旧约 - 创世记(Genesis)第25章

Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah.
She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah.
Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan; the descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites and the Leummites.
The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.
Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac.
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.
Altogether, Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years.
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.
His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite,
the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah.
After Abraham's death, God blessed his son Isaac, who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.
This is the account of Abraham's son Ishmael, whom Sarah's maidservant, Hagar the Egyptian, bore to Abraham.
These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,
Mishma, Dumah, Massa,
Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah.
These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers according to their settlements and camps.
Altogether, Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people.
His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the border of Egypt, as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.
This is the account of Abraham's son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac,
and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean.
Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.
The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, "Why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the LORD.
The LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger."
When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb.
The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau.
After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.
The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was a quiet man, staying among the tents.
Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished.
He said to Jacob, "Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I'm famished!" (That is why he was also called Edom.)
Jacob replied, "First sell me your birthright."
"Look, I am about to die," Esau said. "What good is the birthright to me?"
But Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.
Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.
创世记第廿五章   第 25 章 

  创 25:1-6> 亚伯拉罕的继室── 

  25:1-6 亚伯拉罕在撒拉死后娶了基土拉作为继室。她给亚伯拉罕带来的儿孙虽然从亚伯拉罕得到许多财物,但他的一切产业和权柄都归于他的承继人以撒。 

  创 25:21> 让祷告来承托生活每一部分,我立即想起要祈求的是…… 

  25:21 以撒恳求神赐他儿女,圣经也鼓励我们为自己个人的事和重要的事向神恳求。神希望应我们所求,但神要我们向祂祈求。不过有时神可能暂时不应允我们的祷告,目的是要:( 1 )使我们更认识自己真正的需要;( 2 )使我们更晓得感谢祂;( 3 )使我们更加成熟,更有智慧运用祂的赏赐。 

  创 25:31-34> 以扫为了一些微不足道的事而忽略了属灵的福分;我又怎样? 

  25:31-34 长子名分是给头生儿子的特别尊荣,包括将来成为族长并承继家族的双份产业。长子可以按照自己的意愿,出卖或放弃这个名分,但这样他会失去双份产业和领袖地位。以扫出卖长子名分,显出他无视属于长子的属灵福分,实际上他轻看了长子名分( 25:34 )。 

  创 25:32-33> 胜过短暂的压力,是克服试探的关键。但有时真难忍受,不知道怎办好…… 

  25:32-33 以扫为眼前的一点食物,而出卖他长子名分的永远福分。这是冲动的行为,只为满足暂时的欲望,而没有考虑长远的后果。我们也会跌入同样的陷阱中。当我们看到某些渴望拥有的东西时,第一个冲动就是要得到它。开头我们会感到满足,有时甚至觉得自己满有能力,因为我们能得到自己想要得到的东西。但即时的满足往往叫我们失去长远的眼光。不过,只要我们在行动之前比较一下短期的满足感和它的长远后果,我们就能避免重蹈以扫的覆辙。 

  以扫把肚子饿的情况夸大了,觉得自己快要饿死,这种看法使他很容易作出错误的选择,即如果他快要饿死,得到产业又有什么好处?他目前所受的压力影响了他的想法,以为要立刻作出抉择。我们也会常常受到类似的压力。例如,当我们欲火焚身时,婚姻的誓言就似乎显得不重要了。当我们觉得某方面的压力大,其他的事情似乎不再重要时,就容易失去理性。胜过这短暂的压力,是克服试探的关键。──《灵修版圣经注释》