The Death Of Abraham And The Faithfulness Of God

We're going to consider two very simple, straightforward

things in our text today. The first is the death

of the patriarch, Abraham. We see this clearly

taking place. We see it in verses 1 through 11.

It's elaborated on in various ways. And then

we also are going to see and consider the transcendent

faithfulness of God in this. So we'll see that

Abraham lived faithfully, that he was a man of

faith, and really, this is what Abraham is known

for in the Bible, being an exemplar of faith,

a pilgrim with faith in this world, living faithfully,

with justifying faith in the promise or the gospel,

and having the righteousness of Christ imputed

or... reckoned to him. And we'll also see later

that it's not just that he had this faith, but

it's that this faith grew. And it was strengthened

progressively throughout his life. And that his

confidence and his assurance and his boldness

in the promise that God had given to him grows

over time as he nears and draws closer To death

over the years. But above this and above even

the faithfulness of the great patriarch. We see

over and over time and time again in the book

of Genesis and throughout the word of God. That

the scriptures primary purpose is not to reveal

so much what man is like or who man is. But the

scripture reveals to us who God himself is. And

his character. And the faithfulness of God himself.

The sovereignty and the divine character of God

himself. So over and above the faith of the patriarch.

We'll see this transcendent faithfulness of God

in the text. To the patriarch. But also to all

of God's covenant people. Throughout the ages.

Because of the gospel. Of Jesus Christ. Because

of the work. That the Lord Jesus Christ. Has

done. In his life. His death. And his resurrection.

So first. The death of the patriarch. Consider

the reality. That Abraham. The man of faith.

Died. Just stop there for a moment. And consider

that. If anyone throughout the scriptures was

going to be exempt from death, from the clutches

of the grave, we might think that it would be

the patriarch Abraham. We might think that it

would be this one that had fellowship and communion

with God for so long. This one that God called

out and used. This one that... that God brought

forth the Messiah from. One might think that

he would be exempt from the clutches of death.

But he's not. He dies. He goes to the grave.

He has to face that reality at the end of his

life. When it comes down to it, the patriarch

is what? He's a man. He dies. His life comes

to an end. He stops breathing. His heart stops

beating at some point in time. It's true. For

all those with faith, with the exception of a

few throughout history that God has spared for

various redemptive reasons. The best of men.

are men. And they go to the grave. Just like

every single person in this room will die. Just

like the patriarch died. I will meet my end one

day. Where will it be? I don't know. What will

I be doing? I don't know. Who will I be with?

I don't know. What will the circumstances and

the situation be? I don't know, brothers and

sisters, but I do know. I am going to die. I

know that reality. I know that's a fact. Being

a born -again Christian and having faith in the

Lord Jesus Christ and the work that He has accomplished

does not exempt us. From the difficulties. And

the trials. And the circumstances. That all men

face. That all men deal with. Being a believer.

Being given the gift of faith. Does not exempt

us. From the reality. Of death. But. The gift

of faith. Does enable believers. To. face that

reality in a way that honors the living God.

It enables the believer to come face to face

with that terrible reality that is meant to be

judgment against sin and to do so without fear

and without dread because that faith enables

them to look past that reality. to further and

more transcendent realities which are promised

in the gospel. So it doesn't exempt us from these

realities, but it enables the believer to face

these realities different than the unbelieving

world around us. And this is the case with Abraham.

Now Abraham knew he was going to die. Just like

he knew his wife Sarah, who died previously,

would one day die. And so we see in this text

that Abraham actually prepares to meet this reality.

We see this in several ways. We see it in the

fact that he gave gifts to his other sons. We

see this in the text. It says this, What Abraham

was doing in this is he was securing, to the

best of his ability, the goodwill of his sons

who will, who were potentially rival heirs for

Isaac and all that God had promised. He's blessing

them in the best ways that he can. Most likely

when it says the sons of his concubines, it's

referring to Keturah, who's mentioned in verse

1, but it's most likely referring to Ishmael's

mother as well, Hagar. I don't believe it's referring

to a harem of concubines, but it's referring

to these individuals who we've already encountered

throughout the narrative of Abraham's life. So

he gives gifts to his sons, his other sons. He

doesn't give them the inheritance. He reserves

this for Isaac. And then we see, That he gave

everything that he had to the son of promise,

Isaac. Because he believed that Isaac was the

sole heir of the blessing and the promise that

God had given to him. And then we see also that

he sent the other sons away from Isaac. What's

he doing there? He's protecting the promise.

He's protecting the blessing and the heir, Isaac

himself. And then lastly, we also see that he's

buried at Machpelah, which is facing Mamre, the

same place that Sarah is buried. He purchased

a burial plot that his wife used, that he would

use on many of his later... lineage would use

as well. He prepared and he readied himself for

death. He knew that it was coming. He knew that

it was approaching and that it would come. It

wasn't something that surprised him. He didn't

come to the end of his life and, oh, I'm going

to die. He knew it was coming. He knew it was

approaching, and he knew that he was approaching

that reality as well. He prepared and he readied

himself for it. Now, what was he like when death

came upon him? What was his condition in his

heart and his mind? What was his spiritual condition

and his spiritual state at the time of his death?

Well, the text tells us in verses 7 through 8.

It says in verse 8, Abraham breathed his last

and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied

with life. That word ripe means full. It carries

the idea that Abraham was full of blessing and

blessedness, happiness. In his heart, in his

mind, he was content with his life and the life

that he had lived up until that point as he faced

death. He was full, quantitatively and qualitatively,

of divine blessing and divine favor, and he was

conscious of that reality in his life. He knew.

That his life was the object of divine favor

and divine care. He understood this and he believed

this. Not just early in his life when he was

zealous. But he believed this later in his life

as he was nearing death. As his life was closing

and coming to an end. But it also says that he

was satisfied with... life. He wasn't seeking

to prolong his days. He wasn't discontent with

the fact that he was dying. He was satisfied

with the life that he had lived up to that point.

And he was satisfied with the reality that he

was passing from this world into the next. He

was content. He was full of peace. And he was

happy in the Lord, I believe. Listen to this

quote from John Calvin. He says, The chief part

of a good old age consists in this, a good conscience

and in a serene and tranquil mind. So, here's

Abraham who's 175 years old. Physically, he's

not at the strongest he's ever been. He's an

old man. He's frail. He's weak. He's brittle.

He knows that he's about to pass. Yet, inside

of himself, he's content and peaceful. He's joyful.

He knows that God has been faithful to him all

of these years. He knows that God has protected

him and watched over him, that God has preserved

him, that God has blessed him, that God has fellowshiped

with him, that God has communed with him, that

God has guided him, and God has directed him,

and he knows that that will not cease at the

grave. He knows, and he's confident, and he's

assured in his heart, his mind, and his soul,

and his affections, brothers and sisters. At

this time in his life. That God is watching over

him. Guiding him and directing him. And that

he is justified in the sight of a living God.

Because he has believed the promise that God

has given to him. That God would bless him in

future generations. He has believed what God

has said to him. begs the question, how in the

world is any person or how in the world is Abraham

able to be like this at the end of his life?

How is he able to look into the jaws of death

and look at the grave and do so confidently and

boldly with peace and contentment and tranquility

in his heart and his mind? How can any sane person

Do that. Well, what is Abraham known for, brothers

and sisters? Faith. Believing God. Everything

we see in this text points to the reality that

at the end of Abraham's life, his whole world

is oriented around the promise and what God has

said to him. Everything. Why is Machpelah facing

Mamre? Because God was faithful at Mamre. And

he knew that God would give him the land at Mamre.

Why did he send off his other sons? Because he's

protecting the promise. Why did he give everything

he had to Isaac? Because God had promised Isaac

would be the sole heir. He's believing the gospel,

brothers and sisters. And he's been transformed

and transformed and transformed over the years.

by that gospel, through his justifying faith.

As he has believed the gospel, he has been progressively

transformed over time in such a way that when

he comes to death, his affections are settled.

That when he comes to death, he's not tossed

off kilter to the left and tossed off kilter

to the right, but he's steady. Because he's resting

in the steadfast faithfulness of the living God

who has proved his faithfulness time and time

again in his life. He's believing what God has

said to him. This is why we read in the book

of Romans that Abraham actually grows stronger

in faith. as he progressively ages. Listen to

this in Romans chapter 4. In hope against hope,

Romans 4 · chapter mention

he believed. Speaking of Abraham. So that he

might become a father of many nations. According

to that which had been spoken to him, so shall

your descendants be. The promise, the gospel,

which God has given to him. Without becoming

weak in faith, He contemplated his own body,

now as good as dead since he was about a hundred

years old, in the deadness of Sarah's womb. But

listen to this. Yet, with respect to the promise

of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew

strong in faith, giving glory to God and being

fully assured. That what God had promised, he

was able to perform. He grew strong in faith

as he drew closer to death. Even though our physical

situation digresses. Brothers and sisters, the

inner man. That is wholly and completely strengthened

and oriented. And built on and blessed by and

through faith. Can grow strong over time. Can

progressively increase in strength. And be formed

more and more into the image and the likeness

of Jesus Christ. This is why 2 Corinthians chapter

2 Corinthians 4 · chapter mention

4 talks about. being inwardly renewed day by

day. The Spirit of God changes us and transforms

us. This was the reality for Abraham. He finished

well by faith. And, brothers and sisters, he

went to the grave and he died in faith. Why is

faith so important for the life and the death

of the believer? Because if we want to come to

the end of our lives, and we want to have a good

conscience, we want to have confidence and boldness,

we want to be free of fear, and we want to die

well and honor God in our death. then brothers

and sisters, we have to believe in a righteousness

that is not our own. We have to believe in a

righteousness that is alien and foreign to ourselves.

A righteousness that is perfect and complete.

The righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because

only in His righteousness can we find perfect

standing in the sight of God where we are free

of condemnation. But if we have that faith, that

Abraham had justifying, saving faith, at the

end of our life, we can look at death and say,

you have no place in me. You have no claim on

me. I know my future. I know my fate. I know

where I'm going. I know what Christ has done.

I know what justification means. I know who I

am in Christ. We can come to the end of our life

wielding the same kind of faith that Abraham

came to the grave with. And we can die well with

boldness and confidence. It's only by trusting

in a perfect righteousness, the righteousness

of Christ, that any sinner can confidently look

at death and say, I do not fear. We are sinners,

brothers and sisters. And why does death exist?

Because of sin and God's judgment against sin

in the world. But listen. Because of the work

of Christ and the righteousness of the Lord Jesus.

The curse only brings us to the grave. It ushers

us into the very presence of God though. So we

can look at it boldly. And we can face it in

Christ and His righteousness. Faith is the only

way of being sanctified. And growing in this

life. where we're transformed and changed as

Abraham was transformed and changed, that we

might have settled heart affections when we come

to our death. Yes, justification is by faith,

brothers and sisters, but we mustn't ever forget

that sanctification is by faith as well. It's

not just that we have to believe the gospel.

To be saved. To be brought into right standing

with God. To be declared as though we're not

a sinner. To be declared righteous in His standing.

But brothers and sisters, we have to continue

to believe and exercise our faith that God would

sanctify us and transform us progressively in

this life so that when we come to the end of

our life, our inner man is stronger than he used

to be. That's by faith. Faith is vital for living

well, but we can't forget that faith is vital

for dying well also. It's only faith that is

able to look beyond the grave. And to see realities

which God has promised in the gospel. The carnal

man, the man outside of Christ, doesn't look

that far. He sees his life. He sees what's going

on, what he has, what he doesn't have, his situation.

And he's very, very limited in his sight. And

when he comes to his death, He sees the grave.

Most likely with a tormented conscience or so

satiated by the things of this world that he's

deceived himself into thinking he's done no wrong

or that there is no maker. But the Christian

can come to the grave and see beyond the grave.

And see beyond death knowing what is to come

because of the gospel and the promises that God

has made in Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters,

we can look with the eye of faith and see the

power of the living God. And see the resurrection

power of God to raise us on the last day. With

the eye of faith, we can look at the grave, we

can look at our lives, and we can see that He

changes and He transforms through faith. We can

look beyond the grave and see that even saints,

that saints go and be with their Father into

a sweeter, greater fellowship to such a degree

that Paul can say in 2 Corinthians 5 to go and

be at home with the Lord. Philippians chapter

Philippians 1 · chapter mention

1, you can say, to live is Christ and to die

is gain. That's all by faith. We can't look at

death, think about death with the carnal eye

or according to the flesh. It will bring us to

despair and hopelessness. But if we look at the

grave with the eye of faith, brothers and sisters,

there is great hope. There is great encouragement,

there is great strength, and there is great confidence

that can be free of fear because of the gifts

that God has given to us as a result of the gospel

of Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters, Abraham

was the man of faith. Yet he died. But he did

believe at the end of his life. This brings us

to the second thing we have to consider this

morning. The transcendent faithfulness of God.

When we think about faith and the faithfulness

of God, have you ever considered the reality

that our faith and what we believe as Christians

would be absolutely and completely vain? useless,

and pointless, and to no end, to no avail, if

God himself were not faithful to his promises.

Our faith would be meaningless if we're not built

on the foundation of God's own faithfulness to

his promises. We see this in the text. Yes, Abraham

was the man of faith. But his faith would have

been worthless and vain if God himself were not

true to his word. If God himself were not faithful

to the promises that he has made to the man of

faith. The reason we can believe is because of

the faithfulness of God himself. Consider that

God was faithful to Abraham throughout his life.

Just think about the whole of Abraham's life

and the Abraham narrative in the book of Genesis.

Think about how faithful God was to him. He calls

him out of this pagan world and this pagan society

and this pagan lifestyle, brothers and sisters.

He comes to Abraham and calls him out. Abraham

doesn't go looking for the Lord. And then he

gives him this promise graciously. He didn't

have to give him this promise. He watches over

Abraham throughout the years. He guides him.

He meets with him. He fellowships with him. He

blesses him. Think about the abundant blessings

in the life of Abraham. His progeny and descendants.

Think about his wealth and his influence in that

world. And we can read in the Psalms how God

protected him and guided him as a prophet and

as the patriarch and as his people. God was faithful

to him throughout his life. But we also have

to consider that God was faithful to Abraham

up to his death. All the way up to his death.

Now remember the description that it gives us

of how Abraham died? That is... A direct fulfillment

of a promise that God makes to Abraham in Genesis

Genesis 15:15

chapter 15, verse 15. Listen to this. As for

you, this is the Lord speaking to Abraham. As

for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace

and you will be buried at a good old age. God

promised Abraham that he would die well. God

promised Abraham that he would die at a ripe

old age. And he brought it about. He accomplished

it. He was faithful to the patriarch up to his

death. But we also see, brothers and sisters,

that his faithfulness did not cease when Abraham

died. We read in the book of Matthew, and we'll

go ahead and turn there briefly. In Matthew 22,

31 through 32, we read this. This is the Sadducees

coming and approaching Jesus and talking to Him

about the resurrection. And they didn't believe

in the resurrection. And here's some of the things

that Jesus says. But regarding the resurrection

of the dead, have you not read what was spoken

to you by God? I am the God of Abraham, and the

God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And listen

to what the Lord says. He is not the God of the

dead, but of the living. God, following the Exodus,

when he says, I am, in the present tense, not

I was, I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

After Abraham's death, when Moses is speaking

to God in the burning bush, God says, I am the

God of Abraham. Meaning, I am now the God of

the patriarch. Even though he may physically

be dead, he may physically be in the ground,

he is still in fellowship and communion with

me. He is still the God of Abraham. There's a

reason, brothers and sisters, that paradise or

heaven is called... Abraham's bosom because he

is in fellowship with the living God now in a

different form, in a different sphere, in a different

way than he was physically in this world when

he walked as the patriarch by faith. God's faithfulness

to Abraham continued in death. It didn't stop

when he died. We even see that God was faithful

to his word that he gave to Abraham after he

died. When we consider Genesis 25 and we think

about the lineage of Ishmael and the kings and

the nations and the leaders and the things that

would come as a result of Ishmael's in Ishmael's

offspring and his children. And it specifically

says that there was 12 tribes that came from

Ishmael. Now, Ishmael outlived Abraham by many

years. Abraham dies, and then Ishmael continues,

and then he dies many later years after Ishmael,

after Abraham does. This is important. Because

it's not just listing the lineage and the offspring

of Ishmael for no reason. Why is the author doing

this? Because God had made a promise to Abraham

regarding Ishmael and his offspring in Genesis

Genesis 17 · chapter mention

chapter 17. He said in Genesis 17 verses 18 through

Genesis 17:18–20

20, And Abraham said to God, Oh, that Ishmael

might live before you. But God said, No, but

Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son, and you

shall call his name Isaac. And I will establish

my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant

for his descendants after him. As for Ishmael,

I have heard you. Behold, I will bless him and

will make him fruitful and will multiply him

exceedingly. He shall become the father of twelve

princes. And I will make him a great nation.

Now Abraham died. But God keeps his word to Ishmael

following Abraham's death. God is good to his

word even after the patriarch has exited the

scene. And then we see in verse 11 that God blesses

Isaac. As he told Abraham he would. God is faithful

to the promise throughout the generations. The

faithfulness of our God, His mighty faithfulness,

brothers and sisters, transcends circumstances,

situations, problems, and even people. It transcends

the grave, brothers and sisters. What can hold

back the faithfulness of God to His covenant

people? What can stay the hand of our sovereign

God who has said, I will be faithful to my people?

What can keep Him? What can hinder Him? from

bringing about His purposes and His plans in

this world for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Can

we, as sinners, hold back the faithfulness of

God in our own lives? Can our sin and our frailty,

can our weakness, can our lack of faith hinder

the faithfulness of God in our lives? Can we

constrain the mighty, powerful, sovereign, faithful

hand of the living God? No, brothers and sisters.

He will accomplish His purposes. His faithfulness

transcends all of these things. Many times in

my own life, I find myself overestimating my

ability to keep God from doing something. And

underestimate God's ability to bring about his

purposes in my life or in that situation. Do

you know why that is, brothers and sisters? That's

because of the remnant of sin that dwells within

me. That's because of the remnant of sin that

dwells within you. That we underestimate the

faithfulness and the power. And the divinity

of God himself. And we make him like a man. And

we overestimate. Our significance. And our importance.

And our ability. Or our inability. Can we. Hold

back. The transcendent. Faithful hand. Of the

sovereign God. No. Can our enemies. Hold back

the faithfulness of God. Can the world, the flesh,

or the devil? Can Satan thwart God's gospel purposes

in your life? Can Satan thwart God's gospel purposes

in this world for the church? No, brothers and

sisters. Our enemies cannot hold back the faithful

hand of God. Can death hold back the faithfulness

of God in the life of His covenant people? Can

our weakness and frailty in our old age keep

the hand of God from accomplishing His divine

purposes in our lives? No, brothers and sisters.

None can hold back. None can keep the faithfulness

of God from being brought about. God is faithful.

And it transcends every situation, every circumstance,

every enemy, every hardship, every child, and

even death, brothers and sisters. Why? Because

of the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The work that He has accomplished in the Gospel.

The glorious Gospel of God. Christ was faithful.

And God is faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ.

And that means, brothers and sisters, that God

is faithful to all those in Christ. All His covenant

people. And He will be so perfectly for all time,

even beyond the grave.