It takes more than just blood to make a family. It takes love.”
–Elmer Kelton (The Way of the Coyote)
“Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent.”
–Acts 13:26 (NKJV)
———————————
We looked last week at the promise of Isaac’s birth and how Abraham, before Isaac was born, tried to take matters into his own hands. In this portion of the Bible we can easily see two types, and I must say that we have to be careful about using types. They are definitely there, but some read too much into them, instead of just looking at the truth in them. Isaac is a type of Christ–he is the child of promise, just as Jesus was the child of promise–the promised Messiah. See also the words to Sarah, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14, NKJV) and compare it to the words given to Mary, “For with God nothing will be impossible.” (Luke 1:37, NKJV)
With the birth of Isaac there is great rejoicing and celebration. God had fulfilled His promise. However, during this Sarah saw Ishmael mocking the baby–the focus was no longer on him, but had shifted to Isaac. Michael Bells shows the real conflict, “The human nature mocks the heaven born nature and that is why Christians experience huge conflict in their souls.” Ishmael represents the carnal or human nature, while Isaac is the son of promise. Oh, just an important side-note here: “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.” (Galatians 4:28, NKJV) Don’t take this lightly, and do not feel insulted when mocked for Isaac was also mocked.
Sarah now rejects Ishmael and tells Abraham to get rid of the boy. The matter was greatly distressing and displeasing to Abraham for there was a relationship between father and son. In this, God had to comfort Abraham telling him to send the boy and his mother away, but promised that Ishmael would be the father of a great nation. (Genesis 21:8-21) Abraham experienced a heart-breaking trial, but the flesh, the carnal, must be cast off. Yes, it was hard in the natural, but there was a more important spiritual lesson to learn. “Isaac and Ishmael cannot live and fellowship together for they are at enmity one with the other.” (Bell). God has to speak to Abraham, as He does to us if there is a conflict with the natural.
Abraham, and Sarah, had tried to take a shortcut to the promise, and now there is a problem. We should realize from this that there are no shortcuts to the promises of God; we cannot get to Heaven by taking shortcuts. Isaac, in this situation, is a type of the Church. He has a privileged position, he is the heir to the promises and inheritance of God. The riches of God are only available to legitimate heirs, not those of the world and therefore, those who are not believers will be sent away just as Ishmael was.
Take time this week to read Galatians 4:21-31. Briefly it states that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. The end of this portion of Scripture says, “Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? ‘Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.’ So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.” (Galatians 4:30-31) Do not become confused with your right as a child of God. Do not become entwined with the natural but remember who you are in the spiritual. The seed of the world (Ishmael) must be driven out and not accepted.
———————————
We looked last week at the promise of Isaac’s birth and how Abraham, before Isaac was born, tried to take matters into his own hands. In this portion of the Bible we can easily see two types, and I must say that we have to be careful about using types. They are definitely there, but some read too much into them, instead of just looking at the truth in them. Isaac is a type of Christ–he is the child of promise, just as Jesus was the child of promise–the promised Messiah. See also the words to Sarah, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14, NKJV) and compare it to the words given to Mary, “For with God nothing will be impossible.” (Luke 1:37, NKJV)
With the birth of Isaac there is great rejoicing and celebration. God had fulfilled His promise. However, during this Sarah saw Ishmael mocking the baby–the focus was no longer on him, but had shifted to Isaac. Michael Bells shows the real conflict, “The human nature mocks the heaven born nature and that is why Christians experience huge conflict in their souls.” Ishmael represents the carnal or human nature, while Isaac is the son of promise. Oh, just an important side-note here: “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.” (Galatians 4:28, NKJV) Don’t take this lightly, and do not feel insulted when mocked for Isaac was also mocked.
Sarah now rejects Ishmael and tells Abraham to get rid of the boy. The matter was greatly distressing and displeasing to Abraham for there was a relationship between father and son. In this, God had to comfort Abraham telling him to send the boy and his mother away, but promised that Ishmael would be the father of a great nation. (Genesis 21:8-21) Abraham experienced a heart-breaking trial, but the flesh, the carnal, must be cast off. Yes, it was hard in the natural, but there was a more important spiritual lesson to learn. “Isaac and Ishmael cannot live and fellowship together for they are at enmity one with the other.” (Bell). God has to speak to Abraham, as He does to us if there is a conflict with the natural.
Abraham, and Sarah, had tried to take a shortcut to the promise, and now there is a problem. We should realize from this that there are no shortcuts to the promises of God; we cannot get to Heaven by taking shortcuts. Isaac, in this situation, is a type of the Church. He has a privileged position, he is the heir to the promises and inheritance of God. The riches of God are only available to legitimate heirs, not those of the world and therefore, those who are not believers will be sent away just as Ishmael was.
Take time this week to read Galatians 4:21-31. Briefly it states that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. The end of this portion of Scripture says, “Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? ‘Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.’ So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.” (Galatians 4:30-31) Do not become confused with your right as a child of God. Do not become entwined with the natural but remember who you are in the spiritual. The seed of the world (Ishmael) must be driven out and not accepted.