Proverbs 15:18
A wrathful man stirreth up strife:
But he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.
There is a man in the Bible who is described as an angry man. Here what was is said about him from the womb of his conception, And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren (Genesis 16:12).
A wrathful man stirreth up strife:
But he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.
There is a man in the Bible who is described as an angry man. Here what was is said about him from the womb of his conception, And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren (Genesis 16:12).
His name?
Ishmael, Abraham’s firstborn.
How would you deal with such a man in your midst? His very nature is commanded by God to be wild and adversarial. In the Bible, the children of Ishmael inter-marry with the children of Esau, Jacob’s brother and archenemy. They all also intermarried with the Canaanites, the cursed section of the sons of Ham, son of Noah. God had told Abraham to favor his second-born Isaac. God also tells Rebecca to favor her second-born Jacob. Later, Ishmael and Esau, the two ignored brothers, along with the Canaanites, compound into a synergy of hatred for the other side of their family.
When Jacob uses deception to obtain the birthright already given to him from the womb, Esau’s passions lashed out against his brother and he desire to kill him. Jacob therefore flees the country of Canaan for 21 years and gives birth to the tribes that would later consist of the nation of Israel established in Canaan.
Jacob knew that eventually he needed to return from exile. His home was not Mesopotamia, but the Promised Land of Canaan. He also knew that he would have to face Esau who had sworn to kill him, but nothing could keep Jacob from performing his destiny. Upon entering the eastern borders of the Land, Esau, armed with 400 men, set himself to pursue Jacob’s traveling family of nomads. Jacob then started a piece of diplomatic strategy which I believe is going to be the blue-print for the road-map to peace in the M.E. Today, the story is very similar: Jacob (the Jews) has to return home, but Esau (the Arab world) is antagonistic to the idea.
Jacob sent seven caravans of gifts to Esau to appease his wrath. On the night before Jacob met Esau, Jacob had a wrestling match, but with an angel. This angel was the spirit of Messiah with whom Jacob had to struggle. At the end of the strife, Messiah blesses Jacob and changes his name to: Israel. Only after Jacob reckons with his Messiah does he receive his new name of Israel. The next day he meets with Esau and both are changed people. They kiss and each one goes to the inheritance given to them by their grandfather Abraham. Today, only after the people of Israel reckons with their Messiah, will their inherit the Promised Land in peace.
Peace will only be accomplished through universal forgiveness.
How would you deal with such a man in your midst? His very nature is commanded by God to be wild and adversarial. In the Bible, the children of Ishmael inter-marry with the children of Esau, Jacob’s brother and archenemy. They all also intermarried with the Canaanites, the cursed section of the sons of Ham, son of Noah. God had told Abraham to favor his second-born Isaac. God also tells Rebecca to favor her second-born Jacob. Later, Ishmael and Esau, the two ignored brothers, along with the Canaanites, compound into a synergy of hatred for the other side of their family.
When Jacob uses deception to obtain the birthright already given to him from the womb, Esau’s passions lashed out against his brother and he desire to kill him. Jacob therefore flees the country of Canaan for 21 years and gives birth to the tribes that would later consist of the nation of Israel established in Canaan.
Jacob knew that eventually he needed to return from exile. His home was not Mesopotamia, but the Promised Land of Canaan. He also knew that he would have to face Esau who had sworn to kill him, but nothing could keep Jacob from performing his destiny. Upon entering the eastern borders of the Land, Esau, armed with 400 men, set himself to pursue Jacob’s traveling family of nomads. Jacob then started a piece of diplomatic strategy which I believe is going to be the blue-print for the road-map to peace in the M.E. Today, the story is very similar: Jacob (the Jews) has to return home, but Esau (the Arab world) is antagonistic to the idea.
Jacob sent seven caravans of gifts to Esau to appease his wrath. On the night before Jacob met Esau, Jacob had a wrestling match, but with an angel. This angel was the spirit of Messiah with whom Jacob had to struggle. At the end of the strife, Messiah blesses Jacob and changes his name to: Israel. Only after Jacob reckons with his Messiah does he receive his new name of Israel. The next day he meets with Esau and both are changed people. They kiss and each one goes to the inheritance given to them by their grandfather Abraham. Today, only after the people of Israel reckons with their Messiah, will their inherit the Promised Land in peace.
Peace will only be accomplished through universal forgiveness.
The Master taught us to pray:
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
The Messiah will come back and forgive the world who, by God’s own permission sent Him to a cruel death.
Like Joseph of old, Messiah will not blame His brothers for what they did to him, but He expects us also to forgive also those who, also by God’s permission caused us the anguish and pain of a long exile.
The only ‘roadmap to peace’ for the M.E. is the returning of Messiah.
The only ‘roadmap to peace’ for the M.E. is the returning of Messiah.
May He return soon!
.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment