Ishmael encounters GOD’s love
We are about to witness the love of GOD for the outcast.
Preparing the Bride for GOD’s Story
How do we prepare as the Bride of Christ? One aspect is to learn GOD’S STORY. He created us in His image…. Piece by piece, and peace by peace, we learn to walk as He has walked. And we learn His perspective.
Genesis 21:14-21
“So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs. Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the boy.” So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept.
“And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. 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 she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink. So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.”
GOD does not abandon
GOD told Abraham to do as Sarah asked: to remove Hagar and Ishmael from the home. Abraham obeyed GOD. He provided for them sparingly and sent them into the desert. It was a bleak moment for them all…
BUT GOD!
Hagar despairs
Although Hagar gives up hope, and the boy cries out, all is not lost. GOD hears the boy, sees the mother and speaks, promising the son will be made into a great nation.
A well is found, life is revived, and Ishmael matures into a strong, robust man and eventually, is given a wife. A family and a great nation will come to pass….
Ishmael cried out — and GOD heard
We aren’t told what Ishmael cried. We know he was left alone and weak in the desert, until GOD responds.
We don’t know whether Hagar cried out also or only languished alone. But GOD sent an angel to her, who told her what the next steps were…
GOD’s promise and GOD’s provision
GOD did not abandon this mother and child. Instead, we shall see going forward, that the nation which sprang from Ishmael was blessed, becoming 12 Arab tribes, in parallel to the 12 tribes of Israel. This is the same GOD providing similar abundance: a similar promise of prosperity to both descendants of Abraham.
HOWEVER….
GOD is Jehovah… not Allah
This passage in Genesis reveals GOD’s love and compassion for Hagar and for her son. It reveals His consistency of character, revealing how GOD hears, GOD speaks, and GOD cares.
In Genesis 21, Hagar and Ishmael — who will be the father of the Arab nations — have communion with GOD, the same GOD as the GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Even though the nation which springs forth from Ishmael will not have the same destiny and the same covenanted relationship with GOD, as does the nation of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – ie Israel, the relationship is nevertheless present.
While the relationship GOD has with Ishmael may go on to be less intimate, but still He is GOD, the same creator of the universe that the Israelites worship.
My explanation for the rise of Islam
Thousands of years later, when an Arab called Mohammad transcribes a lengthy document which outlines doctrine and compels worship to Allah, the GOD of Abraham is no longer honoured amongst those who follow the new prescription.
It is at this point that a substitution is made and a departure is taken from the worship of the GOD of the universe.
Another entity which has the name Allah is identified as God, and becomes the object of prescribed worship by those who become known as Muslim. It is then that those Arabs depart from the worship of GOD, Creator of the universe; it is then that a false god is superseded amongst the Arab nations.
I invite your comments
I’d love to hear what others know about the history of the Muslim faith and how this explanation jives with the historical facts as you know. them.
One reply on “GOD’S STORY: part 104 Ishmael encounters GOD’s love”
According to the records Mohammed was a vile creature. Rapist, murderer, paedophile. He forced people to convert to Islam or die. Their so called holy book encourages murdering anyone who isn’t a Muslim. Check it out for yourself.