The Truth About Islam

ISHMAEL:  The Wild Child

As we have already read, Genesis 16:12 gives us background into the nature of Ishmael. "And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren."

A WILD MAN, the bible calls him. His hand will be against every man and every man's hand against him. What could this mean? "His hand against every man"?

One has only to study HISTORICAL Arab culture and you will find that the culture is generally opposed to restraint of any kind. They are somewhat rude (in mannerisms), turbulent, lawless and are wanderers, dwelling not in their own country or their own place, but always desiring to dwell in "some other place", never content with where they are.

The statement "His hand against every man" seems to signify that this is one who is "out for himself" with no regard to the welfare of others. It is one who cares not who, or how many are hurt, as long as he gets his way. The next part of that passages states "...and every man's hand against him; ..." Is it any wonder that every man would be against him, considering his very nature?

The picture of this son, Ishmael, is the same as that of FLESHLY, CARNAL MAN in his own humanity, WITHOUT God. We are haters of anything that goes against what we personally believe. We hate CHANGE, we hate TO CHANGE.

History has shown us again and again that mankind CANNOT live peaceably on the earth without Jesus Christ as his guide and Saviour. It is not within man to live lawfully according to God's law and His nature,  and the Word of God is very clear concerning our FLESHLY, CARNAL NATURE.

If you take a picture of a spiritually unrenewed, carnal man who always thinks about the natural, fleshly life only, THEN you will have a picture of ISHMAEL.

The bible even confirms that it was NOT THROUGH ISHMAEL that God wanted to make Abram a father of many nations. In Genesis chapter 17, we get a further picture of this.

God has already established a blood covenant of sorts with Abram back in Genesis 15. THIS TIME, however, God is permanently establishing a covenant with Abram, USING ABRAM'S own FLESH AND BLOOD in order to establish this lasting covenant. It was a BLOOD covenant (Hebrews 9:22 "... and without shedding of blood is no remission"). This time, it was going to cost Abram something. He was going to sacrifice his own flesh and "put it away" (cutting off and casting away the flesh...a 'shadow' and foretype of things to come). We MUST "cut off" and "cast away our flesh".

We find in Genesis that a Covenant of Blood according to the flesh was established with the one now called ABRAHAM.  In Jeremiah 31:31-34, we see that God intended to establish a different type of covenant with mankind. It was God's desire to write the laws upon our inward parts, to change our hearts (Hebrews 8:8-10, Ezekiel 11:19, Ezekiel 36:26).

ABRAHAM'S COVENANT

Note that in verse Genesis 17:4, God states it very plainly. "As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations." Now, notice the references to "thy seed after thee" in the following passages. Look at Genesis 17:11:   "And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you." WHAT was the sign of the covenant between Abraham and God? It was circumcision. We know that the outward circumcision is not what makes you a child of God. (Romans 2:29) Being a Child of God IS A "HEART THING".

Read now in Genesis 17:14 ... The uncircumcised man shall be "cut off" from the people of God (much like those today who are uncircumcised in heart).

God changed Sarai to Sarah in Genesis 17:15 and began to speak of the covenant that HE was going to establish. "And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her." God promised a son born of Sarah. Abraham in Genesis 17:17 did exactly what many of us would have done.  He DOUBTED.  He was filled with UNBELIEF, and in Genesis 17:18, we see Abraham cry out for the life of his only existing son at the time. "...O that Ishmael might live before thee..."

IT IS AT THIS POINT THAT WE FIND THE ROOT OF THE JEWISH - ISLAMIC PROBLEMS IN THE MIDDLE EAST.  

"O that Ishmael might live before thee..."

God immediately spoke to Abraham " Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

God was saying at this point, 'Abraham, I have a covenant with you and it is through ISAAC that I will establish my covenant.' There is no mention of this covenant concerning Ishmael. NONE. The covenant was NOT established with Ishmael NOR WITH THE SEED OF ISHMAEL. The Bible fully supports this and this is where the division is when it comes to the Islamic Faith and the Jewish Faith.

BOTH SIDES BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE THE SEED OF ABRAHAM.   INDEED THEY ARE,   HOWEVER, ONE SIDE IS ACCORDING TO THE FLESH. THE OTHER IS ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT.

Look at what God continues to say in Genesis 17:20. God told Abraham, "And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation." NOW CONTINUE TO Genesis 17:21 ...

"But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year."

Remember the man I spoke with you about earlier (on page 1)?  I'll never forget the statement that got me thinking and studying this matter. At one point, while we were discussing religious viewpoints and discussing  the Bible versus the Koran, I noticed what seemed to be a deep rooted hatred in him concerning the Jewish people.  I asked him what he thought about the Jewish People, and the reply astonished me.

He asked me at that point if I believed that the Jews were God's chosen people. When I told him that I do believe that, he said "See, that's why I am not a Christian. If those d**n Jews are God's people then I don't want any part of that" I was somewhat shocked to say the least. When I asked him just why he hated the Jews, no immediate answer was given. After I questioned him several more times, he answered

"BECAUSE THOSE D**N JEWS SAY THEY ARE THE SEED OF ABRAHAM", He said. "ABRAHAM CAME FROM MY PEOPLE AND MY LAND AND WE ARE THE TRUE SEED OF ABRAHAM.  ISHMAEL WAS FIRSTBORN AND HE IS THE RIGHTFUL HEIR AND HIS SEED IS THE TRUE SEED OF ABRAHAM"

I was beginning to understand. As time went by, I heard these types of statements over and over. In reading of the Islamic Faith and culture, I could indeed see that this was the position of the Religion of Islam.  

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