Useless Information? Series

Genesis 25: 12-18

Useless Information?

12 Now this is the genealogy of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham. 13 And these were the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadar, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These were the sons of Ishmael and these were their names, by their towns and their settlements, twelve princes according to their nations. 17 These were the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred and thirty-seven years; and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people. 18 (They dwelt from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt as you go toward Assyria.) He died in the presence of all his brethren.

Let me ask you a question and I want you to thoroughly consider it before coming up with an answer. Do you find any of the books of the bible or for that matter separate portions of the bible boring?

Come on now, tell the truth and shame the devil. I know in the past that I did. However, I have learned that what our Precious Holy Spirit has put into the Bible is all good.

Now I am sure all of understand that Ishmael was not in the line of importance as far a tracing the lineage of the Messiah. So, why did our Holy Spirit put in as a permanent record Ishmael’s genealogy?

Well, for one thing, we can trace the Arab migration. You see we tend a lot to call all Islamic or Muslim people Arabs. They are not.

Our Holy God knows the beginning from the end. He foresaw the confusion the Islamic religion would try to contend.

Ishmael is not the Father of Muhammad. According to the Holy Bible Ishmael settled in Paran and married an Egyptian from whom he had twelve sons: We read in the book of Genesis chapter 21 verses 13-21:

"Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the desert of Beersheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she thought, ‘I cannot watch the boy die.’ And as she sat there nearby, she began to sob. God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.' Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt."

Paran (Hb pa'ran) is most frequently the name of a desert region). The place name Elparan that we read in Genesis chapter 14:6 – ‘6 and the Horites in their mountain of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is by the wilderness. No doubt as we see from this Scripture reference that this place is associated with the desert. The desert of Paran was the home of the Ishmaelites in which we find out in Genesis chapter 21 verse 21 – ‘ 21 He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.’

The desert of Paran is probably that region of the Negeb which lies south of Kadesh-barnea.

We read in the book of Genesis 14 verses 5-7, "In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert. Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar."

Please note that in the book of Numbers chapter 10 verses 11-13 we find the Israelites traveling through Ishmael’s territory. "On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle of the Testimony. Then the Israelites set out from the Desert of Sinai and traveled from place to place until the cloud came to rest in the Desert of Paran. They set out, this first time, at the LORD's command through Moses."