What is the importance of Isaac and Ishmael?

Question

A guy at work was explaining this to me. He said that Abraham had two sons: Isaac who was the smart and nice one, and Ismael who was the "loser" son who was against everyone and had a bad attitude. He said one went on to form the Isreali nation and one formed the Arab nation. I cant remember which was which. Can you help here? Was one literally the "bad or evil" son and the other the "good" son?

Answer 1

You may be confusing this story with Jacob and Esau. Anyways ... Ishmael was the not the result of God’s will but rather Sarah and Abraham trying to find a logical solution to their problem of having a son. Being born according to the “flesh,” Ishmael could only be so much compared to Isaac who was born according to the “Spirit.” Ishmael, while blessed by God was not the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham and would not partake of the inheritance and fulfillment of His covenant. Ishmael, being born of a slave woman was not free while Isaac, in fulfillment of God’s promise was by His grace born free.

If any lesson is to be learned here by me, it is that God heard Ishmael’s call for help, and honored his promise to create a great nation out of him (Arab nations). Secondly, I should not gloat in any “birthright” that I have but be constantly aware that the Gift I have can be passed on to another should I fumble.

Answer 2

Isaac was the son of promise. The promise that Abraham and Sarah would have a son. He was also born second, because of their lack of faith. Abraham had relations with Sarah's handmaid and Ishmael was born, about 13 years before Isaac was born. It is true that the Isreali nation was decended from Isaac and Ishmael was the father of the other Arab nations. The Bible also tells of there always being strife between the two. If you just read the first few chapters of Genesis I am sure it will clear it up for you. I hope this helps.

Answer 3

Ishmael and Isaac were both bless of God
According to Gen22 Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice but was stopped from doing so by God in the kjv Bible
In the Koran the son offered was Ishmeal
The Bible traces Isaac as the promised seed
The Koran traces Ishmael as the promised seed.

Answer 4

The son of Abraham, Ishmael is known as Ismail in Arabic. For Islam, Ishmael is the ancestor of the (northern) Arabs. He is a prophet , and assisted Abraham in building the Kaba . He is seen as the most important of Abraham's two sons; this is the reverse of Judaism and Christianity which sees Isaac as the dominant son. Indeed, in the story about Abraham almost sacrificing his son, Islam identifies the son as Ishmael, not Prophet Isaac.
May Allah Bless Them All.

Your Friend is an example of Racism.

Answer 5

I can tell you from the Biblical story:

God told Abraham, "I've made it possible, so go have a child with your wife". Abraham, stunned, thinks God is, well..... so in trust with God, he thinks to himself "well, I suppose I could have a dchild, even though I'm like a hundred", so he goes and lays with his maidservant, Hagar. She conceives. Eventually, Abraham and his wife do lay down and they miraculously have a child: Isaac. of course, since Hagar had her child first, he, Ishmael, was the first born. But Isaac, being a legitimate and promised son, received the birthright and the blessing that came with it. Hagar and Ishamel eventually set out apart from Abraham. Ishamel aparently didn't like the fact that his half-brother got blessed and he didn't. Ishmael grew up, and had wives in Egypt, Saudi-Arabia and other middle-easetern regions (coincidentally the muslim countries of today). Ishmael [his descendants] were prophesied to become a "wild man among his brothers" (the nations).

Jews came from Isaac's line, and Arab's from Ishmael's. Jesus from the Jews, Muhammed from the Arabs. Territorial claims and religious conflicts of the two sides are suspected to be the causes of the disagreement between the two groups today.

Answer 6

Isaac was born through Abrahams wife Sarah. Ishmael was born through one of Sarah's handmaidens named Hagar. Sarah turned Abraham against Hagar and Ishmael and made
a big fuss until Abraham turned them out into the desert.

Ismael is the father of the Arab Nation and tribes and Isaac is the son of Abraham who is considered the father of Israel and
many nations. The descendants of both these sons have been at war with one another since.

Answer 7

In short, Ishmael is the first born son of Abraham, he is the ancestor of Arabs.
Isaac is the ancestor of Israel and Edom.

I never read in the bible that Ishmael was a loser son. In fact, God had blessed Ishmael before Isaac was born.

If you read the story of Abraham in Genesis you will find some absurdity (I could give you the list). And the story of Abraham in Genesis was not written chronologically. (Please read it carefully)

So, what is the importance of Isaac or Ishmael?
Because of Abraham's offspring (whether is it from Ishmael or Isaac) all nations on earth will be blessed (Gen 22:18)

Muslims believe that it was Ishmael who was taken to be sacrificed. So we believe because of Muhammad, all nations on earth will be blessed (Because Muhammad is the offspring of Abraham from Ishmael). It's not because of Jesus, God blessed all nations on earth. Remember, Jesus was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel (Matthew 15:24). Jesus was not sent to the Gentiles. (Matthew 10:5-6).
Muhammad on the other hand, was sent to all mankind on earth, including the gentiles (Holy Koran 21:107 and 3:20)

Answer 8

Isaac is the son born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age, the child of promise, and the heir of the promises (Gen. 15: 1-6; Gen. 17: 15-19; Gen. 18: 9-15; Gen. 21: 1-8). The main interest of his life gathers around his birth, the sacrifice on Mount Moriah (Gen. 22), his marriage (Gen. 24; 25), and his dealings with his sons (Gen. 27; 28). There are numerous references to him in various parts of the Bible (see especially Gal. 4: 28; Heb. 11: 9, 17, 20). In character he appears to have been a peace-loving shepherd, of great personal piety, full of affection for the members of his own family. In D&C 132: 37 we are told that Isaac is now exalted and sits upon a throne with Abraham and Jacob. Cf. Matt. 8: 11.

Ishmael is the son of Abraham and Hagar the Egyptian (Gen. 16: 11-16; Gen. 17: 18-26). He was the child “born after the flesh” (Gal. 4: 23) and not the child “by promise,” and was sent from home on the birth of Isaac (Gen. 21: 8-21; see also Gen. 25: 9-17; Gen. 28: 9; Gen. 36: 3). His descendants, the Ishmaelites, appear to have been a wandering race (Gen. 16: 12), living by plunder, having commercial relations and intermarrying with the heathen nations of Canaan (Gen. 37: 25-28; Gen. 39: 1; Judg. 8: 24; Ps. 83: 6; see also Gal. 4: 21 - 5: 1).

It's not as black and white as you put it. Though Ishmael was not the son of promise doesn't mean he was the bad son. "Gen. 17: 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation."

Answer 9

I made a mistake and said Ishmael was illegitimate .God promised Abraham a son , he didn't say when . Ishmael was born first after Sarah said marry my maid since I can't give you a child. Ishmael character wasn't the greatest . Then God fulfilled his promise and gave Abraham his son Isaac ( Isreal )later on .The two sons have argued over the inheritance ever since.

Answer 10

Isaac was the promised seed and Ismael came from the bond woman , Isaac is where Israel come from and Ismael is the reason for the Arab nation