Message: Will there be peace between Isaac and Ishmael both descendants? By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

 Message: Will there be peace between Isaac and Ishmael both descendants?

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce 

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music 5/24/2025

Historical brotherhood’s love and hatred in Old Testament, we are well known that Cain and Abel; Abraham’s sons Isaac and Ishmael; Jacob with Rachel’s sons Joseph, Benjamin and Jacob with Leah’s sons Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun. 2000 years later, in present time, will each tribe descendants able to live peace with each other? Will there be peace between both descendants?

 I believe that there is a way to achieve a peaceful relationship, they can live in peace with each other, and God can make it happen.

First, God urged Cain, “If you do what is right will you not be accepted?”  If Cain wasn’t jealous of Abel, just kept doing right, he would be accepted by God. (Gen.4:6-7). 

Second, God promised to Abraham that He will bless Ishmael, will make him fruitful and greatly increase his numbers. Ishmael will be the father of twelve rulers and will make him into a great nation.” (Gen.17:20). If Ishmael descendants can learn to content the blessing that God had blessed them, and practice neither greedy, nor envy, even though God had chosen Isaac to establish the covenant as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after Isaac.  (Gen.17:19, 21). God surely had blessed both descendants. Godliness and contentment are great gain. There is a way to keep a peaceful relationship. As President Trump has publicly encouraged Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords.  

Third, God restored the peaceful relationship between Joseph, Benjamin, Judah, Levi, Reuben, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun… by creating famine, calamity and natural disaster. God created all mankind; He is Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. He creates and starts the universe, and He will control the end according to His sovereign will and purpose. If each tribe obeys God’s commands and reverence before God, pursuing peace and seeking mutual edification to build up each other, prosperity will come, peace will be established soon or later.

Ø  Jesus’ new requisition, “love each other”; Hate someone equal as a murderer

        This is the message you heard from the beginning: we should love one another. Do not be like Cain who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous.  Do not be surprised my brothers, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. (1 John 3:11-14)

When a person’s heart is full of hatred is potentially capable of murder. Therefore, Apostle John wrote, “Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.” (1 John 3:15).  This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. (1 John 3:16). 

 Bibliography,

 

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.