Sibling Rivalry and Global Religious Conflict

When my sister and I were young, we weren’t necessarily the best of friends.  I was a few years older, and my little sister was always finding a way to get under my skin or get me in trouble.  At least it seemed that way then.  But as we have grown, we’ve become best friends and I’m blessed to have an amazing sibling who has more than made up for being such a crazy pain when she was small.  I have stories, but I won’t share them here.  As in all sibling relationships, I’m sure she has some tales to tell, too. 

Not all sibling relationships grow stronger with age.  Some fester and eventually fall apart, because the perceived wrongs by one or both parties are considered just too egregious.  The Bible is full of examples of sibling conflict – Jacob & Esau and Cain & Abel to mention the most obvious.  But the most significant conflict, at least in terms of today’s headlines, was that between Isaac and Ishmael, the half-brother sons of Abraham.  Isaac was the child promised to Abraham and Sarah, while Ishmael was Abraham’s son from his own ill-conceived plan to fulfill God’s promise.  Here’s a glimpse into the text:

The child (Isaac) grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the (other) son mocking – the one Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham.  So she said to Abraham, “Drive out this slave with her son, for the son of this slave will not be a coheir with my son Isaac!”   Now this was a very difficult thing for Abraham…  But God said to Abraham, “Do not be concerned about the boy and your slave. Whatever Sarah says to you, listen to her, because your offspring will be traced through Isaac.   But I will also make a nation of the slave’s son because he is your offspring.”  Genesis 21:8-13

Abraham’s offspring traced through Isaac?  Israel – the Jewish nation.  The nation traced through the “slave’s son” Ishmael?  The Arab nation.  See the problem?  One son exiled because he was the product of a man’s own solution to his problem.  Another exalted and blessed because he was the product of God’s promise.  Talk about competing for a father’s love!  And the battle continues to this day.  Isaac eventually led to Jesus, who reconciled us to our Heavenly Father by grace through faith.  Ishmael eventually led to Mohammed, the founder of Islam, who ushered in a religion based on works, in a misguided effort to help his descendants find a different way to the Father.

Every time we (mankind) think we can come up with a plan to accomplish what only God can do, we mess things up.  Even at the end of Abraham’s life, Isaac had an opportunity to patch things up and perhaps change history:

Abraham gave everything he owned to Isaac…He took his last breath and died at a ripe old age (175)… and he was gathered to his people. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah…Abraham was buried there with his wife Sarah. After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac….   Genesis 25:5-11

Imagine the funeral.  Doesn’t this happen a lot?  Siblings who fuss and fight for much of their lives are reunited over the grave of a parent.  Does the death that brought them together for a brief time change anything?  Not if their hearts are still at war.  Isaac would receive the blessing of God and might have changed the direction of history with an arm around his older brother’s shoulder.  Isaac was destined to be blessed by God.  But don’t you wonder if Ishmael might have been drawn closer to a Father he never really knew if he had been accepted by a brother who never really cared? 

If you have siblings, do your part to let them know they are loved.  By you AND your Heavenly Father.

Jacob