The Return of the Prince of Persia – Part Two

by Joseph Perrello
Published April 3, 2006

Click here to see Part One

Based on the Book of the Prophet Daniel, Chapter 10.
This is a Story About the Spiritual Forces Behind the Current World Unrest.

Part Two
Chapter Three

Rich handed one of the Bibles, opened to the Book of Genesis, chapter 16, and handed it to Brad. He then found the same passage in his own Bible. “Brad, before we read from this chapter, I’ll give you some background to it. For many years, Abraham’s wife, Sarai, was unable to conceive a child. She was so devastated by this that she finally convinced her husband to take Hagar, her Egyptian maid, as a concubine. Her plan was to use Hager as a sort of surrogate mother to bear her a child, Sarai afterward would take as her own.

“Abraham consented to the plan. Verse four records that when Hagar ‘. . . found out she was pregnant, she became proud and despised Sarai.’ Because of this, Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she ran away into the desert where she met the angel of the Lord by a spring of water. The angel told her to return to her mistress. He promised, ‘I will give you so many descendents that no one will ever be able to count them. You will have a son and you will name him Ishmael, because the Lord has heard your cry of distress. Ishmael will live as a wild man. He will be against everyone, and everyone will be against him.’”

“Brad, it may provide insight into current world events to realize that Ishmael was the forefather of the Arab races; they descended directly from him. Also of highest importance is the fact that Mohammad, the founder if Islam, is a direct descendent of Ishmael. So you see, Brad, the world unrest occurring in our generation is a continuation of the fulfillment of the angel’s prediction to Hagar that Ishmael would be against everyone and everyone would be against him.”

“Wow, that angel sure called it like it’s happening, didn’t he!” Brad exclaimed, massaging his forehead in consternation. How long ago was that?”

“Hmmm, let’s see,” Rich responded, flipping through the pages of a Bible concordance. Arriving at the page he wanted, he studied it for an instant then said, “This gives an approximate date of 1911 B.C.”

Brad did some mental addition. “That’s almost four thousand years ago!” he exclaimed, “How could that angel know what would happen four thousand years in the future?”

“He was a messenger from God, Brad. He was carrying God’s message to Hagar. I need not tell you that God is omniscient – He knows all things - past, present and future.”

“I suppose so. Kinda scary, though.”

“Only for those who sin and do not repent and ask His forgiveness.”

“Yeah, I suppose. What happened Hagar went back to her mistress?”

“Hagar had her child and, for a while, Sarai treated him like her own son. But, several years later, God gave Abraham and Sarai a son of their own and they named him Isaac. Abraham was the chief of a powerful desert tribe; to celebrate Sarai’s weaning of Isaac, he put on a big feast. During the festivities, Sarai noticed Ishmael ridiculing the celebration.

“Send this slave girl and her son,” she demanded of her husband, “That women’s son must not inherit any of your wealth. Only my son, Isaac, must be your heir.”

Brad was surprised. “Sarai certainly wasn’t a very nice woman, was she? She strikes me as one who was selfish and cruel.”

“With the exception of the Lord Jesus, the people of the Bible were imperfect human being, just as we are, Brad.”

“What did Abraham do about her demand?”

“At first he refused. After all, Ishmael was also his son. He finally consented after . . .”

“Ahaa! Even Abraham was a henpecked husband,” Brad quipped.

Rich chuckled. “He consented only after God instructed him to not worry about Ishmael or Hagar.”

I’ll read it. ‘It is through Isaac I will give you the descendents I have promised. I will also give many children to the son of the slave girl, because he also is your son.’”

Brad had been following along in his Bible. He heaved a deep sigh. “It says here that Abraham sent they into the desert with some food and a leather bag filled with water. Some guy. He didn’t even provide donkeys for them to ride. Hagar had to carry the bag of water and her son on her back. The poor guys just wandered around until they ran out of water. The kid grew so thirsty he almost died!”

“That’s true, Brad. But they didn’t die did they? God took care of them of them. He showed Hagar where she could find water.”

“Okay, okay. So Ishmael is the ancestor of the Arabs, and his brother, Isaac, is the ancestor of the Israelis. The Arabs and the Jews practically are kissing cousins, so they always battle each other because Isaac inherited all his father’s possessions and Ishmael only inherited a skin-bag full of water and a sack of food.”

“Yeah, He did. Rich, I’ve had enough for now. I’ll have to absorb what we just discussed. Maybe we can get together some time next week and talk about how Persia developed into Iran and Iraq. I know I’d find that very interesting.”

“Sure, Brad. In the meantime, I’ll research the subject. Perhaps you’d be willing to find books on the topic in the public library and do some research yourself, a well.”

“Okay, I can do that.”

The friends shook hands and Brad left.

Continued in part three

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