My Grandfather Abraham.

ISLAM, CHRISTIANITY, JUDEAISM

Live by the Scales. Live by Grace. Live by the Law.

All three religions acknowledge the Old Testament beginning as being the Word of God. But, the beginning is all they agree on. They all accept the Word (Torah) as Truth. But not the entire OT. The first major division starts around the "Father of Many Nations" Abraham.

The differences between Muslims and Jews & Christians start in the tents of the camp of Abraham. It truly broke my heart and brought me to tears when I felt the conflict in my Grandfather Abraham's house in Genesis chapters 15,16,17 and then chapters 21 and 22.

Sarah had longed for so many years to give Abraham a child that she became desperate. She had become so old that she lost faith that God could give the heir that was promised to Abraham through her body. But she could give it to him through her slave Hagar. Because she owned Hagar, she could have Abraham sleep with Hagar and raise the offspring as heir. The whole plan worked out joyously. That is until Isaac came along. That is when everything took the turn.

It seems to my soul that the whole camp was joyful and festive when Hagar became pregnant. Even Sarah was happy. But, in her joy she also felt the sting of the seed being planted. After wanting for so long to give a son to the man she traveled the Earth for, it was a bitter twinge that the blessing had been passed on to another woman. Her slave.

The birth of Ishmael was a celebration in the camp. The heir of Abraham had come. Ishmael was raised in that position. That is until, miraculously, Sarah conceived.

What awesome elation Sarah must have felt. She had undoubtedly been touched by God. All of her serious heart prayers were answered. The whole camp must have been reeling from the realization of Gods word.

Now a whole new dynamics start in the camp. Secretly in her heart Sarah no longer sees Ishmael as heir to Abraham. We read in the story that quarreling and strife had broken out in the tent between Sarah and Hagar. I am sure everyone was living on pins and needles.

The two beautiful sons of Abraham were causing the rift in the world. Not really the sons themselves. They were the innocents in this story. But, the division in the house because of the existence of both sons. Life pressures build and Sarah wants Hagar and Ishmael gone.

My heart breaks for Ishmael. A young man raised as an heir and then striped of his name and banished into the desert by the ones who were his family. However, my soul is reassured when the Bible tells us that God was with Ishmael. He was turned into a Great Nation.

This is where Islamic ideology splits from that of the Jews and Christians. Islam believes that Abraham was called on by God to sacrifice Ishmael and Jews and Christians believe it was Isaac. From reading my Bible it is plain that no matter which one you believe, one thing is evident. Ishmael actually was sacrificed to the desert, just as Isaac had been bound to the alter. Abraham was asked to sacrifice them both. Just not in the same manner.

Many people may see this as another opportunity to use this as another example of the "Eve bit the apple" theology. As much as it breaks my heart that Sarah could instrument such a sad situation, she was not in it alone. Abraham was not innocent in this event. He could have told Sarah "no", that he would not do it and that she needed to have more faith in God. They traveled great distances because God was leading Abraham, not Sarah. If it were not for his participation it would not have happened. Wasn't it him that God was promising the son to?

Because of the cruel reality of slavery it is not possible to know whether Hagar really had a choice in the matter. But, in the times we are considering, I would say that she probably felt it an honor and a bigger slice of freedom.

This is yet another ongoing article....