By examining the accounts of Hagar and Ishmael in Genesis 16 and the Magi’s visit of the Christ child in the book of Matthew, Maalouf seeks to dissolve the popular assumption among Evangelicals, including his own formerly held view, that Ishmael, and Muslims by heritage, are cursed by God and the enemy of Israel. By approaching the text of Genesis 16 with objectivity, he asserts that Ishmael is included in God’s blessing on Abraham. God promises Hagar freedom and a great nation for Ishmael. When Christ returns, the Arab nations will be blessed alongside Israel. Added to this, he argues that the Magi were Arab descendants of Ishmael who participated in the celebration of the Messiah’s birth. This blessing for Ishmael and his descendants and an Arab presence in redemptive history bears upon our treatment of Arabs and Muslims. Maalouf calls Christians, particularly Dispensationalist Evangelicals, to seek to bring all people including Arabs into the blessing of Christ.
The Institute for Cultural Engagement, an official program of Multnomah University and Biblical Seminary