As all eyes are on the war between Israel and Hamas, it is necessary to understand that the heritage of this conflict is actually written in prophecy from God. Hamas is an Islamic Resistance Movement that was founded in 1987 and by 1997 the United States designated it as a foreign terrorist organization. They have been responsible for killing thousands and taking many more as hostages. The tension extends back to Abraham and his son of promise (Gen. 25). The Arabic tradition says that Ishmael was the son of promise, rather than Isaac, and that Muhammed (the founder of Islam) was his descendant. This is in direct contradiction to the biblical record which shows that Isaac was the son of promise, through whom Jesus would come as the Savior of the world (Gen. 17:19; 21:12; Luke 3:34; Gal. 3:16).
Since the Jews put much emphasis on being descendants of Abraham (John 8:33-39) and so do the Muslims, there has been constant conflict between the two groups. Abraham knew that he was promised a great nation (Gen. 12:2) yet, he still had no children at the age of 85. So, he tried to help the promise along by having a child with Hagar (Sarah’s maid; Gen. 16:1-4)—this child was Ishmael (Gen. 16:16). When Ishmael was 13, Abraham begged God to accept him as the son of promise (Gen. 17:18), but this was not God’s plan as He would establish His covenant with Isaac (Gen. 17:21). However, God would make a great nation for Ishmael too and he would be the father of the Arab nation (Gen. 17:20).
Before Ishmael was born, God gave an important preview of the kind of man Ishmael would be: “And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him” (Gen. 16:12). In other words, he would resist civilization with a haughty and defiant attitude living as everyone’s enemy and refusing to fit in. So, conflict would be inevitable between the Jews and the Arabs. Hagar and Sarah didn’t get along because of this situation and now their sons would not get along either. Even when Isaac was just a toddler and Ishmael was a teenager, the persecution had already begun (Gen. 21:5-9; Gal. 4:29). From this point forward, the Arab nation (as a whole) has continued to follow in the footsteps of Ishmael in conflict with other nations.
Our goal is to be “followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love” (Eph. 5:1,2). We want to show the world that everyone can be children of Abraham not physically, but spiritually (Rom. 4:16; Gal. 3:7). The physical nation of Israel is no longer God’s chosen nation, but the spiritual nation of Israel (the Lord’s church) is now the true nation of God (Gal. 6:16).
~Derrick Coble
Since the Jews put much emphasis on being descendants of Abraham (John 8:33-39) and so do the Muslims, there has been constant conflict between the two groups. Abraham knew that he was promised a great nation (Gen. 12:2) yet, he still had no children at the age of 85. So, he tried to help the promise along by having a child with Hagar (Sarah’s maid; Gen. 16:1-4)—this child was Ishmael (Gen. 16:16). When Ishmael was 13, Abraham begged God to accept him as the son of promise (Gen. 17:18), but this was not God’s plan as He would establish His covenant with Isaac (Gen. 17:21). However, God would make a great nation for Ishmael too and he would be the father of the Arab nation (Gen. 17:20).
Before Ishmael was born, God gave an important preview of the kind of man Ishmael would be: “And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him” (Gen. 16:12). In other words, he would resist civilization with a haughty and defiant attitude living as everyone’s enemy and refusing to fit in. So, conflict would be inevitable between the Jews and the Arabs. Hagar and Sarah didn’t get along because of this situation and now their sons would not get along either. Even when Isaac was just a toddler and Ishmael was a teenager, the persecution had already begun (Gen. 21:5-9; Gal. 4:29). From this point forward, the Arab nation (as a whole) has continued to follow in the footsteps of Ishmael in conflict with other nations.
Our goal is to be “followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love” (Eph. 5:1,2). We want to show the world that everyone can be children of Abraham not physically, but spiritually (Rom. 4:16; Gal. 3:7). The physical nation of Israel is no longer God’s chosen nation, but the spiritual nation of Israel (the Lord’s church) is now the true nation of God (Gal. 6:16).
~Derrick Coble