The Arabs of today and the blessings given to the seed of Abraham For convenience , we define the Arabs as people who speak Arabic, as their mother tongue , and living in the Arabian peninsula and surrounding regions . Today , there are different types of ethnic groups within the Arab region . Some Arab nations have become , as they were Arabized like Sudan and Somalia . Other strains actually descended from ancestors . But ultimately, the Ismailis ( sons of Ishmael ) are the Arabs today ? Josephus , the Jewish historian , states that Ishmael is the father of the Arab nation , as they believe the Arabs . According to Josephus , we can not rule out the prophecy of Isaiah , which says that the Ismailis worship the Messias.6 Raphael Patai , a Jew , says in his book , Seed of Abraham , the term Arab is contained in the same entries with the word Kedar , son of Ishmael , in the 9th century BC in Assyrian inscriptions . Patai also found evidence to show that the Arabs were synonymous with Nabataeans , descendants of Nebajoth . In fact, the Arab world today is coming from a mosaic of ethnic groups , given the different genealogies formed throughout history . Perhaps , Mahmud Hassan or any other Arab , are descendants of Ishmael , through the seed of Nebajoth or Kedar, or even Lot , or the new family of Abraham by Keturah . We also can not rule out the possibility that Arabs are descendants of the merger between the children of Isaac with Ishmael or even by Jotham . In all these possibilities , we find the genetic father Abraham. Gods promise to Abraham was clear and specific : Your own son shall be your heir ( Gen. 15:4) . But the big question is: this promise of offspring should be understood in racial or spiritual terms ? The apostle Paul clarifies the issue in his letter to the Galatians : Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed . The Scripture does not say, And to seeds , as of many , but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ ( Gal. 3:16) . All the promises made to Abraham are fulfilled in Jesus. It is through the greater Son of Abraham , Jesus , the spoken blessing in Genesis reach the peoples of the world. The racial lineage becomes tiny when we know we can be heirs of Abraham , yet we are not Arabs or Jews. Jesus was born at the time appointed by God ( Gal. 4:4 ) , as the seed of Abraham . The relationship we have with Jesus becomes a determining factor whether or not God actually belong . Paul sums it definitely declaring : Abrahams seed and heirs If you belong to Christ , are according to the promise ( Gal. 3.26,27 , 29 ) . We praise God because thousands of Arabs met Jesus recently. And in the Bible , besides the verses already mentioned , there are many others that give us hope that Arabs will eventually be saved . Isaiah 60.6,7 tells of a time when the glory of the Lord shall be made manifest : The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Epha [ the descendants of Abraham through Keturah ] ; all from Sheba shall come [ descendants of Jotham ] ; they shall bring gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the LORD . All the flocks of Kedar [ descendants of Ishmael ] will meet with thee ; you will serve the sheep Nebajoth ; to rise my appreciation to my altar , and I will most glorious house of my glory. Finally , when we look at the New Testament , there were Arabs on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:11) . God really want your message to reach the Arabs because Allahu Mahabba - God is love . We must believe that God will save the Arabs , whatever their offspring. That millions of Arabs may be actually inserted in the spiritual seed of Abraham through Jesus , and that the evangelical church is able to recognize and understand the promises directed at these people . The Birth of Ishmael Now Sarai , Abrams wife bare him no children: and she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar . And Sarai said unto Abram , Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from giving birth ; Please go in to my maid ; perhaps Ill have her sons . And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai . So he took Sarai , Abrams wife , Hagar the Egyptian , her handmaid , and gave her in marriage to her husband Abram , after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived ; and seeing she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes . And Sarai said unto Abram , My wrong be upon thee: I put my maid into thy bosom ; seeing she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes ; the LORD judge between me and thee . And Abram said unto Sarai , Behold, thy maid is in thine hand ; you do what is good in thine eyes . And Sarai afflicted her , and she fled from her face . And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness , by the fountain in the way to Shur And he said, Hagar , Sarais maid , whence and whither goest thou? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai . Then said the angel of the LORD : Become to thy mistress , and submit thyself under her hands . He said to him the angel of the LORD greatly multiply thy seed , that will not be numbered for multitude to be . I also told him the angel of the LORD : Behold , and bear a son , and shalt call his name Ishmael ; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction . And he will be a wild man , his hand will be against everyone and everyones hand against him ; and dwell before the face of all his brethren . And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God sees me ; because I said I did not look well for him that seeth me ? Therefore the name of that well Beer Lahai Roi ; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered . And Hagar bore Abram a son ; and Abram called the name of his son who had Hagar , Ishmael. And Abram was fourscore -six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael (Genesis 16.1-16 )
Posted on: Wed, 30 Apr 2014 15:55:11 +0000
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