Genesis 25 gives us a lot of information about the later life of Abraham and his sons! While his sons Ishmael and Isaac seem to be the main branches of the family tree, they were by no means the only branches. After the death of Sarah, Abraham marries Keturah and lives on to the ripe old age of 175 years! By the time of his death, Keturah gives him another six sons!

Although Hagar and Ishmael had been separated from the family many years before, there was obviously still some contact between them because when Abraham died both Isaac and Ishmael were involved in his burial in the cave of Machpelah where he had buried Sarah.

Vera is one of 11 children and I am one of seven, so with four daughters and one son, our family didn’t seem to be too large, but Ishmael lived on to be 137 years old and he had 12 sons, and no doubt, a smattering of daughters! And so the promise of God to Abraham to multiply his descendants begins to be fulfilled.

What a blessing our families are! The family circle is a source of much that is meaningful in our lives! Although there may be times when families don’t seem to be very closely knit units, they are really a large part of what shapes our lives. God’s family is also a family that shapes our lives, and it spans the globe! Although there are sad times caused by separation and death, someday soon Jesus is coming and there will be a grand family reunion that will last for eternity. How important it is that we remain true to the principles that govern God’s family today!

Have a great day family!