The clash of two world views finally woke us up from our slumber when news arrived of a woman's beheading by a man trying to convert people to Allah in the work place

Yesterday, the reality of this Muslim religion hit a small bible belt community in Oklahoma as a recently converted Islamic man, fired from his job and with a long criminal record, returned to the front entrance of the company and completely beheaded a woman who worked in customer service. Had the CEO who had a concealed weapon not been there to shoot this man many deaths would have occurred because the man wasn't going to stop.

I wanted to know more about the Islamic world view and so  I did some research on Wikipedia and the bible because I saw my life as a Christian was clashing with the life of those who call themselves Muslim.

In Genesis 16, the birth of Ishmael was planned by the Patriarch Abraham's first wife, who at that time was known as Sarai. She and her husband Abram (Abraham) sought a way to have children in order to fulfill the Abrahamic covenantthat was established in Genesis 15. Since Sarai had yet to bear Abraham a child, her idea was to offer her Egyptian handmaiden Hagar to Abraham, so that they could have a child by her. Abraham consented to a marital arrangement taking Hagar as his second wife[3] when he was in his late 85th year of age. Customs of that time dictated that, although Hagar was the birth mother, any child conceived would belong to Sarai and Abraham (Sarah and Abraham).[4]

So the origins of this race began.

Genesis 16:7-16 describes the naming of Ishmael, and Yahweh's promise to Hagar concerning Ishmael and his descendants. This occurred at the well of Beer-lahai-roi, located in the desert region between Abraham’s settlement and Shur. Hagar fled here after Sarai dealt harshly with her for showing contempt for her mistress following her having become pregnant. Here, Hagar encountered an angel of Yahweh who instructed her to return and be submissive to Sarai so that she could have her child there. The blessing that this child's father was promised was that Abraham's descendants would be as numerous as the dust of the earth. However, the promise would be to a son of Sarai; yet God would make of this child a great nation, who would be named Ishmael, because he was of the seed of Abraham. When Ishmael was born, Abraham was 86 years old.


When he was 13 years old, Ishmael was circumcised at the same time as all other males in Abraham's house becoming a part of the covenant in a mass circumcision. His father Abram, given the new name "Abraham," was also at this time, at the age of 99, initiated into the covenant by having himself and the males of his entire household circumcised. (Genesis 17)

At the time of the covenant, God informed Abraham that his wife Sarah would give birth to a son, which he was instructed to name Isaac. God told Abraham that He would establish his covenant through Isaac, and when Abraham inquired as to Ishmael's role, God answers that Ishmael has been blessed and that He “will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.” (Genesis 17)

A year later, Ishmael's half-brother Isaac was born to Abraham by his first wife Sarah.On the day of feasting during which Abraham celebrated the weaning of Isaac, Ishmael was “mocking” or "playing with" Isaac (the Hebrew word is ambiguous[5])[1] and Sarah asked Abraham to expel Ishmael and his mother, saying: "Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac."[4][6] This proposition was grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son and the bondwoman, Hagar. Abraham only agreed when God told him that "for in Isaac your seed shall be called", and that He would "make a nation of the son of the bondwoman" Ishmael, since he was a descendant of Abraham. (Genesis 21:11–13)

At the age of 14, Ishmael was freed along with his mother. The Lord’s covenant made clear Ishmael was not to inherit Abraham’s house and that Isaac would be the seed of the covenant. Abraham gave him and his mother a supply of bread and water and sent them away. Hagar entered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba where the two soon ran out of water and Hagar, not wanting to witness the death of her son, set the boy some distance away from herself, and wept. "And God heard the voice of the lad" and sent his angel to tell Hagar, "Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation." And God "opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water", from which she drew to save Ishmael's life and her own. "And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer." (Genesis 21:14–21)

Family tree[edit]

Sarah

Abraham

Hagar

Isaac

Ishmael

Ishmaelites

Islam[edit]

Lineage of six prominent prophets according to Islamic tradition
Adem (Adam) Nūḥ (Noah) Ibrāhīm(Abraham) Ismā'īl (Ishmael) Isḥāq (Isaac) Mūsa (Moses) Marīam (Mary) ʿĪsā (Jesus) Abdul-Muttalib Muhammad
Dotted lines indicate multiple generations

See also: Ishmael in Islam and Hagar in Islam

Ishmael is recognized as an important prophet and patriarch of Islam. Muslimsbelieve that Ishmael was the firstborn of Abraham, born to him from his second wifeHagar. Ishmael is recognized by Muslims as the ancestor of several prominent Arabtribes and being the forefather of Muhammad.^[32] Muslims also believe that Muhammad was the descendant of Ishmael that would establish a great nation, as promised by God in the Old Testament.^[33]

And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of 12 rulers, and I will make them into a great nation.
—Genesis 17:20

Ishmael in the Quran


Ishmael is mentioned over ten times in the Quran, often alongside other patriarchsand prophets of ancient times. In XIX: 54, the Quran says: "And make mention in the Scripture of Ishmael. He was a keeper of his promise, and he was a messenger, a prophet. He enjoined upon his people worship and almsgiving, and was most acceptable in the sight of his Lord." Later on, in XXXVIII: 48, Ishmael is mentioned together with Elisha and Dhul-Kifl as one of "the patiently enduring and righteous, whom God caused to enter into his mercy." It is also said of Lot, Elisha, Jonah and Ishmael, that God gave each one "preference above the worlds" (VI: 86). These references to Ishmael are, in each case, part of a larger context in which other holy prophets are mentioned. In other chapters of the Quran, however, which date from the Medina period, Ishmael is mentioned closely with his father Abraham: Ishmael stands alongside Abraham in their attempt to set up the Kaaba inMecca as a place of monotheistic pilgrimage (II: 127-129) and Abraham thanks God for granting him Ishmael and Isaac in his old age (XIV: 35-41). Ishmael is further mentioned alongside the patriarchs who had been given revelations (II: 136) and Jacob's sons promise to follow the faith of their forefathers, "Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac", when testifying their faith (II: 133). In the narrative of the near-sacrifice of Abraham's son (XXXVII: 100-107), the son is not named and, although the general interpretation is that it was Ishmael, Tabari[34] maintained that it was Isaac. Most modern commentators, however, regard the son's identification as least important in a narrative which is given for its moral lesson.[35]

Muslim and the Jewish people point to Abraham as the founder of their religion. Both point to Abraham as their father.Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet, not the true covenant of God.When I taught Sunday school there was a song we had the kids sing. Here is that song:

In the book of Galatians 4: 21-31 Paul refers back to the earlier covenant made to Abraham's two decendent's.


Galatians 4:21-31New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Bond and Free

21 Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. 23 But the son by the bondwoman [a]was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. 24 [b]This is allegorically speaking, for thesewomen are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children [c]who are to be slaves; [d]she is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free; [e]she is our mother. 27 For it is written,

“Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear;
Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor;
For more numerous are the children of the desolate
Than of the one who has a husband.”

28 And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. 30 But what does the Scripture say?

“Cast out the bondwoman and her son,
For the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.”
31 So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, [f]but of the free woman.

So we have the story of how the clash of how the two cultures originated. God provided the final covenant when Mary bore a son, Jesus Christ, who would be the salvation of the world. Jesus Christ in the Gospel of John 14:6 states, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."


The final covenant made with the birth of Jesus Christ trumped all previous covenants. As we struggle with the news of the beheading we, as believers in Jesus Christ must hang on to the very words of Jesus Christ through the four gospels for it is in these words that the Holy Spirit speaks to us.

As I reflect on the history of how this religion began I am motivated to keep my faith in Jesus Christ, not to throw it away, but to keep putting one foot in front of the other and honoring my Lord, Jesus Christ, each and every Sabbath. I ran across another statistic that you will not see in the news:

The number of Muslims in Africa [a land of 1 billion] has diminished to 316 million, half of whom are Arabs in North Africa...In every hour, 667Muslims convert to Christianity. Everyday, 16,000 Muslims convert to Christianity.

Muslim Statistics (Population) - WikiIslam
wikiislam.net/wiki/Muslim_Statistics_-_Population

I learned several things from this study: (1) both the Muslim and the Jews and Christians point to father Abraham; (2) both have a very reverent believe in God; (3) God made everything right through the sacrifice of his son, Jesus Christ, allowing everyone to  come to the Savior with no strings attached.

Muslims are coming to Christ the same way others are coming to Christ. They want what Jesus Christ represents: the payment for their sin's that none of us could ever satisfy no matter how much we pray or how much we sacrifice, or how much we try to be perfect.

As Christians I believe our response to the tragedy of the Oklahoma beheading is to pray for all Muslim people that they will discover the truth of this new covenant through Jesus Christ.