Shining God’s Light on the Koran

Was Abraham a Jew or a Christian?

In the Koran I find that it declares that the Old Testament patriarch Abraham was neither a Jew, nor a Christian (1). Certainly Abraham lived before either the terminology "Jew" or "Christian”"came to be used. Yet he was the father of both, as well father to many nations.

In actuality, Abraham was a Hebrew (2). The Judeo-Christian Bible teaches that he had eight sons. Ishmael was born to Hagar, Sarah’s handmaid (3). Isaac was born to Sarah, Abraham’s wife. He was the child of promise from God, not Ishmael (4). Zimran, Jokshan, and Zman and Midian and Ishbak and Shuah was born to Keturah who Abraham married after Sarah died (5).

When Sarah observed Ishmael mocking Isaac, she was very upset. She told Abraham, “Put out this bondwoman and her son, for her son shall not be an heir with my son even Isaac (6). Abraham was very grieved because of his son. God told him not to be grieved and to do what Sarah said. God promised to make a great nation of Ishmael because he was a descendent of Abraham (7). The descendents of Ishmael were known as Ishmaelites, and he is the traditional progenitor of the Arabs (8). He was never recognized or referred to as being a “Hebrew.”

Midian , the fourth son of Keturah (9) was the one most referred to in the Bible, sixty-seven times, in fact (10). The land of Midian included the eastern coast of the Red Sea to the Border of Moab and taking in all of the Arabian Peninsula. He and his descendents are never referred to as Hebrews.

Jokshan, the second son of Keterah, was the father of Sheba and Dedan who were two separate tribes (12) both referred to in Scripture. They, too, were never referred to as Hebrews.

God told Abraham that his descendents would be known through Isaac (13). Everything Abraham had he gave to Isaac (14). God established a covenant with Abraham and his descentdents for an eternal covenant (15). After the death of Abraham, God spoke to Isaac and made this eternal covenant with him (16).

God told Abraham to take his only son, Isaac, and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. God provided a ram, which was caught up in thick brush, to be sacrificed in place of Isaac. God promised that in being obedient his descendents would be a blessing to all the nations of the earth (17).

Isaac had two sons Esau and Jacob. Jacob purchased the birthright of the first born with a bowl of lentil soup. Jacob, then tricked Isaac into giving him the blessing meant for Esau. Isaac sends Jacob to his wife’s brother, Laban, to get a wife and confers on him the blessing of Abraham and to his descendents (18). The descendents of Esau are never called Hebrews but rather Edomites (19). Jacob has twelve sons, the fourth of which is Judah and the eleventh is Joseph (20). Joseph is identified as a Hebrew in Egypt (21).

Jacob’s name was changed by God to Israel (22). He moved to Egypt (23) and when they left Eypt they were called the children of Israel (24). During the time of being ruled by Judges the term “children of Israel” was shortened to “Israel” (25).

Saul, David and Solomon ruled Israel for 120 years, but ten of the tribes revolted during the reign of Rehoboam leaving Judah and Benjamin together (26). The ten tribes were known as Israel and were wicked, so God sent them into exile in Assyria. Judah went into exile over 100 years later and they became known as Jews.

Today the term “Jew” is used to identify all the children of Israel, which are also Hebrews (27). Since today the term Hebrew and Jew are synonymous one could say Abraham was a Jew.

The disciples of Jesus were called Christians first in the city of Antioch (28). This was many years after the life of Abraham on earth. God had made a covenant with Abraham and his seed (descendents)(29). God said there would be One who would come out of Abraham’s bowels who would be his heir (30). The One to whom He was referring to was Jesus Christ (31) and He fulfilled the promise that God made to Abraham, :… in Thee shall all families of the earth be blessed (32).

Years later after Isaac had grown, God told Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac (33). Notice that even though Ishmael was also a son of Abraham, God called Isaac His only son (34). This follows that through Isaac would Abraham’s descendents be know (35). While Abraham and Isaac were climbing up to Mount Moriah, Isaac stated to his father, “Here is the wood, and the fire, but where is the sacrifice?”(36) Abraham responded, “My son, God will provide Himself a lamb…”(37). This is a direct reference to Jesus, that God would Himself to be the sacrifice (38). Under the blood covenant all that was Abraham’s was God’s and all that was God’s was Abraham’s so when Abraham did not withhold his only begotten son from sacrifice, this gave God the right to sacrifice His only begotten Son (39).

This is shown by the statement of John the Baptist, “Behold the lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world” (40). He was the Lamb of God. The Jews said to Jesus, “Are you greater than our father Abraham, (who) is dead?” (41) Jesus responded, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day and he saw it, and was glad (42).” Then the Jews said to Jesus, You re not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham (43)? Jesus said, Truly, truly I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am.” (44) Then the Jews took up stones to throw at him(45). Jesus in an effect said that He was the one who spoke to Moses in the burning bush, the self existent one. He was the one who visited with Abraham and to whom Abraham interceded for Sodom that He might not destroy it. Jesus was both a contemporary of God and of Abraham.

Jesus said, “. . . Salvation is of the Jews (46).” Simeon, a godly elderly Jew waiting for his Messiah, was told that he would not die until he would see the Lord’s Christ. He came into the temple and saw the child Jesus and took Him in his arms and blessed Him and said, “Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to Your Word: For my eyes have seen Your salvation… (47)” God sent His Son into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (48). Jesus came into His own, the Jews, but His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become sons of God, even to those that believe in His name (49). These are the ones called Christian. Abraham received Jesus before His name was called Jesus therefore he must, too, be a Christian.

References:

(1) P.48 3:66, The Koran Translated by N.J. Dawood, Penguin Books.
(2) Genesis 14:13
(3) Genesis 16:1-6
(4) Genesis 15:4; 17:7, 15-10; 18:9-13
(5) Genesis 25:1-4
(6) Genesis 21:9-10
(7) Genesis 21:12, 13
(8) New World College Dictionary, p. 757
(9) Genesis 25:1-7
(10) Dakes’ Annotated Study Bible, p. 23
(11) Dakes’ Annotated Study Bible p. 66
(12) Genesis 25:3
(13) Genesis 21:12
(14) Genesis 25:5
(15) Genesis 17:7-10
(16) Genesis 26:3-5
(17) Genesis 22:1-18
(18) Genesis 25:23-34; 27:1-29; 27:43-28:4
(19) Genesis 36:9
(20) Genesis 35:23-26
(21) Genesis 39:14
(22) Genesis 35:9-10
(23) Genesis 46:1-4
(24) Exodus 1:1
(25) Judges 21:1
(26) 1 Kings 12:1-24
(27) Webster’s New World College Dictionary, p.768
(28) Acts 11:26
(29) Genesis 15:1-21
(30) Genesis 15:4
(31) Galatians 3:16
(32) Genesis 12:3
(33) Genesis 22:2
(34) Genesis 22:2
(35) Genesis 21:12
(36) Genesis 22:7
(37) Genesis 22:8
(38) Teaching of Merrill S. Keiser, Sr.
(39) Teaching of Kenneth Copeland
(40) John 1:29
(41) John 8:22
(42) John 8:56
(43) John 8:57
(44) John 8:58
(45) John 8:59
(46) John 4:2
(47) Luke 2:25-30
(48) John 3:17
(49) John 1:11, 12