he still died like everyone else.
Death is not punishment for Abraham or for us if we know the Lord. Death is simply the transition from this life to the next. For those who have faith like Abraham, death is being “gathered to our people” – it’s a reunion, not an ending.
We don’t have to fear death if we have faith like Abraham. We can face death with peace, knowing we’re going home to be with the Lord and with all those who have gone before us.
This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t value life or take care of our health. But we don’t have to live in fear of death. We can live boldly for God, knowing that whether we live or die, we belong to Him. The question isn’t how long we’ll live, but how well we’ll live and where we’ll spend eternity.
The Saga Continues…
We are almost finished with this volume on life of Abraham and the lessons we can learn from him. We have one more issue to go where we talk about how the New Testament describes the’s enterprise Abraham’s life to believers today.
