Rejected and Loved - by Laurens de Wit (Paperback)

About the Book

God has given some powerful promises about peoples surrounding Israel! It begins with Ishmael, the son of Abraham, who was blessed in many ways. God still has a major plan to use the Arabs to bring peace to the Middle East.

Book Synopsis

Did you know that God has given some powerful promises about peoples surrounding Israel? It all goes back to Ishmael, the son of Abraham who was rejected as the son of promise, through whom the Messiah was to come. Many think he was rejected all together and that Islam has come into being as a result of that rejection. The Scriptures tell a very different story.

God loved Ishmael and was with him. At times He used the Ishmaelites as a blessing for the Israelites and the powerful promises point to a great revival in the Middle East!

Discover God's love for Ishmael and His plan to make his descendants, the Arabs, a blessing for the Jews in the book Rejected and Loved.

Unique features:

Faction: study book in story format - each chapter marked with foundational Bible passages

Interactive with the Internet through qr codes and URLs

Illustrations and animation films

Extra free deepening studies and articles

Beautiful insight in the thought life of Muslims. The thoughts described in Part 5 come from Arabs who were raised as Muslims.

The book contains five main parts, each with a unique focus.

Each part ends with a review chapter in which lessons from the stories are drawn out.

A total of 44 chapters make up the five parts

Part 1 The Beginning of a Great People

This section deals with the time period of Ishmael, from the time the pregnant Hagar met the Angel of the Lord on her flight to Egypt, till the time Ishmael died. It shows how Ishmael was rejected in several ways, but also how God did not abandon him. It shows that the prophetic word over Ishmael being a 'wild donkey' was not a curse but a blessing.

Part 2 Joys and Sorrows Between the Descendants of Two Half-Brothers

This section describes the relationship between the descendants of Ishmael and Isaac at various points of time, from Esau and Jacob to the Israelite king Jehoshaphat. It shows times in which the Ishmaelites were a blessing to the half-brother's descendants.

Part 3 God's Plan for the Arabs

This section describes how two fictional Arab characters in Arabia study the writings of Jewish prophets. With the help of a fictional Jewish rabbi they learn a lot about their own people and about a king to be born who is to bring peace. One day they see a unique star.

Part 4 God Hears the Arabs - the Descendants of Ishmael

In this section, the son of one Arab and the son of the rabbi continue the quest of their parents for the promised King. Eventually they meet Jesus and are overjoyed. When He is crucified, however, their hope vanishes. Years later, a Jewish teacher comes to the synagogue in Arabia and both friends find peace with God.

Part 5 God's Plan for the Arabs Within Sight

This section describes a Saudi Muslim and a Palestinian Christian living in Jordan, who have spiritual conversations. Several of the events described are based on true stories. Interwoven is the communication between the Palestinian and his cousin who is studying in the United States. She shares insights from the Bible she is learning from an Arab scholar in the US. This changes Youssef's attitude toward the Jews.

Part 6 Everything at a glance

This section brings all the lessons of the book together and draws some final conclusions. Christians, Muslims, Jews and non-religious are all addressed in separate paragraphs and challenged about the message of the book.

Review Quotes

This book is an absolute must for anyone who wants to learn more about the history of the Middle East. The writer knows better than anyone how to describe the ups and downs between the descendants of Isaac and Ishmael. The reader is taken on an intense, confronting, open and honest journey in the trials of rejection and disappointment that the peoples of the Middle East have lived through and the signs of which are still visible every day. At the same time, this special story describes the Light that shines as a beacon of Hope for the nations. - Antoinette

The first part immediately appealed to me. The story of Ishmael gives many good insights into the drama that took place in the past. Laurens de Wit then takes you along in a very hopeful message for the Arabs, that at the same time gives us Western Christians a lot of homework - to allow the love of God for them into our hearts. Our often critical and contemptuous view of the descendants of Ishmael is challenged through God's word, spurring us on to look differently. This view will certainly contribute to a different peace than the one the world is trying to bring to the Middle East. - Piet

Very impressive and a beautiful way of telling the stories - Peter

The message that the writer wants to convey is very clear and straightforward, and cannot be ignored. I love the unique story format of the book combined with diving deeper via the website. - Anita

"Rejected and Loved" is well written, interesting, and very informative. Looking at Scripture from an Arab perspective was very eye opening for me. We have visited Muslim countries, but this book gave me a much better understanding of some of the "issues" between Muslims, Jews and Christians. - Gary