DIVIDING HAGAR AND ISHMAEL FROM SARAH AND ISAAC

May 18, 2008
MF Blume

  Scripture Text:


Genesis 16:1-6 KJV  Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.  (2)  And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.  (3)  And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.  (4)  And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.  (5)  And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.  (6)  But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

Genesis 21:1-2 KJV  And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.  (2)  For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

Genesis 21:8-12 KJV  And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.  (9)  And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.  (10)  Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.  (11)  And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.  (12)  And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

  Message:



In two different instances, a wife battled with the problems caused by her handmaid.

Genesis 17 is the chapter in which Abram and Sarai are CHANGED to Abraham and Sarah.

So when their names were changed, Sarah conceived and  circumcision occurred for the first time in the family, a demarcation occurred.

But after the circumcision, it was not only a problem with the respective MOTHERS, but the next time a crisis occurred was when Isaac was circumcised and then weaned that THE CHILDREN entered a battle.

IN BOTH CASES, SARAH and ISAAC did not start any trouble or problems.

In both cases the wife of the Father of the faithful dealt harshly with the woman, and God confirmed the need afterwards.

Genesis 16:6 KJV  But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

Genesis 16:9 KJV  And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.


Genesis 21:10-12 KJV  Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.  (11)  And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.  (12)  And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.


This story teaches us a spiritual lesson, as do all Old Testament stories.

1 Corinthians 10:11 KJV  (11)  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.


Just as Abraham had a wife and her handmaid in his life, and household, each of us have two elements.

Each of us are on a journey to INHERITANCE.

SARAI who became SARAH represents the BELIEVER'S SPIRIT.

SPIRIT:

Phil 3:3  For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Mar 2:8 KJV  And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?


Act 6:10 KJV  And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.

Act 18:5 KJV  And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.

SOUL:

EMOTION:     ...the soul of all the people was grieved,
    1 Samuel 30:6

WILL: ...set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God;
1 Chronicles 22:19

INTELLECT: ...that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good;
Proverbs 19:2

As Hagar was told by the angel to SUBMIT to Sarah, the SOUL must SUBMIT.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Isa 26:3



So I am going to compare Sarah with your SPIRIT and Hagar with your SOUL.

Our spiritual inheritance comes after full spiritual maturity.

Galatians 4:1-2 KJV  Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;  (2)  But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

Galatians 4:4-5 KJV  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,  (5)  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

An HEIR does not have INHERITANCE until he is past childhood and has graduated into a higher level.

Your SOUL starts having problems as soon as it CONCEIVES.

Genesis 16:4 KJV  And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

CONCEPTION means THE SOUL IS READY TO PRODUCE.

Notice that SARAI was BARREN before during and after Hagar CONCEIVED.

John 3:5-6 KJV  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  (6)  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

THE human spirit is what is BORN OF God's Spirit.

It is otherwise DEAD.

Romans 4:19 KJV  And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:

When we are BORN AGAIN -- Abram becomes ABRAHAM -- Sarai becomes SARAH and NOW BEARS CHILDREN.

In the same year that Abraham's name was changed, circumcision occurred for the first time, and Sarai's name was changed too and she conceived.

Genesis 17:5 KJV  Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

Genesis 17:10 KJV  This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

Genesis 17:15 KJV  And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

Genesis 17:21 KJV  But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

To bear a son the next year means she conceived THAT YEAR.

His name changed.

He is 99 in verse 1.

Genesis 17:1 KJV  And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

Isaac is born and Abraham is 100.

Genesis 21:5 KJV  And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

100 FOLD!

BLESSINGS COMING NOW.

It is NOT a blessing when ISHMAEL IS BORN.

Not only do Sarah and Hagar represent your SPIRIT and SOUL, but ...

Until your SPIRIT is BORN AGAIN, you cannot produce FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.

First YOUR SOUL is going to COMBAT your spirit...

Galatians 5:16-17 KJV  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  (17)  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Galatians 5:18 KJV  But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Leading of the Spirit not only stops lusts of the flesh from being fulfilled, but it also INDICATES YOU ARE NOT UNDER LAW.

People under LAW ARE FULL OF WORKS OF THE FLESH!

Romans 7:8 KJV  But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

SIN TAKES OPPORTUNITY BY THE LAW.

THEY ARE CONTRARY.

In this very chapter is where FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT and WORKS OF THE FLESH are contrasted.

AND LAW is associated with WORKS OF THE FLESH, so when Gal 4 says the children of the bondwoman are children of the law, no wonder we can take the same story and say the children of the bondwoman are WORKS OF THE FLESH.

Gal 4 compares children of Hagar with children of Sarah, and Gal 5 compares works of flesh with fruit of Spirit.

LEGALISM PROVIDED YOU WITH A LOT OF WORKS OF THE FLESH YOU NOW HAVE TO DEAL WITH.

Cast out the BONDWOMAN, BUT NOW GET THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN OUT AS WELL -- the OFFSPRING -- the WORKS OF THE FLESH.

Galatians 5:19-23 KJV  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,  (20)  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,  (21)  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.  (22)  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,  (23)  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.


OF ALL TIMES, when you SPIRITUALLY PROGRESS, FLESH KICKS UP.

Genesis 21:8-10 KJV  And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.  (9)  And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.  (10)  Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.


Now the word MOCK is the Hebrew word tsaw - khak'

2 Samuel 2:14 KJV  And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.

And when they PLAYED< look what was said:

2 Samuel 2:16 KJV  And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

It is often used to speak of FIGHTING and coming to BLOWS.

So Ishmael was fighting Isaac, and perhaps pushing him around physically.

But the idea of this child coming to adulthood threatened the other child who was past 13 years of age by now.

SARAH SAYS HAGAR MUST BE SEPARATED COMPLETELY from the home now.

And when Sarah saw Ishmael push around Isaac, she heard Ishmael say something that caused her to speak of INHERITANCE.

Genesis 21:9-10 KJV  And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.  (10)  Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

She heard ISHMAEL talk of INHERITANCE.

SARAH HEARD about INHERITANCE and spoke of it to Abraham.

God told him to LISTEN TO HER.

The soul is emotional.

But since the SOUL is affected by the world and the SPIRIT is affected by God, and the two are not separated, the SOUL takes the spirit down with it every time.

Sarah never gave Hagar problems.

HEARKEN TO YOUR WIFE, ABRAHAM.

See how your spirit is suffering because of YOUR SOUL!

IT IS THEN that submission of the soul must progress further to this:

Hebrews 4:12 KJV  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Soul and SPIRIT must be DIVIDED apart from one another!

How are they divided?

BY THE WORD OF GOD, THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT.

It is over the issue of INHERITANCE!

It is the cost of getting you into YOUR PROMISED LAND!

Genesis 15:7 KJV  And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.

LAND is associated with INHERITANCE.

So we now see how that before Heb 4:12 speaks of DIVIDING your spirit from your soul, we read about this:

Hebrews 3:17-4:3 KJV  But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?  (18)  And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?  (19)  So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.  (4:1)  Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.  (2)  For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.  (3)  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

You WILL NOT REST, but be troubled and your soul will throw your spirit down with it everytime something goes wrong in the world around you, UNTIL YOU SEPARATE YOUR SPIRIT FROM YOUR SOUL.

A spiritually mature person IS NOT UP AND DOWN WITH THE TROUBLES OF LIFE.

Problems go up and down, and your spirit goes up and down with them because your soul is clinging to the spirit.

YOU REST in the midst of a storm, because YOUR SPIRIT IS DIVIDED FROM YOUR SOUL.

Joshua 3:15 KJV  And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)

40 years earlier, the SOUL won out over the SPIRIT, so to speak, when the PROBLEMS of the promised land -- its giants and walled cities -- made the people heed what the SOUL SAW more than what THE SPIRIT HEARD GOD SAY.

What changes and does the DIVISION?

Hebrews 4:12 KJV  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Take that word and mix it with FAITH and believe it!

Hebrews 4:2 KJV  For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

And that word REMOVES the SOUL like a VEIL is cut away from the SPIRIT.

2 Corinthians 3:2-3 KJV  (2)  Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:  (3)  Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

Paul was PEN, Spirit was INK and parchment was HEARTS.

2 Corinthians 3:14-16 KJV  (14)  But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.  (15)  But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.  (16)  Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

When you TURN YOUR HEART TO JESUS...

Notice what Paul said about Jesus...

2 Corinthians 4:5 KJV  For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

Paul's PREACHING, or the INK coming out of himself as a pen, was JESUS.

And when the PREACHING OF JESUS shines on your HEARTS,...

2 Corinthians 3:18 KJV  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Paul PREACHED JESUS and PAUL PREACHED SPIRIT.

2 Corinthians 3:8 KJV  How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?

And the SPIRIT -- the preaching of Jesus in anointing and truth -- CHANGES US INTO HIS IMAGE!

2 Corinthians 4:6 KJV  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

MATURITY IS ACTING LIKE JESUS ACTED.

You can even perform miracles like Jesus, and NOT BE MATURE.

Matthew 7:22-23 KJV  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  (23)  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Jesus did all the things these people whom he did not know did.

He ONLY KNOWS those who ARE LIKE HIM.

You look in a  MIRROR when you see Jesus' glory, and that has something to do with JESUS recognizing YOU when he says I KNOW YOU, since you are IN HIS IMAGE.

THE WORD DIVIDES SOUL AND SPIRIT.

Joshua 5:1-2 KJV  And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.  (2)  At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.

CIRCUMCISION OCCURRED.

SECOND TIME...

ANOTHER VEIL.