Friday, February 26, 2016
The present conflict in the Middle East is basically a war of cultures, i.e. the
‘east’ vs. the ‘west.’ It began when Abram
(Abraham) was told by God to leave his home east of the Euphrates River
and travel west to a new land that He would show him.
Throughout the Old Testament enemies of
God’s seed would be sent to the east.
The term ‘east’ in the Bible primarily means the land east of Canaan;
however, Scripture also reveals Israel’s
Promised Land actually extends from the Mediterranean Sea
to the River Euphrates.
The term ‘eastern ways’ when used in the
Bible means primarily the culture found in Arabia,
resulting from the sons of Ishmael.
However, the term has been expanded to include the culture not only of
Arabia but also the culture of nomadic tribes of Syria
and Northern Africa.
Nomadic tribes are described as ‘wanderers.’ The term began when Cain wandered and dwelt
east of Eden
after he killed his brother.
“…A
fugitive and a vagabond (wanderer) you shall be on the earth.” Genesis 4:12
Recall also that Esau migrated to the
‘east.’ Interestingly Esau married a
daughter of Ishmael.
Then the New Testament confirmed that the
‘east’ included people east of the Euphrates
River.
“Now after
Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days
of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been
born king of the Jews? For we have seen
His star in the East and have come to worship Him.’” Matthew 2:1-2
The wise men from the East were Magi from Persia, or present day Iran.
Kings from the East are referenced later
in the final Book of the Bible.
“Then
the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates and its water
was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared…and
they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.” Revelation 16:12, 16
Therefore, the future great war will be fought
between those ‘of the east’ (eastern culture), i.e. those born according to the
flesh (the offspring of the bond woman) vs. those born according to the promise
(the offspring of the free woman.)
Many are criticizing America’s president
for not being willing to properly identify and vocally acknowledge the enemy. He cannot bring himself to use the words ‘Islamic
Terrorism.’
He could solve his dilemma by simply
referring to ‘the offspring of Ishmael.’
Such enmity was revealed very early in man’s history.
“And I will
put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He
shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” Genesis 3:15
God’s plan for mankind is totally
transparent and available for all to see, yet the world, i.e. the majority of
mankind, is by choice totally oblivious to what is happening and what is to
come.
The best attempts of this current
generation will not settle the problems in the Middle East. The turmoil will persist until the ultimate
Seed of the woman arrives to end it.
“Now I saw
heaven opened, and behold, a white horse.
And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness
He judges and makes war…And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their
armies, gathered together to make war against Him…Then the beast was captured,
and with him the false prophet…These two were cast alive into the lake of
fire…and the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of
Him who sat on the horse…” Revelation 19:1, 19-21
In closing this series, consider the first
horseman of the Apocalypse:
“And I
looked, and behold, a white horse. He
who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out…to
conquer.” Revelation 6:2
This white horse is an imitation of the
white horse that Christ will be astride when He returns to defeat the enemy and
establish His Kingdom.
By the way, who went to the east and
became an expert with the bow?
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Friday, February 19, 2016
Ishmael in the New Testament
The New Testament begins by listing the
genealogy of Jesus Christ through Abraham’s son Isaac.
“The
book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:
Abraham begot Isaac…” Matthew 1:1-2a
All mankind is divided into two basic categories:
those accepting God’s gift of salvation by faith vs. those who attempt to
attain salvation by personal effort, i.e. by attempting to obey ‘the law.’
Paul succinctly addressed the issue to the
church in Galatia.
“Tell
me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons:
the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born
according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise...” Galatians 4:21-23
The son born of the bondwoman was Ishmael
who was the result of personal efforts by Sarah and Abraham to fulfill God’s
plan; thus Ishmael was the son born according to the flesh.
The
son born of the freewoman was Isaac.
Isaac was the exclusive result of God alone fulfilling His promise to
Abraham that he and Sarah, who were both far beyond childbearing age, would
have a son together. Therefore, Isaac is
called the son of promise.
“Now we
brethren (church), as Isaac was, are children of promise. But, as he who was born according to the
flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is
now.”
Galatians 4:28-29
Just as Ishmael scoffed at Isaac, when
Isaac was just a small child, Paul explains that the offspring of Ishmael, i.e.
those born according to the flesh were, 2000 years later, persecuting the children
of promise, i.e. those born according to the Spirit.
In other words, all who attempt to attain
salvation by personal effort are persecuting the church which believes,
according to the Bible, that salvation is exclusively a gracious gift of God
promised to the believer and accepted by faith.
Paul then instructs the church on how to
handle the doctrine of salvation by personal effort.
“…what does
the Scripture say? ‘Cast out the
bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the
son of the freewoman.’” Galatians 4:30
The above verse includes the same words
spoken by Sarah to Abraham when Ishmael scoffed at Isaac at Isaac’s weaning
celebration.
Paul concludes the argument:
“So then,
brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free. Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which
Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Galatians
4:31-5:1
The truth that salvation is a promise to
those who believe in the vicarious death of Christ is so significant that it is
taught and preached throughout the New Testament.
All who take God at His word, as did
Abraham, can claim him as their father.
“…but also
to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is
written, ‘I have made you a father of many nations)’…and not being weak in
faith he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a
hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb…was strengthened in
faith…fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.” Romans 4:16b-17,
19-21
Abraham brushed all earthly limitations
aside and simply took God at His word.
Sons of promise, i.e. Christians, share Abraham’s faith and trust.
And while God’s promises to Abraham
originally focused on the future nation of Israel, all those with the faith of
Abraham would benefit.
“Therefore
know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would
justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand,
saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’ So then those who are of faith are blessed
with believing Abraham.” Galatians 3:7-9
Christians are Abraham’s spiritual seed
through Isaac while those who depend on obedience to the law are identified
with Ishmael who was born according to the flesh.
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Friday, February 12, 2016
Ishmael's Sons, Mother, and Arabia
As reported, Ishmael had twelve sons which
became twelve tribes of Arabia. Of the twelve sons, Kedar, Ishmael’s second
born was the most prominent.
Kedar and his family settled in the
central Arabian Peninsula. He was/is an enemy to Isaac’s offspring. In the following Psalm he is described as a
bitter foe of Israel.
“In
my distress I cried to the LORD, and He heard me. ‘Deliver my soul, O LORD from lying lips and
from a deceitful tongue… Woe is me, that I… dwell among the tents of
Kedar! My soul has dwelt too long with
one who hates peace. I am for peace; but
when I speak, they are for war.’”
Psalm 120:1-2, 5-7
The Psalmist states he could not trust the
words of Kedar, and while he sought peace, the sons of Kedar wanted war.
Later Jeremiah pronounced God’s judgment
on Kedar.
“Thus says the LORD: ‘Arise, go up to Kedar
and devastate them of the East! Their
tents and their flocks they shall take away.
They shall take for themselves…all their vessels and their camels…’” Jeremiah
49:28-29a
Jeremiah had also condemned God’s chosen
people by comparing them to Arabians.
Isaiah likewise pronounced God’s judgment
on Arabia and Kedar, to be executed by Assyria, for their previous plundering
of Jerusalem.
“The burden
(prophecy) against Arabia. In the forest (thicket) in Arabia
you will lodge, O you traveling companies of Dedanites. O inhabitant of the land of Tema…For thus the
LORD has said to me: ‘Within a year…all the glory of Kedar will fail; and the
remainder of the number of archers, the mighty men of the people of Kedar, will
be diminished; for the LORD God of Israel has spoken it.’” Isaiah 21:13,
16-17
Dedan was a grandson of Abraham and
Keturah while Tema was a son of Ishmael.
Recall Ishmael’s sons were early Arabian tribes while Abraham’s sons by
Keturah were also sent to the ‘east.’
When Arabia
is mentioned in Scripture, it predominately relates to Ishmael, his offspring,
or his mother.
Arabia in
Hebrew has several synonyms including mixture, multitude, and mingle.
When Solomon reigned over Israel between 970 – 931 BC, he was recognized
for his wisdom and wealth throughout the land of Arabia.
Even after the kingdom was divided Arabians
feared and brought gifts to Judah’s
kings.
“And the
fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah…
Also some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents…and the Arabians
brought him flocks…” 2 Chronicles 17:10-11
The goal to destroy Israel as a
nation pervades contemporary Middle Eastern thinking, but such thoughts are
definitely not new.
“They
have said, ‘Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of
Israel
may be remembered no more.’ For they
have consulted together with one consent; they form a confederacy against
You: The tents of Edom and the
Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites; Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with
the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria also has joined with them; they have helped
the children of Lot.” Psalm 83:4-8
Note the enemies of Israel; not much is different
today. The Hagrites are so named after
Ishmael’s mother Hagar. The stated goal
today is still to eliminate Israel
from the face of the earth.
Hagrites are mentioned elsewhere in the
Bible as warring against the sons of Israel.
“Now in the
days of Saul they made war with the Hagrites, who fell by their hand; and they
dwelt in their tents throughout the entire area east of Gilead.”
1 Chronicles 5:10
“The sons
of Reuben, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manesseh…made war with the
Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish…and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand…Then
they took away their livestock – fifty thousand of their camels – also one
hundred thousand of their men; for many fell dead, because the war was God’s.” 1 Chronicles
5:18-22
Jetur and Naphish were of the twelve
original sons of Ishmael.
Thus we see that those of Arabia were
enemies of Israel
throughout history, and will be until the final war between Abraham’s two sons,
i.e. Isaac and Ishmael, ends with the return of Christ.
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Friday, February 5, 2016
Ishmael, the Father of Twelve Princes
When God told Abraham that Sarah would
bear him a son when he was 100 years old and Sarah 90, he fell on his face and
laughed.
Then Abraham offered his own solution when
Ishmael was 13 years old.
“And
Abraham said to God, ‘Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!’”
Genesis 17:18
“Then God
said: ‘No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name
Isaac (laughter); I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting
covenant, and with his descendants after him.’” Genesis 17:19
However, because Ishmael was also Abraham’s
son, God would bless him in the following ways.
“And as for
Ishmael…Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will
multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget
twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation…But…My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear
to you at this set time next year.” Genesis 17:20-21a
Ishmael would be fruitful and have twelve
sons who would be rulers. Ishmael would
become a great nation and his descendants would be multiplied exceedingly.
The promises God made to Ishmael sound
very similar to what God had promised to Abraham about his grandson Jacob
through Isaac, who would likewise have twelve sons.
“I will
make you a great nation…I will multiply you exceedingly…I will bless you…I will
make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall
come from you…” Genesis 12:2, 17:2, 6
Differences in promises made to Abraham
(through Isaac, Jacob and Judah) vs. those made to Ishmael include:
·
God did not speak
directly to Ishmael as He did to His friend Abraham
·
God promised
Abraham specific land to possess forever; but not so for Ishmael
·
Ishmael would be
a great nation while Abraham would be the father of many nations
·
God’s promises to
Abraham were forever; such was not mentioned about Ishmael
But most significantly, Abraham’s son to
be born to Sarah would inherit the covenant, not Ishmael.
Just as God promised, Abraham and Sarah
had a boy child, i.e. Isaac at the set time the following year.
Ishmael remained with Abraham and Sarah
for several years after the birth of Isaac.
Approximately three years after Isaac’s birth
a very significant thing happened.
“So the child (Isaac) grew and was
weaned. And Abraham made a great feast
on the same day that Isaac was weaned.
And Sarah saw the son (Ishmael) of Hagar…scoffing (mocking,
deriding). Therefore she said to Abraham,
‘Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not
be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.’”
Genesis 21:8-10
Abraham was distressed at the thought of
abandoning His son Ishmael; however, God told Abraham to let Ishmael go and
reminded him that Isaac would inherit the covenant.
And so it was, Hagar and her teenage son
Ishmael traveled through the wilderness, i.e. Sinai Peninsula, towards Egypt as she
had done previously when pregnant with Ishmael.
Soon
their skin of water was gone, and Hagar thought they would die in the
wilderness. Then the Angel of the LORD
called out to her:
“Fear
not…Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a
great nation…Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water and gave the
lad a drink. So God was with the lad…” Genesis
21:17-20a
The following is very significant:
“…and
he (Ishmael) dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran…” Genesis 21:20b-21
The Hebrew for ‘became’ means ‘to come to
pass’ while archer in the present context means an ‘exceedingly fierce expert
with the bow.’
The Wilderness of Paran is located in the Sinai Peninsula.
And just as God had said, Ishmael had
twelve sons.
“And these
were the names of the sons of Ishmael…The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; then
Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa,
Hadar, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.
These were the sons of Ishmael and these were their names…twelve princes
according to their nations.” Genesis 25:13-16
These were the beginning of the Arab
nations.
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