- Feb 15, 2016
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According to Genesis, Ishmael was the son of Abraham (Genesis 16:16). Yet he was not a son born according to the line of ‘promise’ as was Isaac and, subsequently, Jacob who was called Israel (Genesis 17:9, Romans 9:9, Galatians 4:28). He was merely a son ‘after the flesh’, born of one of Sarah’s servants, Hagar the Egyptian (Genesis 16:1-2, Genesis 16:15).
After Ishmael was born he and his mother were cast out of the family according to the purpose of God. He was not to be an heir along with Isaac (Genesis 21:10-12). After this God made a promise to Hagar that Ishmael would be the father of twelve princes and become ‘a great nation’ (Genesis 17:20, Genesis 21:18). These are named in Genesis 25:13-14. These princes would inhabit and populate the lands of what we now call the Middle East and North Africa. They were the descendants of the modern Arabic type people.
It was within these people groups that Islam was developed. Mohammed was born in Saudi Arabia, an Ishmaelite descendant after the flesh. His area of influence, during his life and after his death, was the Ishmaelite lands and his followers came from other descendants of this son of Abraham. Thus we understand that those who follow Islam are Ishmaelites.
We are all well aware of the potential of Islam for violence. Of course, violence is not peculiar to Islam. Yet their violent ways are actually prophesied in the Holy Scripture. In Genesis 16:11-12 we read; “And the angel of the LORD said to her, ‘Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has listened to your affliction. He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.’”
The phrase ‘wild donkey of a man’ and the mention of ‘his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him’ are of particular interest. They speak of the Ishmaelites (including the Muslims) as a generally intractable people, and of the constant conflict against the world and even one another in which they continuously live. We see this in the Bible with, for example, the Canaanite peoples who continually troubled Israel. It is precisely what we yet see of those who embrace Islam and the Quran, in its context, which contains at least 109 verses that call Muslims to war with nonbelievers for the sake of Islamic rule. (http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/pages/quran/violence.aspx)
What is most fascinating, and most comforting for God’s people, is that the atmosphere of terror in the world is, in fact, according to God’s sovereignty. He gave people a description of the Ishmaelite even before Ishmael was fully grown. The relationship between Ishmael and Islam, and the violence that has resulted because of these wild, warring donkeys of men, is merely according to the God, who works all things according to the counsel of His own will (Ephesians 1:11).
After Ishmael was born he and his mother were cast out of the family according to the purpose of God. He was not to be an heir along with Isaac (Genesis 21:10-12). After this God made a promise to Hagar that Ishmael would be the father of twelve princes and become ‘a great nation’ (Genesis 17:20, Genesis 21:18). These are named in Genesis 25:13-14. These princes would inhabit and populate the lands of what we now call the Middle East and North Africa. They were the descendants of the modern Arabic type people.
It was within these people groups that Islam was developed. Mohammed was born in Saudi Arabia, an Ishmaelite descendant after the flesh. His area of influence, during his life and after his death, was the Ishmaelite lands and his followers came from other descendants of this son of Abraham. Thus we understand that those who follow Islam are Ishmaelites.
We are all well aware of the potential of Islam for violence. Of course, violence is not peculiar to Islam. Yet their violent ways are actually prophesied in the Holy Scripture. In Genesis 16:11-12 we read; “And the angel of the LORD said to her, ‘Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has listened to your affliction. He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.’”
The phrase ‘wild donkey of a man’ and the mention of ‘his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him’ are of particular interest. They speak of the Ishmaelites (including the Muslims) as a generally intractable people, and of the constant conflict against the world and even one another in which they continuously live. We see this in the Bible with, for example, the Canaanite peoples who continually troubled Israel. It is precisely what we yet see of those who embrace Islam and the Quran, in its context, which contains at least 109 verses that call Muslims to war with nonbelievers for the sake of Islamic rule. (http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/pages/quran/violence.aspx)
What is most fascinating, and most comforting for God’s people, is that the atmosphere of terror in the world is, in fact, according to God’s sovereignty. He gave people a description of the Ishmaelite even before Ishmael was fully grown. The relationship between Ishmael and Islam, and the violence that has resulted because of these wild, warring donkeys of men, is merely according to the God, who works all things according to the counsel of His own will (Ephesians 1:11).
