Good morning on this Saturday, July 25th. Last week's sermon dealt with God's promise to Israel through Abraham of the Holy Land. However, Abraham had two sons, one through Hagar the Egyptian handmaid of his wife, Sarah, named Ishmael and the other through Sarah in her old age named Isaac. How do we know that the promise of the land to Abraham and his descendants was intended for Isaac's linage and not Ishmael's? The Apostle Paul deals with the subject in the New Testament book of Galatians 4:21-31. Referring back to the original account in Genesis chapter 22 where Isaac is called Abraham's only son (22:2,12,16), Paul says that Ishmael was born of the flesh through the slave woman but Isaac was born of the Spirit and was the heir born of the promise (Galatians 4:29). He mentions that Ishmael persecuted Isaac and adds, "even so it is now." In verse 30 he continues, "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." He uses the conflict between Ishmael and Isaac to illustrate the conflict between the flesh and Spirit as they struggle against each other. But in Genesis 21:11-13, God assured Abraham about the future of Ishmael because he was Abraham's seed, and in 21:14-21 after providing for Hagar and Ishmael in the desert, God told Hagar that from Ishmael would come a great nation. Next week we'll explore the relationship between the descendants of Abraham, their history and future. Tomorrow's sermon is the second in the Prophecy Update series. I hope to see you there.
Mel Brown