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More from my book The Biblical Roots of Islam (5th printing, 2009). Isaac had two sons: Jacob (later called Israel) and Esau. Although Esau (like Ishmael) was the first-born son, God's plan was for Jacob to receive the promise made to Abraham and Isaac. Esau was filled with bitterness and hatred. He became a strong ally of Ishmael, an alliance that was made stronger when he married Mahalath, Ishmael's daughter (Gen. 28:9). Esau also married two Hittite women (Gen. 26:34). Jim Gerrish notes: "Like Ishmael, Esau moved into the desert in the area of Mt. Seir, or Edom, to the east of the Dead Sea. There he became the progenitor of multitudes of other Arab peoples. These Arabs were joined by the children of Lot, Abraham's nephew, in making up many of the inhabitants of today's Jordan, as well as other parts of the Arab world (Gen. 19:37,38). The bitter rivalry between all these desert peoples and Israel is recorded throughout the Old Testament. Time and time again they came in fury and bitter hatred to destroy Israel. Bible history is replete with the attacks of the Edomites, Ammonites, Ishmaelites, Moabites, and hordes of other Arabs against the seed of Issac and Jacob" (Islam, the Religion of the Other Brother).
Moab and Ammon, of course, were the sons of Lot, Abraham's nephew, the products of an incestuous relationship between Lot and his daughters (Gen. 19:30-38). The descendants of the six sons of Abraham by Keturah [his second wife, Gen. 25:6] moved east and became nomadic tribes living in what is today called Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and other North African nations. The stage is now set for the Arab-Israeli conflict. |
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| Posted by Victor Knowles at | | | |
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When Abraham died, his sons Ishmael (by Hagar) and Isaac (by Sarah) buried him alongside Sarah in the cave of Macpelah (Gen. 25:9). This is perhaps the first time they had seen each other since Ishmael and his mother were sent packing by Sarah. There is no record of their conversation at the funeral, if indeed there was any. Remember that God had also promised Abraham that he would make a nation out of Ishmael (Gen. 21:13). Ishmael had 12 sons (just as Jacob/Israel would have 12 sons). Ishmael's sons are named in Genesis 25:13-14. Take special note of his second-born son, Kedar. The following is excerpted from my book The Biblical Roots of Islam, 5th printing, 2009).
Remember the chilling prophecy in Genesis 16? Ishmael would be: (1) a wild donkey of a man; (2) his hand will be against everyone; (3) everyone's hand will be against him; (4) he will live [in hostility] to the east of his brothers. Genesis 25:18 NASB contains the fulfillment: "And they settled from Havilah to Shur which is east of Egypt as one goes toward Assyria; he settled in defiance of all his relatives." Israel would bear the brunt of Ishmael for centuries.
Some believe that Muhammad descended from the tribe of Kedar, the second-born son of Ishmael (Davis Dictionary of the Bible).Ishmael was an archer and his descendants, the "mighty men" of the sons of Kedar, according to Isaiah 21:17, were archers. They are described in Psalm 120 as hating peace and wanting war. "Woe is me that I dwell in Meschech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar! My soul had dwelt too long with one who hates peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war" (Psa. 120:5-7).
The desert-dwelling twelve tribes of Ishmael became known as the Ishmaelites (sometimes called Midianites, Gen. 37:25-28; Judges 8:5, 12, 22, 24). More on this tomorrow.
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| Posted by Victor Knowles at | | | |
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When I was in college (1964-1968) my alma mater, Midwestern School of Evangelism, sponsored an annual meeting called the "January Gathering." It took place between semesters and featured a festival of singing and preaching. People came from far and near to gather together in sweet Christian fellowship for several days. There were no homework assignments that week for which I was grateful. It was a great gathering of God's people. Our text today speaks of a far greater gathering. "This is the sum of the years of Abraham's life which he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people" (Gen. 25:7, 8 NKJV).
I notice several things about this text. Abraham's life was summed up in the number of years that he lived ~ 175. That is certainly older than any of us will ever live to be! The writer calls it "a good old age." Life is good for the godly. His life was also "full of years." So much is contained in those three words! Abraham's life spans 15 chapters in the book of Genesis (11-25). His name appears some 300 times in 20 books of the Bible. He was called "the father of the faithful" and "the friend of God." Few men have cast such a long shadow. The Bible also says that he "breathed his last." We take a first breath, and then countless breaths, and finally we take our last breath on earth. I was by my father's side when he took his last breath, April 25, 2009, a moment I shall never forget. But most significant of all is this phrase: "and was gathered to his people." What does this mean? It is a phrase that is also found in Genesis 25:17, 49:29, 33. The Ryrie Study Bible says this is "an indication that those who had died were regarded as people still existing. This is an early testimony to belief in life after death." When my father died, he too was "gathered to his people." So will you and I when we die. We will see our loved ones again. I am convinced of it. Jesus gave us keen insight into this in Matthew 22:31, 32: "Have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?' God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.''
Hymn: "Yes, we'll gather at the river, the beautiful, the beautiful river, Gather with the saints at the river that flows by the throne of God." (Robert Lowry)
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| Posted by Victor Knowles at | | | |
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"Then they called Rebekah and said to her, 'Will you go with this man?' And she said, 'I will go.'" (Gen. 24:58 NKJV).
Here is one of the most remarkable stories of faith in all the Bible. Abraham's faithful servant has traveled back to his master's ancestral homeland in search of a bride for Abraham's son, Isaac. He prayed that God would show him which woman it would be and before his prayer was even finished it was also answered, Rebekah showed up to water his camels (vs. 12-21). After giving her some nice jewelry, Abraham's servant is invited to her home. Rebekah's brother, Laban, greets the servant and invites him for supper. But the servant will not eat a bite until he first tells his story. So he tells them the whole story of the son of promise, Isaac, and how Abraham wanted him to marry someone from his homeland. He also told the family about how God had answered his prayer. The story impressed both Laban and Bethuel (Rebekah's father), who considered this to indeed be the will of God.
Early the next morning the servant was up and ready to return to his master with the bride he had secured for Isaac. The family wanted Rebekah to stay ten days before she left them (a natural and reasonable request), but the servant would hear nothing of it. So they put the question to Rebekah, and her answer is our text for the day: "I will go." Is that amazing or what? Then Rebekah and her maids accompany the servant back to Abraham's land where she will wed Isaac. Now think of this with me. Here is a girl, probably still in her teens, who meets a total stranger, draws water for his camels (probably 200 gallons), takes him home to dinner, and decides the next morning that she will leave her family and return with this man, whom she has only known for 24 hours, to marry a man she has never met. She leaves her family, never knowing if she will ever see them again, and travels by camel ("ships of the desert") perhaps some 500 miles across trackless deserts and cold mountains. If that isn't faith, I don't know what would constitute faith! In fact, I am surprised that Rebekah is not included in the heroes and heroines of faith in the great faith chapter of the Bible (Hebrews 11). "I will go." So what is keeping you from going on an exciting faith journey for God?
Hymn: "It may not be on the mountain's height, or over the stormy sea; it may not be at the battle's front my Lord will have need of me: But if, by a still small voice, He calls to paths I do not know, I'll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in Thine, I'll go where you want me to go." (Mary Brown) |
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| Posted by Victor Knowles at | | | |
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"Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder..." (Gen. 24:15 NIV).
Today we will look at one of the fastest answers to prayer ever recorded. Abraham was growing old and was concerned about Isaac's choice of a wife. (Every godly parent should be concerned about this.) He sent his chief servant (probably Eliezer of Damascus) to travel back to his homeland in search of a wife for his son. He most decidedly did not want Isaac marrying a Canaanite woman (v. 3). So the faithful servant sets off on his mission, taking ten camels and all kinds of goods (see v. 53, "gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing," probably a dowry). Arriving at the town of Nahor, he stopped to pray (see vs. 12-14). He prayed a most specific prayer: He would ask a girl for a drink and she would not only give him a drink of water, but offer to water his camels as well. Now we come to our verse: "Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder." Can't you just see this beautiful picture? The sun is setting, the time when the women of the city went out to draw water from the well. But one woman stood out above all others. "The girl was very beautiful, a virgin" (v. 16). The servant asked for a drink and she quickly gave him a drink. Then she spoke: "I'll draw water for your camels too, until they have finished drinking" (v. 19). Do you know how long it would take to draw water for ten thirsty, travel-weary camels? (A camel can walk 100 miles in one day. I have no idea either, but I would imagine it took a very long time. The servant took this as an answer to his specific prayer request. (Does this make you want to be a little more specific in your prayers?) The servant bowed his head and worshiped the Lord, saying, "Praise be to the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey to the house of my master's relatives" (v.27). We will finish this amazing story tomorrow.
There are times when God answers our prayers before we have finished praying. We don't realize it until a few hours or days or weeks have passed, and then it dawns on us. God is faithful. God is good. I think He delights in prayers that are specific and come from a heart of faith and love. God invites us to pray to Him. "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know" (Jer. 33:3).
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| Posted by Victor Knowles at | | | |
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An entire chapter (Genesis 24) is devoted to the death and burial of Sarah. No other woman in the Bible commands that much coverage. I find it instructive that Moses devotes twenty verses to this account. Sarai ("my princess"), later called Sarah ("princess") meant the world to Abraham. Look at how this chapter starts. "Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. She died at Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her" (Gen. 24:1, 2 NIV). Evidently Abraham was not with Sarah when she died for the record says that he went to Hebron to mourn for her. He wept over her body, that familiar face, those hands clasped in death. Those of you who have lost a mate know exactly what Abraham was experiencing when he saw her prepared for burial. Hot tears may have streamed down his weathered cheeks. Memories must have flooded his soul like the constant tidal waves of the ocean. She had been by his side through good times and bad for many years. According to Genesis 12:11-14, Sarah was a beautiful woman. Even at 127 she may have retained her beauty. All this without anti-aging face cream! After all, was she not a princess?
It is to Abraham's credit that he mourned and wept over Sarah. And that he went to such great lengths to make sure that she had a proper and fitting burial place. Money made no difference. He bought not just a cave but an entire field at the price of 400 shekels of silver. Later we learn that not only Sarah but Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Leah, and Jacob were buried in the cave of Macpelah (Gen. 25:9; 49:31; 50:13). "The site of the cave has been identified with two caves, one above the other, beneath the great mosque in the center of modern Hebron" (Ryrie Study Bible). I would like to visit this place some day. What do we learn from this story? Than Abraham truly loved Sarah. That he mourned her passing. That money did not matter when it came to burying his beloved wife. That a family burial plot is a good and comforting idea.
Hymn: "When we asunder part, It gives us inward pain; But we shall still be joined in heart, And hope to meet again" (John Fawcett). |
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| Posted by Victor Knowles at | | | |
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"On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, 'Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you'" (Gen. 22:4, 5 NKJV).
This is one of the most remarkable statements of faith ever uttered. We will worship and then we will come back to you! God had instructed Abraham to take his son - his only son, Isaac, whom he loved - to the region of Moriah and offer him on one of the mountains. Early the next morning (notice that Abraham did not delay) he arose, saddled the donkey, split the wood, and departed for Moriah. On the third day they arrived and that is when Abraham made this remarkable statement to his servants. Did the servants think anything was out of the ordinary? Probably not. I doubt that Abraham had shared what God told him with anyone. Not even Isaac understood the import of what his father had just said. It was not until later that Isaac caught on to what was happening.
Abraham's declaration was more for himself than anyone else. The Ryrie Study Bible says, "Abraham's confidence that Isaac would return with him from the place of sacrifice stemmed from his implicit belief in resurrection." Study the parallel passage of this account in Hebrews 11:17-19. "Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death" (Heb. 11:19 NIV). Had Abraham ever seen anyone raised from the dead? No. But did He believe that God could do it? Yes. Because of this tremendous demonstration of faith in the resurrection power of God, Abraham received God's assurance and confirmation of the covenant (vs. 15-18). Abraham and his son then descended the mountain, just as Abraham had promised the servant who was told to stay with the donkey (v. 19). The servant was probably as clueless as the donkey as to the drama that had taken place on Mt. Moriah. Worship is sometimes a breathtaking experience as Abraham and Isaac found out that dramatic day.
Prayer: Father, grant to us the third-day faith of our father Abraham! Through Christ, our sacrificial Lamb, we pray.
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| Posted by Victor Knowles at | | | |
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"And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken" (Gen. 21:1 NKJV).
Does it ever pay to doubt God? How many times have we disappointed Him with our unbelief? For my own part, way too many times! I like our verse for today. God visited Sarah as He had said. The Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. Wow. I wonder how Sarah felt now? A little sheepish perhaps? God is God and He can do anything He wants. He keeps His promises. He is all-powerful and performs what He has promised. Oh, that we had the faith from the outset to believe Him, trust Him, and react with sheer delight when those promises come true. The birth of Isaac, the promised son, proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that God can be trusted.
Politicians cannot do this. Many times they break their campaign promises the same day they are elected. It was all a sham. For shame! This can never be said of the Creator of the Universe! What He says comes true. He does for us as He has spoken. Just study all the promises and all the prophecies of the Bible. Does God keep His word or not? Read Joshua's "farewell address" one more time. "Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed" (Josh. 23:14).
Prayer: Lord, give us the faith of Joshua to trust you in every circumstance.
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| Posted by Victor Knowles at | | | |
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"And Abraham said, 'Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will kill me on account of my wife." (Gen. 20:11 NKJV).
Human thinking, analysis, and reasoning can sometimes get you in big trouble. When Abraham and Sarah traveled south they concocted a scheme they thought would work. They would say that Sarah was Abraham's sister in order to spare Abraham's life. What were they thinking? Why not just trust God? Abraham's deceit nearly brought disaster to King Abimelech and his people. Abimelech had integrity in his heart. God said so (see v. 6). At this point in time he had more integrity in his heart than did Abraham. Those three words "Because I thought" led Abraham to the brink of disaster. He thought there was no fear of God in the land. Actually, Abimelech showed more fear of God than did Abraham! Sometimes thinking that is fueled by fear can lead us into great trouble. Sometimes we think there is no hope when there is plenty of hope. Sometimes we fear failure when success is just around the corner. We must be careful not to let our negative, fearful thinking guide our actions.
Not including God in our thinking leads to serious consequences for all involved. At the end of this story (read all of Gen. 20) Abraham prays to God and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants. What had happened to them? Because of Abraham's lack of trust and made-up story "the LORD had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife" (v. 18). Notice that the writer of Genesis gets it right: Abraham's wife, not sister. It is always better to say "I trust God" than "Because I thought." It is better to live by faith than by your wits. Someone has wisely said: "Care not whether men say you are a great thinker. See to it that they know you as a great believer." You can be at your wit's end but you need not be at your faith's end. You are at your best when you stand still and trust God.
Prayer: Holy Father, forgive us when we trust our wits more than we trust You. Empower us by Your Spirit to trust You in every circumstance of life or trial that we face. Through Christ we pray.
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| Posted by Victor Knowles at | | | |
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"But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, 'Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife.'" (Gen. 20:3 ESV).
Abraham's travels had taken him into enemy territory. He told the king that Sarah was his sister. The king, believing Abraham's story, took Sarah. When God informed Abimelech what he had done, he was thunderstruck and pleaded for God's mercy. God granted him mercy and Abimelech returned Sarah to her husband (read the entire story in Gen. 20:1-18).
The following is excerpted from my article "Dead Men Walking" (Double Exposure, (c) 1999). From the President to your paperboy, from the Queen to the choir director, from the media elite to the man on the street, we're all dead men walking. There are no exceptions. The corporate executive who climbs into a cab in Chicago is just as dead as the faceless cabbie who drives it. Every person on this planet is a walking dead man of one kind or another. Whether we are dead in sin or dead to sin. God told Abimelech, "Behold, you are a dead man." He was dead though alive! So are we. One way or another. The Bible says some are "dead in sin" (Eph. 2:1) but others are "dead to sin" (Rom. 6:2). Both are susceptible to sin. But one man is insensitive to sin while the other is sensitive to sin. One revels, the other repents.
One man is dead to sin, even in the dead of the night. Whether he's in Minneapolis, home of Billy Graham, or in Las Vegas, home of bawdy girls and gambling. The other man is dead in sin, even as he sins in the night, night after night, into eternal night. Real dead men don't go to bed with dead women ~ those who are dead while they live (1 Tim. 5:6). There is no porn again for the one who has been born again. What's a dead man to do? The world will tell you, "Live hard. Die young." Drive your Infiniti right into eternity. But I'd like to say, "Die hard ~ to sin. Live life to the hilt ~ for God. And you'll be 'Forever Young.'"
Those who wear loincloths in the Outback of Australia or those who wear Cotton Dockers in America are all headed for The Dock. It makes no difference if you wear Guccis or sandals, you are a dead man walking. It matters not whether you stay in a fine hotel in Atlanta with all the amenities or in a poor hovel in Africa with none, you're a dead man walking. The question is: Which kind of a dead man do you want to be?
Hymn: "Free from the law, O happy condition, Jesus has bled, and there is remission; Cursed by the law and bruised by the Fall, Grace has redeemed us once for all." (Philip P. Bliss)
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| Posted by Victor Knowles at | | | |
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