Two humanities, Isaac born, Ishmael rejected: Persecution

The Lord visited Sarah and she became pregnant and gave birth to a  son Issac meaning laughter. Abraham was a hundred, and Sarah said “God made me laugh.” After the child grew and was weaned,  Sarah saw Ishmael  scoffing, Ishmael was Abraham's son by Sarah's handmaid Hagar.  Sarah  told Abraham “Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son.” It displeased Abraham,  but God told him to do it,  and not to be displeased,  for “in Isaac shall your offspring be called” (Genesis 21:1-12).

It had  been twenty five years since God had first promised Abraham a son. They  tried to fulfill the promise by Abraham taking Hagar as wife, and it had gone very wrong. When pregnant Hagar had despised Sarah,  and Sarah had turned on her. Hagar ran away but   God had turned her back. This time He agrees she has to go. Ishmael had obviously taken up his mother's offense. Sarah had laughed at the impossibility of her being pregnant, but now she was laughing with joy, and she had no intention of letting Hagar and Ishmael spoil that.  But in His Sovereignty, God was working out His salvation plan through the mess they had created.

We talked earlier about the two humanities (7 February), the  two condition of mankind, that of Cain (dead in trespasses and sins – Ephesians 2:1) and that of AbeI (righteous by faith – Hebrews 11:4). The  New Testament explains that what is going on here is an allegory of the two humanities.  Isaac is the son of the promise, the son of the faith of Abraham, Ishmael is the son of unbelief the son of the flesh.  The true sons of Abraham “are not children of the bondwoman but of the free” (Galatians 4:30, 31).  The call then of verse 10 is about faith “that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the offspring, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham.” It is of grace as it was of Abraham for “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness”  (Romans 4:16, 3; Ephesians 2:8, 9).

Paul further explains “as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now” (Galatians 4:9; Psalm 83:5,6). We see here not only the beginning of  antisemitism, but also of worldwide persecution of people of faith. Here in the West it is more subtle than the beheadings and the like in other parts of the world, but as I m sure you are aware it is growing. Increasingly the Bible is being declare to be hate speech. Paul tells us “ all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).

Father, I don't particularly want persecution, but I do desire to live a godly life.  We need courage Lord and grace to be salt and light in an atmosphere that is increasingly hostile to faith, I do.  Living for You Lord in the midst of all this,  is part of taking up our cross and following Jesus.  Let it refine us Lord,  that we  may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom, You tell us,  we shine as lights in the world (Philippians 2:15, 16), in Jesus Name   Amen