Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.
Abraham was nearing the age of 140 years
(cf. Gen 21:5). In our culture 30 years of age is considered “well advanced in
age” by a younger generation. It had almost been 65 years since leaving the
land of his nativity (Gen 12:4). Sarah passed away when he was 137; he was
roughly 10 years older than Sarah (Gen 23:1), and Isaac their son was
approaching 40 (cf. Gen 25:20) and still unmarried. A miraculous birth required
a miraculous wife, and this is what Genesis 24 is all about. But today think
about the clause, “The LORD had blessed Abraham in all things”, and he will
live on to be 175 (Gen 25:7)!
Abraham wasn’t perfect by any
stretch because he carried the sin of Adam as we all do. But he made a choice
to serve God rather than himself, and this is what made him a great man of
faith. But God had blessed him not just in some things whenever faith cropped
up but in all things. His life was a bountiful harvest of faith; Abraham lived
a life pleasing to God. Without faith, we learn that it is impossible to please
God (Heb 11:6), yes?
Blessed in all things is well situated
here in verse 1 of this chapter because God is going to continue to bless him
in picking a wife out for Isaac, a woman like Sarah, from Abraham’s homeland.
What a difference a godly woman makes in the life of a godly man. What a
difference faith makes in a life that chooses God over a life lived only for
self.
Blessed in all things includes spiritual
blessings here. Without the spiritual blessings behind the material blessings, life
is only lived for self, a lifestyle without substance. There is no legacy,
except in the eyes of a world that is passing away, but like Abraham, he who
does the will of God abides forever (1 Jn 2:17). <><
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