And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac.
One line settles the future of Abraham's household. Everything he owns goes to one son. The other children receive gifts and leave. Commentators read this as more than a will. It is a picture of sonship, inheritance, and the place Christ holds.
The verse splits Abraham's family into two groups. The difference is not between something and nothing. It is between a gift and an inheritance.
Scripture still says, "Abraham gave all he had to Isaac." The risen son is the heir of all things. And if we belong to Christ, we are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. But to the sons of the concubines that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away. They receive gifts, not the inheritance of the promises. They are sent away, instead of staying in the house forever, as the son does.
Every one of Abraham's children could call him father. Only one held the position of son.
Child tells of the birth-tie between the parent and the child, and nothing is closer than that. Son speaks of the position enjoyed before others: "not a servant, but a son" (Gal. 4:7)... Abraham had several children by his wife Keturah, as well as Isaac by Sarah. All of them could call him father; all were his children; but Isaac alone had the privilege and position of his son. He gave all he had to Isaac (Gen. 25:5), and everyone knew Isaac as his son. The inheritance was his, and his alone (Gen. 24:36). To be Abraham's offspring was one thing; to be his son was quite another.
The pattern does not stop with Isaac. Jesus speaks of what the Father has given Him in the same terms.
Abraham had given all things to Isaac as the only heir. His other children received presents only, and he sent them to the east country (24:36 and 25:5-6). So all the treasures belonged to Isaac. It is the same with Christ. He could say, "All that the Father has is mine" (John 16:15), and, "The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand" (John 3:35).
What Christ inherits reaches far beyond one household's property.
First, He is "Heir of all things." Everything we can imagine is His by right and by gift. His earthly people Israel; all the nations joined with His people in blessing in the millennium; the Church, which is the Bride, the Lamb's wife. Everything is His as Heir and Lord of all. God has put all into His hands, as Abraham gave all his possessions to his son Isaac.
Sarah once demanded in anger that her son alone be heir. Abraham's will ended up matching her words.
Until we enter into God's thoughts in giving us the Scriptures, how impossible it is to find a profound spiritual truth here. It looked like nothing more than the passionate speech of an angry woman: "the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac." And so it happened in history. "Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac." Isaac was heir according to God's original promise (Gen. 15:4). Others might have gifts, and do well; but nothing would satisfy Sarah except the heirship for her son. It is the same now. Men are content with an outward knowledge of Christ and the many gifts they get by it. But they stand entirely apart from the true heirs of God.
The sons sent away are not written off. Their place in other lands has its own meaning.
In that day of glory, the King of Israel will be the God of the whole earth... If Israel is honoured by Him, all the nations will be blessed in Him. He is the light for the nations, as He is the glory of His people Israel. Keturah's children, settled in other lands, speak of this mystery. They will be second to Israel, true; but they will still be chosen and loved.
Abraham kept his other sons away from the inheritance. Christ does the opposite.
This is a beautiful picture of the Father and Son. Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. He sent his other sons away eastward so that they would not inherit along with him (Gen. 25:5-6). It is in contrast to this that the grace and love of Christ shine out. He brings others in to share all He owns, as His loved brothers and co-heirs.
- Gifts — the other sons got presents and a send-off; only one son got the estate. Kindness is not the same as inheritance.
- Sonship — all Abraham's children shared his blood. Only sonship carried the position and the property.
- The Son — the pattern points to Christ: the Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand, so that He is Heir of all things.
- Reach — the sons sent east are not forgotten. The nations share in blessing, though it comes through the chosen line.
- Better — Abraham kept the others away from Isaac's inheritance. Christ does the reverse. He brings His own in as co-heirs, to share everything He owns.
And to the sons of the concubines that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and, while he yet lived, sent them away from Isaac his son, eastward to the east country.
At the end of his life Abraham settles everything himself, while he is still alive. Isaac keeps all. The other sons receive gifts and go east. Why give generously to sons you are also sending away?
One writer shows that the wording here rules out an old idea: that Keturah was really Hagar.
The Jewish tradition that Keturah was Hagar has no proof, and verse 6 sets it aside. It speaks of "the sons of his concubines." Hagar was one, and Keturah was the other. I do not think this means she held that place at any time during Sarah's life. It marks her lower position. 1 Chronicles 1:32 calls Keturah Abraham's "concubine," while Genesis 16:3 calls Hagar his "wife."
All of these boys were Abraham's offspring. That is not the same as holding the place of the son:
A word here on the meaning of these terms. Child speaks of the birth link between a parent and the child, and nothing is closer than that. Son speaks of the position held in front of others. Abraham had several children by his wife Keturah, as well as Isaac by Sarah. All of them could call him father; all were his children; but Isaac alone had the privilege and position of his son. He gave all he had to Isaac (Gen. 25:5), and everyone knew Isaac as his son. The inheritance was his, and his alone (Gen. 24:36). To be Abraham's offspring was one thing; to be his son was quite another.
The verse separates two kinds of receiving: gifts that are given, and a place in the house that never ends:
Still it is written that "Abraham gave all he had to Isaac." The risen son is the heir of all things; and if we are of Christ, then we are Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise. But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away. They receive gifts, not the inheritance of the promises. They do not stay in the house forever, as the son does; Abraham sends them away.
Another writer brings the contrast up to today:
Isaac was "heir" according to God's original promise (Gen. 15:4). Others might have gifts and do well, but nothing would satisfy Sarah except the place of heir for her son. It is the same now. People are content with an outside knowledge of Christ and the many gifts they get from it, yet they stand completely apart from the true heirs of God.
Isaac's whole portion points to someone greater:
So Isaac stands before us as a picture of the declared heir of all things (Heb. 1:2). This title, of course, belongs only in its full sense to Jesus the Son of God. As the Creator of all, it is fitting that He should inherit all (Heb. 1). Through redemption, having paid the price for it (Heb. 2), He will take all in the day of displayed glory, as the exalted Son of Man.
Being sent east does not mean abandonment. Writers see in these scattered families a picture of far-off nations blessed in the coming age of God's kingdom on earth:
In these children of the second wife we get a picture of the millennial nations. They are the nations that will fill the earth in the days of the kingdom, branches of the great family of God in that day, and children of Abraham. They may lie far off, at the ends of the earth. But they will have their portions, and God will own them as part of the one extended millennial family. "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people," shall be said to them.
One writer points to where some of these names appear again:
Though God's prime interests are centred in His Son and the bride His Son receives, He does not forget His kindness toward Gentile nations... The names Midian, Ephah and Sheba appear in Isaiah 60:6, where the prophet speaks of Gentile nations converted in the coming millennial age.
Christ does the opposite:
In the beautiful picture of the Father and Son, we read that Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. He sent his other sons away eastward, so that they should not inherit along with him (Gen. 25:5-6). Against this, the grace and love of Christ shine out. He brings others in to share all He has, as His loved brothers and co-heirs.
- Place — Keturah is called a concubine. This verse itself shows she was not Hagar, and the word marks her lower standing.
- Gift — the other sons receive real gifts. But gifts are not the inheritance of the promises.
- Son — all of them could call Abraham father. Only Isaac held the position of son, so only he received everything.
- Distance — sent east, they are still provided for. They picture far-off nations counted as Abraham's children.
- Contrast — Christ reverses the pattern. He does not send others away; He brings them in to share all He has as co-heirs.