Child of the Flesh Rejected

After all of Paul's appeals and rhetoric, he is amazed that any Galatian believer might still wish to be under the law for righteousness, since it cannot save, and only condemns. They seemed to believe that they could not be Abraham's children unless they kept Moses' law.

Paul therefore provides his final argument, an allegory based upon the two sons of Abraham - Ishmael and Isaac.

God promised Abram that He would make of him a great nation, and bless the world through his seed. But ten years later, Abram and Sarai were still childless and growing old. Nevertheless, Abram believed God's promise.

But he and Sarai decided to help God fulfill His promise by resort to a surrogate mother, Sarai's handmaid Hagar. She conceived a son for Abram, and immediately, there was trouble between her and her mistress Sarai!

Rather than trust God to provide, Abram and Sarai resorted to sinful works of the flesh to fulfill the promise of God.

Thirteen years later, God renamed Abraham and Sarah, and promised that Sarah would bear the true seed of promise. This was impossible physically, but not to God.

Soon Isaac was born, and there was more trouble between the child of the promise and the child of the flesh. Ishmael mocked little Isaac, and Sarah demanded he be sent away, for he should not inherit with her son Isaac. God made it clear that Isaac alone, the child of promise, was to be the true heir of Abraham.

Though Abraham's faith had faltered, and he had tried to help God fulfill the promise, God proved Himself almighty to keep His promises even when they are impossible!

Abraham learned to trust God's promises without resort to fleshly means, but in faith alone.