While Ishmael was in the womb of his mother, Hagar, God made a covenant with him through his mother. Genesis 16:7-12 “And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.
8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.
9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
10 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou [art] with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he will be a wild man; his hand [will be] against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.”

        1. Ishmael’s descendants would multiply beyond count. (verse 10)

        2. He would be a wild man, indicating that no one would possess him or control his people. (verse 12)

        3. He would be against everyone and everyone would be against him. (verse 12)

        4. Although he could not be controlled or conquered, yet he would live in the presence of his brethren. (verse 12)

        Then fourteen years later when Abraham was one hundred years old, Sarah ninety, and Ishmael fourteen, God allowed Sarah to give birth to a child whose name would be Isaac. But before Isaac was born, God enlarged His covenant with Ishmael Genesis 17:20 “And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.”
At this time it was specified that the following conditions would be met:

        1. Ishmael would be a great nation.

        2. Ishmael would be blessed.

        3. Ishmael would be fruitful.

        4. God would multiply him exceedingly.

        5. There would be twelve princes in his nation.

        While this covenant was made with Ishmael, God made it clear to Abraham that Isaac, instead of Ishmael, was to receive the covenant which was made between God and Abraham. Genesis 17:18-21 “And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, [and] with his seed after him.
20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year."
Genesis 15:4 "And, behold, the word of the LORD [came] unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.”

        Today we are seeing the fulfillment of the covenant made with Ishmael. Ishmael’s descendants, the Arabs, have increased and multiplied beyond count. The Arabic people have been like a wild man, in that no one would possess them or control them. The Arab nations have been fruitful and blessed in that they now own and control a major portion of the world’s supply of oil. When the Arabs brought about the oil embargo, they brought about the fulfillment of the covenant in that the Arabs would be against everyone and everyone against them. Today there are twelve princes among the Arabs, which possibly could be considered the people of Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Yemen, Egypt, and Syria. Yet in the light of all these things, the Arabs feel that the land which was to belong to Abraham is to belong to them, thus creating the conflict between the Arabs and the Israelis over who should live in Canaan.

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