28 Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 At that time, however, the son born by the flesh persecuted the son born by the Spirit. It is the same now.

30 But what does the Scripture say? “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” 31 Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Val Dewan

I am the first of three sisters, and once when we were all young, a cheeky church uncle asked my dad who his favourite daughter was. Dad was diplomatic and said that he doesn’t choose favourites between his daughters. The church uncle might have been asking in jest, but in today’s passage we see that back in Genesis, there was a major difference between Ishmael and Isaac, the two sons of Abraham. It’s not that God shows favouritism, but Ishmael was the son born from Abraham and Sarah’s plan to try to make things happen by their own power and deeds, whereas Isaac was born purely as a gift of God’s grace and power.

From the previous verses, Paul has been using those two children as an analogy, and today he continues the analogy and ends with a clear directive. He refers to Ishmael as ‘the son born by the flesh’ and Isaac as ‘the son born by the Spirit.’ Ishmael represents those who reject Jesus and try to earn salvation through their works (the flesh), and Isaac represents those who have faith in Jesus alone. Only those born of the Spirit through faith in Jesus will receive the blessings from God’s promise.

But Paul also reminds us of Ishmael’s hostility towards Isaac, which is also an analogy for the present: ‘The son born by the flesh persecuted the son born by the Spirit. It is the same now’ (v 29). This helped me to understand that there cannot be a way for these two opposing sides to be in fellowship with one another. Those who are free – Christians who have faith in Jesus – will be persecuted by people who are slaves to the law and reject Jesus. In verse 30, Paul quotes the words of Scripture from Genesis 21:10 – ‘Expel the slave woman and her son’ – as an instruction to no longer live under the law or continue having a legalistic worldview. There is no share in Christ’s inheritance if we live under the slavery of the law.

This is an ongoing encouragement for me to truly trust in God’s promises and be free to live as God’s child, not a child of the law. Praise God because He is our Heavenly Father who delights and favours His children, and let’s keep trusting in His promise through Jesus.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Val is a member of our Fairfield Evening congregation.