From God's Truth to the "New Spirituality"

*Beliefs*	*Ancient Israel & Isaac*	*Ancient Arabia & Ishmael*
Abraham	Father of many nations. God's chosen servant to start a new nation and introduce an eternal covenant relationship with Himself	Revered as father to the nomadic people
Abraham & Sarah's sons	Isaac: the Biblical heir of God's covenant promises to Abraham	Ishmael: Ancestor of the northern Arab people.^[1] Would become a highly regarded person in the Qur'an. (Qur'an 19:55).
	"And Abraham a said to God, 'Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!' Then God said: “....Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this i set time next year. ” (Ge 17:18-21 "Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, d at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him— Isaac. ... Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.” (Ge 21:2-5	"And the Angel of the Lord said to her [Hagar]: “ Behold, you are with child, and you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has heard your affliction. He shall be a wild man; His hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him..... So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael." (Ge 16:11-12, 15) 14 "Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and 'a skin of water; and... gave it and the boy to Hagar, and 'sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. ...and lifted her voice and wept....Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “...I will make him a great nation.... So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; [south of Shur on Sinai Penisula] and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt." (Ge 21:14-21
Genealogy	"But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, 'In Isaac your seed shall be called.' That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.” (Ro 9:6-8 They peopled a very large continent, that lay between Egypt and Assyria, called Arabia. The names of his twelve sons are recorded. Midian and Kedar we often read of in scripture. And some very good expositors have taken notice of the signification of those three names which are put together (v. 14), as containing good advice to us all, Mishma, Dumah, and Massa, that is, hear, keep silence, and bear; we have them together in the same order, Jam. 1:19, Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. The posterity of Ishmael had not only tents in the fields, wherein they grew rich in times of peace; but they had towns and castles (v. 16), wherein they fortified themselves in time of war. Now the number and strength of this family were the fruit of the promise made to Hagar concerning Ishmael (ch. 16:10), and to Abraham, ch. 17:20 and 21:13. Note, Many that are strangers to the covenants of promise are yet blessed with outward prosperity for the sake of their godly ancestors. Wealth and riches shall be in their house. 2. Concerning himself. Here is an account of his age: He lived 137 years (v. 17) which is recorded to show the efficacy of Abraham’s prayer for him (ch. 17:18), Henry, M. (1996, c1991). Matthew Henry's commentary on the whole Bible : Complete and unabridged in one volume (Ge 25:11). Peabody: Hendrickson. V. God’s answer to his prayer; and it is an answer of peace. Abraham could not say that he sought God’s face in vain. 1. Common blessings are secured to Ishmael (v. 20): As for Ishmael, whom thou art in so much care about, I have heard thee; he shall find favour for thy sake; I have blessed him, that is, I have many blessings in store for him. (1.) His posterity shall be numerous: I will multiply him exceedingly, more than his neighbours. This is the fruit of the blessing, as that, ch. 1:28. (2.) They shall be considerable: Twelve princes shall he beget. We may charitably hope that spiritual blessings also were bestowed upon him, though the visible church was not brought out of his loins and the covenant was not lodged in his family. Note, Great plenty of outward good things is often given to those children of godly parents who are born after the flesh, for their parents’ sake. 2. Covenant blessings are reserved for Isaac, and appropriated to him, v. 19, 21. If Abraham, in his prayer for Ishmael, meant that he would have the covenant made with him, and the promised seed to come from him, then God did not answer him in the letter, but in that which was equivalent, nay, which was every way better." Henry, M. (1996, c1991). Matthew Henry's commentary on the whole Bible : Complete and unabridged in one volume (Ge 17:15). Peabody: Hendrickson. "...it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, x the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount a Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— but the erusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all....28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. 29 But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? 'Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.' 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free." (Ga 4:22-26, 28-31 9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar l the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, m scoffing. 3 10 Therefore she said to Abraham, n “ Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac. ” 11 And the matter was very 4 displeasing in Abraham’s sight o because of his son. 12 But God said to Abraham, “ Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for p in Isaac your seed shall be called. 13 Yet I will also make q a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your 5 seed. ” The New King James Version. 1996, c1982 (Ge 21:9). Nashville: Thomas Nelson. And the Lord a visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah b as He had spoken. 2 For Sarah c conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, d at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him— e Isaac. 1 4 Then Abraham f circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, g as God had commanded him. 5 Now h Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 And Sarah said, i “ God has 2 made me laugh, and all who hear j will laugh with me. ” 7 She also said, “ Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.” (Ge 21:1	"Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. Therefore she said to Abraham, n 'Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.' 11 And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son. 12 But God said to Abraham, 'Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called. Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed.'” Ge 21:9-13 Note from Matthew Henry: "She saw him playing with Isaac, so the Septuagint, and, in play, mocking him. Ishmael was fourteen years older than Isaac; and, when children are together, the elder should be careful and tender of the younger: but it argued a very base and sordid disposition in Ishmael to be abusive to a child that was no way a match for him. Note, 1. God takes notice of what children say and do in their play, and will reckon with them if they say or do amiss, though their parents do not. 2. Mocking is a great sin, and very provoking to God. 3. There is a rooted remaining enmity in the seed of the serpent against the seed of the woman. The children of promise must expect to be mocked. This is persecution, which those that will live godly must count upon. 4. None are rejected and cast out from God but those who have first deserved it. Ishmael is continued in Abraham’s family till he becomes a disturbance, grief, and scandal to it.... "...this is the genealogy of Ishmael, Abraham’s son..." The firstborn... Nebajoth; then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadar, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael and these were their names, by their towns and their settlements, twelve princes according to their nations. .....18 (They dwelt from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt as you go toward Assyria.)." (Ge 25:12-18 "So Esau went to Ishmael and l took m Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, n the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife in addition to the wives he had." Ge 28:9)

*Beliefs*	*Biblical Christianity*	*Islam*	*Communism*
TRUTH Timeless or relative?	"But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, 'In Isaac your seed shall be called.' That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. For this is the word of promise: 'At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.'” (Ro 9:6-9Gal. 3 Ishamael wasn't an infa t	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_view_of_Ishmael Ishmael is a highly regarded person in the Qur'an. Ishmael enjoined upon his people worship and almsgiving, and was acceptable in the sight of his Lord (Qur'an 19:55). The Qur'an mentions Ishmael with other people like Elisha, Jonah and Lot, who are considered righteous, good or chosen (Qur'an 6:86 and Qur'an 38:48) Abraham and Ishmael are said to have built the foundations of the Ka'aba ('They were raising the foundations of the House', Qur'an 2:127). Meccans, and most Arabs at the time of Muhammad, believed that Isma'il settled in Mecca and built with Abraham the Ka'ba which they revered from old times. The story of the Abraham and his wives Sarah and Hagar (Hajar in Arabic) plays an important role in Islamic tradition. ...The Quran takes a special interest in Hagar and her son, through whom Arabs trace their connection to Abraham. Each year during the Hajj (the ritual pilgrimage) in Mecca, pilgrims re-enact Hagar’s desperate search for water for her infant son, running seven times between two hills and drawing water from the well of Zam Zam, said to have sprung miraculously from the dry earth at the baby Ishmael’s feet. The full story is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari [4].	“...a portion of truth... is found in every religious and philosophical system…. There is no room for absolute truth.... But there are relative truths."26 “When we can contact our own inner God, all truth will be revealed to us."58
JESUS our Savior or a "World Teacher"?
INCARNATION Jesus or you?
KINGDOM of GOD or Kingdom of the World?