A Tale of Two Sons

"Listen! If you want to be under the Law, why do you not listen to what it says? The Holy Writings say that Abraham had two sons. One was born from a woman servant (Hagar) who was owned by someone. She had to do what she was told. The other son was born from a woman (Sarah) who was free to work and live as she desired. The son born from the woman servant who was owned by someone was like any other birth. The son born from the free woman was different. That son had been promised by God. Think of it like this: These two women show God’s two ways of working with His people. The children born from Hagar are under the Law given on Mount Sinai. They will be servants who are owned by someone and will always be told what to do! Hagar is known as Mount Sinai in the country of Arabia. She is as Jerusalem is today, because she and her children are not free to do what they want to do. But the Jerusalem of heaven is the free woman, and she is our mother." (Galatians 4:21-26 - New Life Version)

Paul is now summing up his theological arguments against legalism. He uses an illustration to demonstrate the superiority of grace over works. He takes this illustration from the Old Testament. It is the story of Abraham’s two sons: Ishmael and Isaac.

The events referred to by Paul are recorded in Genesis chapters sixteen and twenty-one. Let’s review the historical facts.

When Abraham was 75 years old, God called him and sent him to the land of Canaan. He promised Abraham many descendants. At this time, Sarah, Abraham’s wife, was 65 years old. Abraham and Sarah had no children at this time.

Ten years passed and still Abraham was childless. Sarah suggested that Abraham take her handmaid, Hagar as a concubine. Hagar was Sarah’s slave. Abraham followed Sarah’s advice and Hagar bore Abraham a son who was named Ishmael. This was outside of God’s will and the Lord did not accept Ishmael as the son of His promise.

Finally, when Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90, God gave them a child. Sarah gave birth to Isaac who was the son of God’s promise. When Isaac was around three years old, Ishmael began to mock him creating conflict in the home. The Lord told Abraham to send Hagar and her 17-year-old son Ishmael away.

Now back to Galatians, Paul is going to use an illustration from the law, which his opponents said they were upholding. The Jews divided the Old Testament into the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms. The Law was made up of the first five books of the Old Testament, which were written by Moses. So Genesis is part of the law.

The birth of Ishmael was natural. It was the expected result of Sarah’s plan. It was a birth representing doubt and the works of man.

The birth of Isaac was supernatural. It was the result of God’s promise. No one thought that after so many years of marriage that barren Sarah at the age of 90 could have a child. God gave her a child. This birth represents faith and grace.

So Hagar and her son are symbolic of the covenant of the Law which God gave at Mount Sinai. In Paul’s day, Jerusalem was the center of the system that resulted from this law. All who followed this covenant were in bondage to the Law. Even as Ishmael was born a slave because his mother was, so those born under the Law were slaves to it.

Sarah and her son are symbolic of the covenant of Grace, which God gave through Jesus Christ. The headquarters of this covenant is the New Jerusalem in heaven. Those born spiritually under this covenant are free.