Celebrating, ... no, no! remembering 9/11, has been very painful. The most unimaginable horror to come out of “the bottomless pit” of Satanic cruelty, was that.
Yet we live in a world where 22% of its people are Islamic; as the Industrial Age dawned on us after 1798, we found that the bulk of our industrial lifeblood—oil—has to come from Islam. Enjoy your luxurious SUV, but remember whence it is propelled.
Has God overruled modern life to be this way? We fight bloody wars to control that oil.
God has devoted four chapters of the great book of Revelation to the “seven trumpets” of world history (8-11), one chapter of which is devoted to the rise and career of Islam.
We are introduced to Islam as “a star fall[ing] from heaven,” to whom is “given the key of the bottomless pit” (9:1). “And he [Islam] opened the bottomless pit” and there arose a smoke out of the pit, ... and the sun and the air were darkened.” The proliferation of early followers of Islam is represented as “locusts”(vs. 3).
Its divinely appointed destiny is made clear in verse 4: to be a scourge to apostate Christianity. Islam was “commanded” that it should “hurt ... only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.” Abu Bekr, Mohammed’s successor, strictly charged his armies not to harm consistent, loyal followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.
But in spite of mercy extended, “the rest of the men ... yet repented not” of their multitude of sins (vss. 20, 21).
Abraham’s foray into the unbelief of bigamy (with Hagar) gave Ishmael to the world; God was caught in a promise. He had to bless him, too for He had promised to bless all of Abraham’s descendants. Ishmael had a dual character, one side of which was “wild”(pereh, “like a wild ass, Gen. 16:12), evident in his descendants even today.
We can’t change world politics; but we can love human souls for whom Abraham’s Descendant, Christ, gave His life and His soul. When the light of the gospel lightens the earth with glory (Rev. 18:1), many honest Muslims will respond. May the Lord teach us how to tell the gospel to them! (Which will require that we understand it, too.)
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
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