We learn something new about Abraham in Chapter 25. He took another wife after the death of Sarah.
The Bible tells us that Sarah was one hundred and twenty-seven years old when she died, but Abraham will be one hundred and seventy-five when he dies. There was about a ten year age gap between them, so this means Abraham lived thirty-eight more years after the death of his wife. We don't know how soon he remarried after the death of Sarah but he had enough time to father six more sons. He probably had daughters too but the Bible tends to not name daughters very often.
"Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah. She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah." (Genesis 25:1-2) She must have been a young woman to have borne all these children. We know practically nothing about her except that she is referred to as a "concubine" in Genesis 25 and in 1 Chronicles 1:32. In modern times the word "concubine" may be jokingly used in reference to a man's mistress, but concubines were not immoral women. Instead they were legal wives of lesser standing than a man's primary wife. They often were slave women or foreigners. I wouldn't be surprised if Keturah was a slave woman born on Abraham's estate.
"Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan; the descendants of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah." (Genesis 25:3-4) Sheba is believed to be the ancestor of the tribe known as the Sabeans, who in the book of Job will attack and kill some of his servants and steal his livestock. (Job 1:14-15)
Though Abraham has all these additional sons, Isaac is the one who inherits his estate. Before Abraham's death he bequeaths these other sons with enough to make a fresh start out in the world. "Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubine and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east." (Genesis 25:5-6) He wisely takes care of this matter before his death so there will be no dispute between the son of Sarah and the sons of Keturah. He makes it plain while he's still living that these sons are not his heirs by giving them gifts and sending them away from the estate. He doesn't want them living close enough to Isaac to hinder him in any way. You'll recall that Abraham and his nephew Lot had to live at a distance from each other because their flocks and herds were so large that they were hindering the grazing ground of each other's livestock, so Abraham makes certain his other sons are living at a distance from Isaac so as to not interfere with the expansion of his agricultural pursuits. If Keturah was a slave woman, this means that Abraham was not only the father of these additional sons but that he owned them as well, so he would have made them free men at the time he sent them east.
"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." (Genesis 25:7-8) The Bible sometimes uses the beautiful expression "gathered to his people" for those in the Old Testament who die in faith. When we die we are going to be gathered to our people---reunited with those who have gone on before. They are going to be there to meet us and welcome us home. The Bible isn't speaking of the burial of the body but of the continuing life of the soul. There's only one other person buried in the cave at Machpelah and that's Sarah. It can't accurately be said that Abraham is "gathered to his people" when he's buried there. But it can be accurately said that though his body will lie in the grave, his soul will be welcomed home by those who have gone on to be with the Lord before him. Someday when I die, I'll be gathered to my people. I'll see my parents and grandparents again. I'll see aunts and uncles who have already passed on. I'll see friends who left this world too soon. My body may be turning to dust in the grave, but I'll be alive and well and rejoicing in the presence of my Savior and my loved ones.
"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." (Genesis 25:9-11) These two brothers join together to mourn their father and give him a proper burial.
Abraham leaves this world for a better place. That's what can be said of all of us who place our faith in the Lord. We leave this world of struggles and toils to be forever with our Redeemer and with our believing loved ones who have gone on before. No matter how long we live, or how successful we become, nothing on this earth will even begin to compare with what waits for us. Abraham lived a long life and enjoyed a great deal of wealth, but I believe the moment when he saw the Lord face to face eclipsed everything else that had ever happened to him. Nothing compares to a joy like this. And we don't know what heaven will be like because our mortal minds aren't capable of even imagining a small glimpse of what awaits us, but whatever it is, it will be more than we ever imagined. As the Apostle Paul promises us, no eye has seen and no ear has heard and no mind has conceived what the Lord has prepared for those who love Him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)
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