LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
The Two Sons of Abraham
Chapters 16 and 21 of Genesis are incomprehensible without Paul's interpretation of them in Galatians 4. Specifically, with regard to Hagar and Ishmael.
Genesis 16 tells how Abraham, at Sarah's suggestion, took Hagar, an Egyptian handmaid, as a concubine, and how she came to bear him a son, Ishmael. A little later, in Genesis 21, it is told how Abraham sent away the concubine and her son by God's disposition.
Paul gives us the explanation: Hagar represents the Old Covenant, and Ishmael represents the slave sons that this covenant gives. That is why Ishmael persecuted Isaac, and that is why he should have been expelled from home. The son of the slave should not inherit with the son of the free.
Genesis 16 tells us that Hagar was an Egyptian, and that when Abraham came to her, she was 85 years old. Abraham fathered that son with whatever strength he still had left. That is why he was born "according to the flesh", Paul tells us. On the other hand, when 15 years later Isaac was born, Abraham was already almost dead, and Sarah was unable to conceive.
Ishmael is the son Abraham made; Isaac is the son God gave him. Therein lies the difference. The law consists in what man can do; grace consists in what God gives us. The law always appeals to man's ability; grace manifests itself because of man's inability.
Ishmael was born first; Isaac was born 14 years later. Ishmael was born after 10 years after Abraham came to Canaan. Isaac was born after 25 years. Ishmael was born first, because man always tries to prove himself first with his strength, before abandoning himself in the arms of God, recognizing his incompetence. After the conception of Ishmael, and also after his birth, Abraham and Sarah had many problems. For what is born of the flesh produces death. "The law produces wrath", Paul will say, and that is what happened in those long years in which Abraham and Sarah could see how they had made a mistake.
The law, the flesh and the works of the flesh are closely related. The result of all of them shows the ineffectiveness of human efforts to please God. On the other hand, what joy and solace Isaac produced! How full of God's blessing!
All our Ishmaels are full of death; but how full of life are our Isaacs. Therefore, Ishmael must be cast out, for he has no inheritance next to Isaac. That which proceeds from man is flesh, and the flesh "profits nothing" (Jn. 6:63), said the Lord. This is easy to say, and easy to understand; but it is not at all easy to accept in our experience.
How much we cling to our little virtues, to our few successes; how proud we are of what we are and what we can do for God. It takes 14 or more years -figuratively speaking- to recognize that our Ishmael has caused us nothing but trouble, and that he has no luck or place in God's house. It always seems to be too late when God decides to give us Isaac; so much so, that some of us don't even get him. All we have are Ishmaels; no Isaac.