1/6/08 - Life Journal - The Nation of Ishmael

The angel of the LORD also said to her:
"You are now with child
and you will have a son.
You shall name him Ishmael,
for the LORD has heard of your misery.

He will be a wild donkey of a man;
his hand will be against everyone
and everyone's hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
toward all his brothers."
Genesis 16:11,12

Islam traces it's roots back to Abram, just as Christianity and Judaism but the "family tree" shoots off from there. Their genealogy flows through Ishmael, the son of Abram and Hagar. It's interesting that God's grace can be seen here also. He could have struck down Ishamael but he didn't. He made a separate covenant for him through his mother. We have the Muslims to always remind us of the lack of faith on Sarai's part. Our hands are against them and they do live in hostility with us.

We christians and jew have thousands of years working against any efforts we make towards peace or conversion. The "mother" of their race was cast out of her house for obeying the command of her master. We can't expect that their be no animosity between us and that we can easily convince them of the divinity of Jesus. We need to hear where they're coming from, listening with respect while still asserting our beliefs. A writer on the Desiring God blog wrote, "Should we tiptoe around with sealed lips to avoid offense? Definitely not. But the cross should be the only stumbling block, not our refusal to listen well. By showing respect through our willingness to listen to Muslims' thoughts, we may also earn their respect. If we listen to their message, they are far more likely to listen to ours. I bet you'd be surprised just how willing a Muslim friend or co-worker would be to have a conversation with you about your faith in God when you ask him about his.

Father, again it comes down to love, but do I have it in me?