Many times, there are battles between family members. Sometimes the war goes on for so long, that the combatants forget what started it. I think there's an old offense, an ancient one at that, which affects the whole world, and it continues to this day. This is between two brothers and their children.
In the Old Testament, there was a father named Abraham. His is a story of a faithful servant of the LORD God. He had many failings along the timeline of his life, but he is mentioned in the New Testament as faithful. "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he we out not knowing where he was going." Hebrews 11:8 ESV "Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore." Hebrews 11:12 ESV Other acts of his faithfulness are also mentioned in this chapter. And also that his descendants would be named through Isaac. This was the plan and purpose of the LORD, and the Jewish people are his descendants and live all over the world. But their homeland is the nation of Israel.
There is another child of Abraham, his firstborn son, and his name is Ishmael. He too is the father of many and of a nation. He also has a prophetic word spoken about him by God. We find this in the book of Genesis. When Hagar his mother was cast out, and feared for the life of her child, the angel of the LORD found her and spoke encouragement to her, and that her son would be called Ishmael, which means God hears. The word to her was that he would be "a wild donkey of a man, that his hand would be against everyone, and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers." Genesis 16:12 NIV
If you follow this simple line of thought, you can see that we still live with the anger of this rejected son of Abraham, and his hand is against his younger brother to this very day. At this writing, the hostility between them has increased once again, but it presents as a battle over territory and a conflict of religions. The root is sibling rivalry taken to the nth degree.
For nearly four years I have been sitting on this revelation from the LORD. I have shared it here and there, but have believed that I need to write about it and share what I have learned with anyone who cares to hear what I have to say. I am beginning to do this now. Why is it important? Because I believe there needs to be a new way of looking at this and praying for these brothers. The LORD Jesus is returning soon and these families are to be part of the Kingdom of God. Those who know him now need to be able to share his love with those who don't, including the children of Isaac and Ishmael.
Four years ago, I was frequently hearing these words spoken; "I am the elder brother", and not knowing where it came from or why I was hearing it. I sought the Lord for the answer, but didn't hear one. On a morning as I was preparing for my weekly prayer meeting, and praying for the presence of the Lord to be with us, I began praying about Abraham. He had been on my mind a great deal over the previous few weeks, and I was probing the waters for understanding. "Lord, I mean no disrespect to you or to Abraham, but if he had waited for the fulfillment of your word to him, Ishmael would not have been born and there would not be the turmoil in the Middle East that there is now." I felt the presence of the LORD increase and he said to me " Ishmael is the elder brother in the story of the prodigal son."
I stopped pacing back and forth. "WHAT? Was that really you?" He answered "Yes. Ishmael is the elder brother." I was completely blown away by what I had heard. I also knew it was true.
Much has been written and taught about this parable, I don't disagree with any of it, nor do I think that what I have heard as a revelation from the Lord should replace what the scholars have written about for many generations. I am simply sharing something God said to me to provoke me to prayer and sharing and writing.
There is much more that I could share, and perhaps I will in subsequent posts or a small book, but I feel that I needed to begin to share my truth in this time, and not in the years it could take me to publish a book. Prayer is needed now.
What the LORD showed me about the parable is that it is unresolved. We don't know if the elder brother ever returns; we don't learn if the family was ever reconciled to each other. This is the situation in the Middle East to this day. The brothers are not reconciled. The Jews and the Arabs are brothers. They both claim Abraham as their father. The book of Genesis tells us something that is very interesting; Ishmael and Isaac come together to bury their father. (see chapter 25 verse 9) I believe this is significant, very significant to my purpose here; when these brothers bury their father Abraham, it will be because they have seen that they have One Father, the God and Father of us all, and will have accepted his son Jesus, the only Lord and Savior. Our prayers for their reconciliation and salvation could hasten this day.
Please don't stone me for this writing and please pray that the Lord will show you if there's any truth here or not. You don't have to embrace it if you don't want to. Hatred of one nation or the other will never bring about the reconciliation that is so needed; hatred of one nation or the other will never cause you to share the gospel of Jesus with the one you hate. Please pray. Feel free to comment. Please share if this touches you. It broke my heart for them when the Lord showed it to me. May this writing do the same for you.
In the Old Testament, there was a father named Abraham. His is a story of a faithful servant of the LORD God. He had many failings along the timeline of his life, but he is mentioned in the New Testament as faithful. "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he we out not knowing where he was going." Hebrews 11:8 ESV "Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore." Hebrews 11:12 ESV Other acts of his faithfulness are also mentioned in this chapter. And also that his descendants would be named through Isaac. This was the plan and purpose of the LORD, and the Jewish people are his descendants and live all over the world. But their homeland is the nation of Israel.
There is another child of Abraham, his firstborn son, and his name is Ishmael. He too is the father of many and of a nation. He also has a prophetic word spoken about him by God. We find this in the book of Genesis. When Hagar his mother was cast out, and feared for the life of her child, the angel of the LORD found her and spoke encouragement to her, and that her son would be called Ishmael, which means God hears. The word to her was that he would be "a wild donkey of a man, that his hand would be against everyone, and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers." Genesis 16:12 NIV
If you follow this simple line of thought, you can see that we still live with the anger of this rejected son of Abraham, and his hand is against his younger brother to this very day. At this writing, the hostility between them has increased once again, but it presents as a battle over territory and a conflict of religions. The root is sibling rivalry taken to the nth degree.
For nearly four years I have been sitting on this revelation from the LORD. I have shared it here and there, but have believed that I need to write about it and share what I have learned with anyone who cares to hear what I have to say. I am beginning to do this now. Why is it important? Because I believe there needs to be a new way of looking at this and praying for these brothers. The LORD Jesus is returning soon and these families are to be part of the Kingdom of God. Those who know him now need to be able to share his love with those who don't, including the children of Isaac and Ishmael.
Four years ago, I was frequently hearing these words spoken; "I am the elder brother", and not knowing where it came from or why I was hearing it. I sought the Lord for the answer, but didn't hear one. On a morning as I was preparing for my weekly prayer meeting, and praying for the presence of the Lord to be with us, I began praying about Abraham. He had been on my mind a great deal over the previous few weeks, and I was probing the waters for understanding. "Lord, I mean no disrespect to you or to Abraham, but if he had waited for the fulfillment of your word to him, Ishmael would not have been born and there would not be the turmoil in the Middle East that there is now." I felt the presence of the LORD increase and he said to me " Ishmael is the elder brother in the story of the prodigal son."
I stopped pacing back and forth. "WHAT? Was that really you?" He answered "Yes. Ishmael is the elder brother." I was completely blown away by what I had heard. I also knew it was true.
Much has been written and taught about this parable, I don't disagree with any of it, nor do I think that what I have heard as a revelation from the Lord should replace what the scholars have written about for many generations. I am simply sharing something God said to me to provoke me to prayer and sharing and writing.
There is much more that I could share, and perhaps I will in subsequent posts or a small book, but I feel that I needed to begin to share my truth in this time, and not in the years it could take me to publish a book. Prayer is needed now.
What the LORD showed me about the parable is that it is unresolved. We don't know if the elder brother ever returns; we don't learn if the family was ever reconciled to each other. This is the situation in the Middle East to this day. The brothers are not reconciled. The Jews and the Arabs are brothers. They both claim Abraham as their father. The book of Genesis tells us something that is very interesting; Ishmael and Isaac come together to bury their father. (see chapter 25 verse 9) I believe this is significant, very significant to my purpose here; when these brothers bury their father Abraham, it will be because they have seen that they have One Father, the God and Father of us all, and will have accepted his son Jesus, the only Lord and Savior. Our prayers for their reconciliation and salvation could hasten this day.
Please don't stone me for this writing and please pray that the Lord will show you if there's any truth here or not. You don't have to embrace it if you don't want to. Hatred of one nation or the other will never bring about the reconciliation that is so needed; hatred of one nation or the other will never cause you to share the gospel of Jesus with the one you hate. Please pray. Feel free to comment. Please share if this touches you. It broke my heart for them when the Lord showed it to me. May this writing do the same for you.
