Our Liberty In Christ by Philip Mauro

the two. The two wives represent, respectively, the covenant of grace and the covenant of law, and their two sons represent an earthly and a heavenly people, a people in the one case born “after the flesh,” i.e. according to nature, and in the other a people supernaturally born, “the children of promise,” born “af­ter the Spirit.” Moreover, we see here, as always, that “that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is nat­ural, and afterwards that which is spiritual” (1 Cor. 15: 46).

Referring to the incidents of Abraham’s family rela­tions as recorded in Genesis 16, we learn that his marriage with Hagar, and the birth of Ishmael which, was the fruit of it, was not an act of faith, but sprang from the im­patience of nature—the flesh. It is written: “He that believeth shall not make haste” (Isa. 28:16), that is, shall not act in over-eagerness, but will quietly wait God’s time and His word as to any action to be taken.

We do not read that by faith Abraham, when he saw that Sarah was barren and past childbearing because of age, took to himself another wife. On the contrary, in so doing Abra­ham was not hearkening to the voice of God at all. Hence it was not of faith. For “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” It was Sarah who sug­gested to Abraham that he should take Hagar to wife; “And Abraham hearkened to the voice of his wife” (Gen 16:2). In this he did as his father Adam had done (Gen. 3: 17).

God had given the promise that Abraham’s seed which should come forth out of his own bowels should be like the stars of heaven for multitude, and it is recorded that “he believed in the Lord, and it was counted to him for righteousness” (Gen. 15:5, 6). How would God fulfil His promise?

Abraham and Sarah did not wait until God should make known His way; but losing patience they acted, as we are all prone to do, in choosing a way of their own, and one that is according to nature, and looking to God to “bless the means.” But God does not bless any but His own appointed ‘‘means”; though He bears with marvellous patience our unbelieving ways, and doings.

We see then how possible, indeed how easy it is, for a man of faith to resort to the means employed by the flesh for the accomplishment of what God has promised to do, and which He will certainly bring to pass in His own time and way. The result of this act of Abraham was that a period of fourteen years passed ere God again visited him in grace.

There arc several incidents on record in connection with Hagar and Ishmael which are of special interest in view of the typical significance given to them by the Holy Spirit in Galatians, who there makes Hagar the type of the earthly people, “Israel after the flesh.” First we have Hagar’s “affliction” before the birth of her son, answer­ing to the affliction of