Muslim asking me about Ishmael:
Sir, you still haven't answered my question! Did God promise to bless Ishmael yes or no? Did God say He has blessed Ishmael yes or no? Where is Ishmael's great nation? Or do you not care if God kept that promise or not? I didn't ask about Issac, and Jacob's seed. Where is that great nation of Ishmael's seed?
My response to Muslim:
There is obviously no nation of people today called “Ishmael” or “Ishmaelites.”
The promise to Ishmael was that God would multiply him (Gen 17:20), and he would have 12 princes/ chiefs and a great nation. We see this fulfilled later in Genesis 25:17-18 where it says Ishmael's descendants “settled from Havilah to Shur which runs next to Egypt all the way to Asshur.” This is in the Arabian Peninsula, probably north western part. So God kept his word. There is no promise that Ishmael would continue as some identifiable people/ nation forever.
Many nations of people rise and fall, and the people of which they consist are assimilated by another nation of people.
So the descendants of Ishmael today probably exist genetically in some of the Arab people. But there is no Ishmaelite nation of people remaining today, and such was not promised to endure forever—it was already fulfilled centuries ago.
And always remember that it is in the "seed" of Isaac that all nations will be "blessed." That "seed" being one, being "Christ."
In Christ all nations will be blessed. Anyone else is a thief and a robber and antiChrist. Those who believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of the world are justified as was Abraham, and they become sons of Abraham and heirs of God.
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7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. Galatians 3:7-9
16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Galatians 3:16-18
it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, 24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— 25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— 26 but the Jerusalem 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. Galatians 4:22-31
2 Then the LORD appeared to [Isaac] ... 3 Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. 4 And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; Genesis 26:2-4
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