Ishmael is not the only one to learn this very valuable prayer principle. Many other ‘Giants of the Faith’ experienced this same eye opening, ‘Prayer Principle,’ but have you? That’s the real question! But before we camp out with some of these ‘Giants of the Faith’ briefly, let’s pitch our tent by a ‘Tamarisk Tree‘ with Abraham and get out our canvas and brushes. After Sodom’s destruction, Abraham moves his family from Mamre to Beer-Sheba, or actually south between Kadesh and Shur, later it is named Beer-Sheba, Gen. 21:31. After Abimelech and Abraham make an oath and Abraham gives Abimelech seven ewe lambs. Beer-Sheba means, ‘well of oath, or well of seven.’ (be-ayr and sheh-bah) the first word is a pit or well and the second word is the primary, cardinal number, seven.

In Gen. 26:23 Isaac goes to Beer-Sheba to live and builds an altar; Jacob in Gen. 28:10 leaves Beer-Sheba for uncle Laban, for a wife and stops in Beer-Sheba with his family on his way back to Egypt for a 400 year lay over. In Gen. 45:1-5 Jacob offers sacrifices, probably on the altar his father Isaac built. There is no mention that Abraham built an altar in Beer-Sheba. However, it was true that everywhere Abraham had a tent, God had an altar! In Gen. 21:12, God speaks to Abraham as he struggles with the decision to send Hagar and Ishmael away. His fellowship and communion with God were pure and unhindered, a true ‘Friend of God,’ something we all desire, or should desire.

Gen. 21:33, “And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-Sheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.” Abraham plants a ‘Tamarisk Tree.’ Webster says, “The oriental tamarisk, is native to Arabia, Persia and the East Indies and is encrusted with salt, which is used by the natives and is sometimes  called, the tamarisk salt tree.” Your Bible may say, “And Abraham planted a grove…” (ay-shel) tamarisk tree, Strong’s #815. He can’t build an altar, he is not in the promised land, so he plants a tree instead and calls on the name of the LORD, the ‘Everlasting God,’ (El Olam).  A name which expresses the eternality of God, the eternal duration of the Being of God. The perpetual, eternal, continual, always there, without end God! Psalm 90:2. This name doesn’t just mean that He is everlasting but He is also, “GOD” over, everlasting things. Like His everlasting covenant to Noah, 9:16 & Abraham, 17:13; His everlasting possessions and promises, 17:8 & 48:4. That’s the GOD Abraham is calling upon; The GOD Everlasting; The GOD Eternal; The GOD Who always was, Who always is and Who always will be. The great, “I AM!”  Ex. 3:14, (Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh) That’s his GOD!  The GOD of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, Paul, Peter, Roger, and your GOD!

Why did He plant a tree? A living thing, maybe he recognized God is the God of the living! An altar requires a sacrifice, and a sacrifice is dead. We, like Abraham, need to call on the name of the LORD, the ‘Everlasting GOD, ‘El Olam.’ The God who always was and always will be, ‘from everlasting to everlasting.’ The One Who gives to us ‘Everlasting Life or we choose Everlasting Hell.’ Abraham realizes after leaving Mamre – Fatness, and Hebron – Communion, to journey south in the Negev-dryness; after his lie to Abimelech; after he had to send his son and Hagar away; after his battles with Abimelech’s men; and after his wandering and journeying in the desert. He had to plant a tree and call on the ‘Everlasting God’ Who knows all and is always there. He is Omnipresent, Omniscient, Omnipotent and Omnificent. He’s here, He knows, He can do it, and if need be, He can create a new one! You also have a tree, planted on a hill, that brings everlasting life, it’s called, ‘Calvary!’

How about those other ‘Giants’ whose eyes were opened by a simple prayer. In Gen. 22:9-14 we have Abraham the friend of God and Isaac on Mt. Moriah. Abraham is about to slay Isaac when the ‘Angel of Jehovah’ calls out from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” In v.13 Abraham lifts his eyes and looks and behold, right behind him is a ram caught by his horns in a thicket. Where did it come from? When did it arrive? Was it there the whole time and they just didn’t see it, like Hagar and the well? Jehovah-Jireh, “The LORD will see to it ahead of time,” on Mt. Moriah. (Ra-ah to see & Yah-Jehovah). To see Jehovah! Yeshua/Jesus said in John 8:56-58 that, “Abraham rejoiced to see My day and he saw it.” If this wasn’t it, then when was it? An altar serves three purposes sacrifice, worship and prayer and we saw with Ishmael that, ‘Prayer opens our spiritual eyes so that we can see God’s provision.’ In Ex. 3:1 Moses is on the back side of the Midian desert alone. Yes, he has a few sheep but I believe he’s searching for God’s direction, praying, meditating alone and he comes upon Horeb, the mountain of God and a ‘Burning Bush.’ And the ‘Angel of the LORD’ appears to him in that ‘Burning Bush’ and says, “Draw not near here, put off your shoes, from off your feet, for the place where on you stand is holy ground.” Then he received his assignment, “Go tell Pharaoh, to let My people go!” His first response was, “Who am I?” What changed his mind, what opened his eyes, what changed a stuttering, stammering, sheep herder into a fearless, courageous, valiant leader? One word, Prayer!

In Josh. 5:13-15, Joshua is about to conquer the promised land, the people are circumcised, celebrating passover, and eating the grain of the land, because the manna had ceased. Joshua is meditating, praying for direction alone when the ‘Angel of Jehovah’ appears with His sword drawn. He tells Joshua the same thing He told Moses, “Take off your shoes, you are standing on holy ground.” Once again prayer and meditation opens Joshua’s eyes so he can see the LORD’s provision. In II Kings 6:17 Elisha is surrounded by the Syrian army and his servant is scared so Elisha prays for God to open his eyes so he can see that, they that are with Elisha are more than they that are with the Syrian army and He did. Once again, prayer opened his eyes to see God’s provision.

In I Chron. 21 David numbers the people and God sends a plague and kills 70,000 men due to David’s pride. The Angel of the LORD is about to strike Jerusalem with his sword drawn when David sees him. Why? Prayer, v.16 he and the elders are dressed in sackcloth, fasting and mourning for God’s mercy. Again, prayer opened their eyes to see God’s provision and hand. In Dan. 9, Daniel is praying for 21 days when the ‘Angel Gabriel’ comes to him at 3:00 PM the time of the evening offering, v.21. Only Daniel saw the vision, why? The length of prayer, the depth of prayer, the fact that he was fasting v.3, for three weeks and they were not? I don’t know, but I do know this, that God opened his eyes so he could see the angel like Ishmael, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, and David. ‘Prayer Opens Our Eyes!’ In Luke 24 the two disciples on the road to Emmaus who walked and talked with Yeshua/Jesus did not recognize Him because their eyes were holden. It was after Christ took bread and blessed it and broke it that their eyes were opened. “After He Prayed!” Lk.24:31. Prayer opens our spiritual eyes so we can see God, their physical eyes saw a man!

So what did you learn from Ishmael, “God Shall Hear?” First; He loved his father; He obeyed his father; He honored his father; He trusted his father; He served his father; and He worshiped his father. There are many types in the Bible, but the only type of, ‘God The Father’ is Abraham, Ishmael’s father. So as ‘God shall hear’ honored, obeyed, trusted, loved, and worshiped his earthly father, so should we do likewise with our heavenly Father. Second; We learned that prayer, an address, entreaty or petition to God whether verbal or mental, in word or in thought opens our spiritual eyes so we can see God’s provision or answer to our request. If you can’t see clearly, pray and God will open your eyes. Whether it’s a well, a ram, a burning bush, a talking donkey, a flaming chariot, or an angel with a sword drawn. Listen, if He can open the eyes of Balaam’s donkey, He can open your eyes. Don’t make prayer difficult, it is simply talking to God like you talk to a friend, it’s a two-way street. You talk and He listens, then He talks and you listen and don’t forget that part. Listening is a lost art in prayer, lets find it and bring it back.  “Between The Lines.”

“Portraits of Prayer in Genesis”  Ishmael  Part #3