The two sons of Abraham
by Ivan Ho 4 May 2021
There are typically two contrasting characters operating within the church: those who are of the Spirit vs those who are of the flesh. Both are living in the same house but they are fighting and struggling with each other within the same household. Abraham had two sons, Issac who was born according to the promise, and Ishmael who was born in the flesh. They represent two forces struggling with each other within the same family.
Jesus often spent time with His Father and only did what He saw the Father doing. Those who are of the spirit are empowered by the Spirit of God, they follow the guidance and leading of the Spirit to do the will of the Father. When nothing seems to be happening in the physical realm, it doesn’t mean that things aren’t taking place in the spirit realm. Mind you, since God spoke through the prophet Malachi, there was a period of 400 years of silence before the birth of Jesus. During times of waiting for God’s promise, God wants us to spend time with Him instead of running around like headless chicken doing things that God has not ordained.
Those who are of the flesh are the religious folks who often try to fulfill God’s will according to their own time and effort, in so doing give rise to Ishmael, son born by a bondwoman. While Abraham was waiting for God to fulfill His promise, his wife Sarai, due to her impatience when things did not seem to go according to plan, brought Hagar into the household and gave birth to Ishmael. Saul, when he couldn’t see things happen according to his time, was compelled to offer sacrifice to God instead of waiting for Samuel to arrive as he has promised.
Instead of waiting on God to fulfill His promise, the religious people would all the while try to make things happen in the flesh. Instead of pursuing God, they pursue people to get them preoccupied with their programs and projects outside of God’s promise. Beware of people who would take you away from God’s promise and put you in bondage to their programs. So many people are in bondage to their own will and ambition to try to produce things in the flesh outside of God’s will and purpose.
They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them.
Galatians 4:17 NKJV
For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Galatians 4:22-26 NKJV