George Johnson - The Forgotten Promises: Ishmael and His Descendants From the Perspective of God's Mission

Hi again. The more I look the more old faces, I see because they're grown. I've seen them over the years it just give thanks to God for your face.

So happy to see the Cole family and the prank family. Yeah. So thanks a lot better get together today. I want to talk about something known as a little don't sing all the Forgotten promises. But I need to open my computer first. Okay, I'll be asleep by now. You know, I'm working a lot of them on the Muslim peoples and Muslim peoples going to be reflected that we always talk about Ishmael who is the eldest son of Abraham and repent you refer to Islam as an abrahamic Faith? Well, I'm not so sure. But I'm not sure why they can't qualify as an abrahamic Faith per se but we all learn as we go along because we need to look at this question from the perspective of God's Mission. So before Christ return and the closing of this age in which we live and we can celebrate in the marriage supper of the Lamb God the Father will fulfill all of his promises that he made the picture of Abraham and to his people You see the mountain over there. It's it's Brewing blowing its top is it you can see some smoke coming from the very top of the mountain of the back. It's got blowing kit stop at these people at the Nations.

Actually is in the midst of all these things we hear about Israel and Palestine and so far we need to have our anchors rooted in what God has promised to the ancestors and the forefathers of the Palestinians and the Jews. And the people of the land you see God. What is he doing today? Oh, I'm sorry. He is on a mission to reach the nations of the world and write me if you look at Genesis 13 10 and 12 will find that God is a missionary God is not a God who make this world like clockwork and study up and then it said it a site to run like a clock. No, not really he's got his actively involved and he's not a beast will not be as we are. We are we know that I've got is a living God and he is actively involved in bringing the people that he created back to himself through the only way that has made possible which is a cross of the Messiah his son. So we need to be very conscious about that and this is rooted not just in the New Testament. It is very much in the Old Testament in the Torah in the Psalms and even the writings of the prophets that we have today. So what is the mission of the Triune God is Triune he is not a unit but a Unity there's a difference between a God. That's a unit and a goddess a Unity Islam's God is a unit but not that Unity hours is a Triune God God the Father through his promise plan and by his Redemptive ex is actively reconciling the nation's to himself. We can see that happening every day. You can see that happening. You saw that happened in the pictures. I chat with you just now in the people of Valley in the people of Central Java and North Central Java. He is bringing people to himself whether they come from the largest unreached people groups in the world and Jesus Christ his son he has and bonded this Mission and will also be accomplished all completed by him. So this time is equally involved like the father is and then you have the Holy Spirit God by his spirit. He calls us and equips us to take part in God's Mission today. So this is a very active role that we play. Yes, indeed. God is Sovereign and he determines who gets saved. But at the same time people use you and me to be his instruments and agents of his love and his gospel too many out there who do not know him because of sin because they have been separated from the Living God. Yes, we can look at this religion call Islam which is claiming to be the fastest growing religion in the world. Why because we have 1 billion / 1 billion people who call themselves Muslims worldwide about one out of five people on earth is a Muslim there more than three million Muslims in here in this country alone in the USA and growing. I believe this number has changed to 5 million now over five million in Canada to the north of here 30% a Muslim dress, right? What are the three new books? Is it mostly in France? It is even more severe 50% the Muslims have a birth rate of 50% 1 into of New Birth Indonesia where I am, so close to a lynx with you has more than 170 million Muslims. And yet once thought that is more relevant to all of us is more than 50% or 34% of all the youth in the world under 15 years of age are Muslims. So when we grow up when we went out to run grow up my dad children grow up and mix around with people. They will they will encounter Muslims and rub shoulders with them. And so we need to realize that this a reality and we need to do a reality check. Okay. So when we do meet with these folks, what do we say to them about the love of God because they claim to know Jesus already they claim to have him as a profit but not as your priest and not as your king so and then they say that they know the way to heaven. We also say we have the way to heaven. Well who's right and who's wrong asked ourselves that question conscientiously if God has a missionary plan. For the Nations. How does that relate to the Muslims? Let us consider these facts. In the Old Testament, there are four unique promises about Ishmael in Genesis, 16 17 and 21. You can find four of them for this promises regarding Ishmael not Isaac, but Ishmael. Ishmael's descendants in the New Jerusalem are mentioned in Isaiah chapter 60 verse 7 then stand Before the Throne of the Ancient of Days and these are the descendants of Ishmael. And then let me go to the New Testament Christmas is around the corner. We hear the story of the Magnus the Magnus incidentally among the first Nations to worship Christ worship Jesus. They were following that star that finally landed over Bethlehem, and they wanted to see this so that they could offer him the gifts this may God come from the East and they know the promises of God of the Messiah to save the world and then to the Gentiles. In Galatians in 2nd Corinthians, we hear an account of you read an account of him going into Arabia what for many people say he went to Arabia to meditate while knowing the Apostle Paul. I think he's not just a meditation that or someone who just meditates but does is doing something more than that in the place of Arabia when he was the first event.

Let's take a look at the four unit promises first where the angel of Yahweh speaks to Hagar in Genesis 16. In Genesis, 16 verses 7 through 10. We find the angel of the Lord discovering haga locating Haggen near a spring in the desert. It was the spring that beside that is beside the road heading towards Shore. On the east of the Holy Land This angel said to her Hagar servant of Sarai, where have you come from? And where are you going the angel of the Lord told her go back to your mistress and submit to her. Who was the Mistress of Mystery? Sarah and Sarah Kay The Angel also added to her I will also increase your descendants that they will be too many too numerous to count. That's a promise a promise given to Hagar. Which was not yet fulfilled because this promise this is the first promise from God.

The angel the angel of the Lord and you will have a son and you shall name him issue mail for the Lord has heard the Cry of your fiction. So you should my L comes from to what's it smell comes from you should and Ellie's mom is God will hear our God hears L is God. So God hears all well here. It is similar in contract with Samuel. So if you have a child or you are call Samuel, it's the same as Ishmael to which means God hears.

And then the angel continues by saying he will be a wild donkey of a man is he will be a games everyone and everyone's hand against him and he will do well to the east of his Kinfolk. The east of the Holy Land is Arabia today at least Northern Arabia Syria. Lebanon those areas. Okay, and then he got caught the name of the Lord who spoke to her and said you wasn't God who sees me for she said I have now seen the one who sees me and acknowledgement of the almighty God who has called her for a specific purpose. And the reason I told her go back go back to Sarah and I will continue my plans for you to make you a mother of many nations. Que no. Some people look at the phrase a wild donkey. You'll be like a wild donkey. That's one in Genesis 16 + 12. Is there a curse upon ishmael's descendants? So one principal hermeneutics interpretation is Levitt a verse in another passage by the meaning of an obscure Versa not so clear and then you will find a job 39 less 528 God himself describes the nature of a wild donkey in this manner. He lives in Freedom in Hebrew else in the desert Keisha. What's the noise of the towns and he wanders about in search of food? In short the lifestyle of a wild donkey is similar to the bed wins of the Arabian and Syrian desert regions The Nomad the nomadic tribes of that week. So what conclusion can we draw from these two verses in Genesis in Genesis? And also enjoy 12-4 is not a curse upon Ishmael and his descendants rather. It is a prophetic description of a lifestyle characteristic of the Arab Nomads of the twins. So if you're into that part of the world, you will know what I mean.

So there are four unique promises and we saw one already. There's a second one that is in Genesis chapter 17 and verse 18 Abraham appeal to God and said you smell like this before you or God because he didn't want the smell to die because it smelled was the first born male him of Abraham's then God said no, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son and I and you shall call him Isaac. I will establish my Covenant with him as an Everlasting Covenant for his descendants after him. So this verse is extremely important because Isaac is the son of promise and God will continue his line to Isaac to fulfill his promise to Abraham of making him a father of many nations, okay? Now we look at verse 6 of Genesis 17 and Route 20. After that. I have hurt you. I will surely bless him. I will make him fruitful and increase his numbers. He will be the father of 12 rulers and I will make him into a great nation so we can look this in what's 20 of 17 and also verse 6:19 know is that is God saying because this is a direct answer to the verse that came before that though that Ishmael might live before you Abraham was appealing to God to let Ishmael live and not die and then God can answer. No. Does it mean that God is saying no Ishmael shall die or it smells will not live. No, that's not it because if that's the case, why would he give his promise in verse 20 that God will bless him and make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers that won't happen and can't happen if Ishmael was no go die, but no. Your wife has value and another son. This is his real wife. Not the handmaiden of Sarah Hagar. Okay. So God will establish my Covenant with the juice with the people of the Jews who came true Isaac because Isaac was the father of Jacob and Jacob was the father of twelve tribes the 12 tribes of Israel to God's promise. We'll continue to flow but not to the Arabs but true the juice to the Israelites because Jesus himself said salvation is from the Jews to the Samaritan woman. You remember the conversation we worship here on Mount Horeb you worship down Mount Zion and Jerusalem. We are not the same. You're very different from me. I don't want to hear your preaching. Jesus says, I'm sorry, you're wrong. You got it wrong. The Day's coming when you will not worship here or the juice of worship there because God seeks worshippers who will worship Him how in spirit? Interest right. So you do not need a place like Jerusalem or Mount Horeb or even Mecca or medina to find God to worship him that God cancel that Jesus cancel that all together when he spoke in John for salvation is from the Jews. What was he doing? It was referring to himself. What tribe was Jesus from? Anybody? Remember Bible trivia? I know you like it. Jesus was from Zula is known as the lion of Judah right and Judah and Benjamin was the last two tribes that survived the Great Divide 10 tribes to the north two types of the South eventually the ten tribes became the Lost tribes. They were dispersed by The Experience Buy Buy Baby lions, and so on except for two. And then Jesus the lion of Judah came to save us from our sins to fulfill the prophecy that God gave and the promise that God gave a full Philly and establishing his Covenant Everlasting Covenant. So salvation is not from the Arabs not from Muhammad, but from Jesus Christ from the tribe of Judah.

So in Genesis, 17 19 to 20 in the light of God's Vision eyes that receives the blessing of a promise to Covenant Covenant that he has promised Adam Eve and now coming down to Abraham and the 12 tribes of Israel also receives the promise of a blessing. Is a faget. He's a just God he does not abandon. The people that has been involved in his plans. You see he will fulfill his Covenant true Isaac, but he will also blessed Ishmael month is an Everlasting Covenant, but I'm making him a great nation according to Genesis 17 Isaac and his descendants are destined to be the Agents of God's Mission rescue Schmale and his descendants are destined to be home to be what unique recipients of God's Mission. This will come clear and unfold as you see the verses to come. All right. The Fulfillment of the seven the Tennessee 1720 promise is multi-dimensional. Wesley it is a literal physical fulfillment in Genesis 25 that will be an actual 12 tribes and 12 princess s e there's also a spiritual fulfillment of this promise and this is captured in genocide in Isaiah chapter 6 verses 6 through 7 confirmed in the New Testament in Galatians chapter 3 verse is 14 and 29. So if you are Christ, then you are Abraham's of spring according to the promise what promise the one in Genesis 17 vs 19. So we are all that great promise that God gave thousands of years ago to Father Abraham, even though we are not Jews and I'm sorry there might be some juicy of Messianic Jews, but by and large we are right and we don't have any hope of coming into that promised except for the fact that God gave a spiritual fulfillment. True Jesus Christ his son who was the promised Messiah to bring Salvation to all the nations of the earth not just to the juice but to the whole wide world and now we are here today enjoying that salvation through Jesus Christ. We have celebrated the Last Supper. We have enjoyed the Holy Communion. They did a foretaste of the marriage supper of the Lamb. That's why that's all because of the promise that we have true Isaac. And I saw you any promises got a she was Abraham and Hagar's son Ishmael will also become a great nation. I am not throw Arab or whatever, but I'm just trying to be biblical. All right. Dust bless and God is a just God. He is fair. He will fulfill his Covenant to Isaac but is also given a promise to Ishmael and you need to realize that okay now call Sarah. So Ishmael playing with Isaac that for she cried suddenly passed out the slave woman and her son for Ishmael shall not inherit my properties. You see the angel that reply to Sarah tells you listen to her for through Isaac. Your descendants will be named and I will name I will also make the son of the maidservant into a nation. Because he is your Offspring. He he refers to Ishmael, okay? I need 21 verse 18 of Genesis got hurt the light crying and the angel of the Lord called out to lift up the boy little boy up and take him by the hand for I will make him a great nation. This is not referring to Isaac. This is referring to Ishmael and God still has compassion and mercy on him. Even though he was the son of the make seven. Not of the wife of Abraham God is a just God. He is gracious is fat and he bless us both but his Covenant he will fulfill to the descendants of Isaac not Ishmael. God bless with the lad. This is his Providence in the wilderness as he grew up. He lives in the desert and became an Archer. I'm sure some of your like bows and arrows write a Hit List in the desert and became an Archer and he lived in the wilderness of parents and his mother took away from him. Sorry a wife for him from the land of Egypt. That's what Genesis 21 Western 21 says that look at the disposal of ishmael's descendants will find that many of them on the right of the Holy Land of the promised land you have kedar. No fish yet or never, and so on. These are all the lands of the princess of Ishmael fist of spring his children, right? So the holy land where is Jerusalem is is on the left side. This is the land flowing with milk and honey that is promise to Isaac and the juice so they can't fulfill that promise but occupying the land flowing with milk and honey, because that was a place where the 12 tribes of Israel Will Spring forth from. All right. So Abraham to another wife whose name was Keturah and she bought him a whole bunch of children. Also, I'm not going to pronounce those names but you you can see for yourself. Okay. Now that's in Genesis 25 + 1 + 2. These are the names of the sons of Ishmael listed in the order of the birth. Nearby off the firstborn of Ishmael at Bill meet Sam and so on and so far right now, maybe the firstborn they were the ancestors of the nabateans you remember the nabataean Arabs the King's first book came from the East. Okay, there were descendants of Me by of us a great-grandparent of the nabateans. You can see the similarity in the names.

For what purpose did God preserve Ishmael and make him a great nation. Is it to persecute the Jews? It's more than that the answer appears in Isaiah chapter 60. God has a missionary plan to bring Salvation to the non Covenant peoples who have sprung forth from Abraham and Ishmael and look at this and you see this people here do they look like camels or are they doing? You don't see that hits you see the volume down to what's Mecca do you say to Muslims the descendants of the Arabs? All right. The descendants of Ishmael and the New Jerusalem if you can read Isaiah chapter 60 verse 7 when people from All Nations will worship the king in Jerusalem, Isaiah 64:6 9 and 13, but notice that something very unique very important. It is Abraham's Arabian descendants who I mentioned first, who are these descendants Arabian? Okay, Isaiah chapter 60 verse 16 and

All from an hour from Sheba will come bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the price of the Lord Shiva. These are all the descendants of Mega. Okay, the other side. Okay. Phlox will be gathered unto you the Rams of the buy off of you. They will be accepted as offerings on my Alta and I will add on my glorious Temple. This is from Isaiah 61:7 when you say they will be at they will be accepted as offerings on my altar. It will be through Jesus Christ. Not true Islam. Okay God or accept everyone secretary must offerings and worship only to Christ and this is a prophecy of the Salvation of the Muslims. The Nations will come to Jerusalem fall into three groups firstly median effort and sheba. These are the sons of Keturah Abraham's wives and also and then right who are they these are the sons of Ishmael they represent the descendants of Shem and Abraham and Isaiah 60 the ships of tarshish who represent the descendants of Jeff versus and Tom Sturridge sound familiar Paul came from there. All right, what's 9 of 60 the glory of Lebanon which represents the descendants of ham with the team the first to come however to worship God everyday acceptance are the non Covenant descendants of Abraham because God has not forgotten his promise to Abraham and Hagar not just to Sarah but also to hega the about the mix-up and of Sarah.

So what can we expect then their brothers and sisters as the eschatological H draws closer as we see events happening for menting? We can see increasing signs of God's visitation among the descendants of Ishmael. Another what's gone is revealing and speaking himself to the Arabs and to the Muslims for the past 25 years since I was a 30 years now reports have come from around the world of Islam The Tao of Jesus Christ revealing himself to Muslims in dreams and envisions. And by then reading the Bible and learning for themselves the true word of God, which they cannot find India for an resulting in dramatic conversions conversions to Christ. Of course.

We have seen that in the Old Testament God revealed a plan to bring Salvation to the descendants of Ishmael. But what about the New Testament? Do we find that also any additional confirmation that God actually has such a promise planned for Muslims.

Well I said Christmas is around the corner you talked about operation. Shoebox now Samaritan's Purse. OK Google Store ear item a guy who traveled from afar to look for the promise child. This is an initial fulfillment, you know, actually and initial fulfillment of Isaiah chapter 60 verse 6 through 7 in Matthew to what's 1 + 11. We find my guy from the East arrived and they fell down and worshipped him. We'll ship him who the Christ child and opening their Treasures. They presented to him Gifts of gold frankincense. And myrrh. All right. So these are the gifts that they brought along to offer the promised one. Who is Jesus Christ?

Well trust registration identifies them as Persians baby lions and Arabs came from the East came also to offer gifts to the Christ child because they knew of the promise of God to Eve and to Abraham. So let's take a look at how they some support for Arabian origin. They came from the East is a designation in the Bible for Arabia the earliest the to lien and epicenters. They assert their Arabian origin that these people were Arabs to my guy was also a very far-reaching the gifts of gold frankincense. And myrrh, I the products of Arabia also you find lots of these things produced in that part of the world of that time and the make I caught it was present among some of the ancient tribes of North Arabia. So it appears they're brothers and sisters that Matthew understands was 2:11 as a fulfillment of Isaiah 60 chapter 6 to 7 that God will receive the offerings of the people from the East who come from the Arabian region. So that Christ will probably Arabs as well. So let's note this fact that God himself let these Arabian Makai to worship. The Christ child. God was behind the Journey of the Mack guys to Bethlehem and the ass and inquired where this king of the Jews will be so that they can worship Him. These were not Jews offering worship to the king of the Jews. I'm going to give them one more sign and give us one more sign to this end. When when he sent the Apostle Paul into Arabia and ask this question. Why did Paul go to Arabia as you can see? All right, he was from Damascus. You got converted during the Church of the church first and then he's like convert it and then I said it what did he do? He ran away to Arabia or what? OK Google listen to 1716 276 back when God who called me by his grace was pleased to reveal his son in me that I might reach him among the Gentiles. So he was a great missionary the great Jewish missionary to the Gentiles but was not a gentle. He was a Jew Pharisee of the Pharisees you said but who were the first people that he wanted to convert? Not the juice but the Gentiles that's why he went into Arabia. I did not consult any man. Did I go up to Jerusalem, but I went immediately into work and they won 16 to 17 some Scholars Mason. Kiss me that Paul went to Arabia in order to reflect and meditate and integrate his experience on the Damascus Road with his Judaism. But I would I propose to you that Paul's journey to Arabia seems more connected to his commission to preach the gospel among the Gentiles.

So we need to ask him a question. Why did our eta's the nabataean king in Arab King wish to seize Paul upon his return to Damascus a second Corinthians, 11:32. We find Pearl sang in the back and the King has had the city under guard in order to do what in order to arrest me Paul, but I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and I slipped through his hands. So escaping his apart in evangelism to escaping from your torment is escaping from your persecutors escaping from those who want to kill you because you preach the gospel. That's also apart. It doesn't mean, it is it doesn't mean running away it means wisdom. So that is a place for bonus. There's a place for escaping running away. And this is what Paul did in a basket. Drywall and ran away from Clio Rita's in his comments on 2nd Corinthians. 11:32 scholar Terrance. Donaldson says one does not arouse the angle of a ruler by engaging in the period of silence and meditation a solution instead. These references probably indicate that Paul was engaged in what in Gentile evangelization from the start from the very beginning Paul from the get-go was already a preacher you was already a missionary for the gospel of Christ. So he was involved in gentle evangelism from the start and this King aritas was a Rita's number for every task force. Set up a Christian is this then the back tonight after the first Gentiles to home Paul preached the gospel and that got him into trouble so much so that the ruler than ever that is wanted to arrest him and to kill him, but he escaped so in summary. The following specs highlight God's priority in reaching the descendants of Ishmael Ishmael is the first of the non Covenant people's to receive a divine blessing. The apps and ishmaelites are the first of the nation's to come to the New Jerusalem in Isaiah chapter 62 presented gives on the temple Ulta. The Meg guy I probably Arabian among the first of Matthew's Gentiles to worship the Christ child in Matthew Chapter 2 in Bethlehem. And that's certainly a possibility of the first Gentiles to home for priests the gospel.

Interesting, isn't it? Then that back generics this coming and going to first coming to 1st and going to first does not represent human initiative rather. It represents God's divine intervention according to his providential plans.

So what are we going to do when we see this people? This Muslim Sia. How should we respond when we consider these people group? God's missionary button for the descendants of Ishmael on two occasions God reach down to save the life of Hagar and Ishmael. We find in Genesis 1621. This represents God's missionary heart and compassion three other scriptural passages refer to God's priority in terms of divine visitation upon the descendants of Ishmael.

I will be at the church today in step with God's plan for Ishmael and his descendants. One way to answer this question is questions as well as what percentage of all missionaries are focusing the ministry and time among Muslims. If you look at this pie chart here in terms of international missionaries and missions 90 only 5% of your giving is for Muslims 95% Its focus on non-muslims Hindus Buddhist agnostic atheist and communist capitalist, but not the Muslims and these Muslims are over 1 billion people. However, we only focus 5% of our support. And then what does he tell us? What does the show my dear friends? It shows only one thing that we have ignored the promise of God today to the ishmaelites. Has the trust become like Sarah who said cast out the barn woman and her son threw her away. She doesn't deserve anything from the Lord. So with that thought I wished you to you know, I'm not going to go to this how many ask questions. I hope today. You have seen the heart of God and his Justice for the people of Isaac and for the people of Ishmael in Genesis as well as today. How did the Apostle Paul the great missionary apostle? Understood this and immediately involve himself in the plants and the works of God to save the Arabs and the descendants of Ishmael to Christ with that. Thought. I leave you with a hope that you will see the missionary Heart Of God is found in the old and the New Testament for his descendants of Ishmael. Thank you.

Chris you want to come up with?

that was That's a whole lot right there. A good way that was a lot of theology. Yeah, that was wonderful reminders and to some truth about where we come from right there. It's not just the New Testament right? We're not simply New Testament Christians. All of the New Testament is rooted in the Old Testament. That's part of what brother George are showing today the richness all the tires that prophesy the promise has it that's one of fascinating things about the Bible. It's just so rich. It's simple enough a child can get it but it's deep and strategic and complex enough that it'll take us our entire lives to figure it out. That was very cool. Thank you in light of all that's will you stand with us and let's sing the doxology as we close at.