Remember when God told Abraham to leave his kin and go to a land that He would show him? Notice that he and Sarah obeyed for awhile, then took a detour to Egypt to avoid a famine. Let’s march right past Abraham’s huge judgment lapse in making Sarah identify him as her brother rather than her husband, thus allowing Pharoah to steal her for a short time.
When they finally left Egypt and got back on track, Sarah emerged, not with a new handbag, but with a new handmaid. And if Abraham erred greatly in allowing Pharoah to steal Sarah, Sarah had her own severe lapse in judgment a little later. She ordered Abraham to help God in fulfilling His promise of a “seed” by having Abraham “go into” her handmaid and make a baby.
We all know that first baby of Abraham’s via Sarah’s handmaid was not the promised seed. It was the second baby, Isaac, through whom the promised seed of Jesus and the nation of Israel would be born.
We have two major points to make here. Both involve “the ways of God.”
Abraham’s blind obedience to Sarah’s suggestion of making a baby by her handmaid Hagar was part of God’s sovereign plan. God intended to use it as an instructional allegory story in the New Testament. How do I know this? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants. (Gal. 4:22-24a)
Also note, God unveils His “promised seed” plan to Abraham in seven visits, each time giving him a little more information about this land and people covenant. In the first three accounts, nowhere does God tell Abraham the promised seed will be from his union with Sarah. After three visits from the Lord that yielded no child, they both could have assumed there could feasibly be another way to make that baby, seeing that Sarah was barren. It was only after Ishmael was born by Sarah’s handmaid that God revealed the promised seed would be Sarah’s yet-unconceived baby. Oh! Why didn’t He make that clear sooner? Because He intended for it to work out how it did.
“I believe everything happens for a reason” is such a common philosophy these days. Even unsaved people say that. If only they knew the God who orchestrates the purpose for the way things happen.
The other lesson to draw from these two opposing children of Abraham’s is that one of God’s repeated ways is to oversee that the first-born son is the “wrong” one to accomplish God’s purpose. And this is in a culture where the first-born son is the most highly regarded. But with God, the second son turns out to be the preferred. Examples, you ask?
- Cain and Abel (Gen. 4:1-16): Cain was born first to Adam and Eve. He offered the wrong sacrifice. Abel, the second son, offered an acceptable sacrifice to God. Cain became angry and jealous and murdered Abel.
- Ishmael and Isaac (Gen. 17:18-21, Gen. 21:1-21): Isaac was the second son of Abraham. He was born to his wife Sarah, while Ishmael, the first son, was born to Hagar, Sarah’s handmaid. Isaac was the promised heir per God’s covenant promise.
- Jacob and Esau (Gen. 25:19-34, Gen. 27): Jacob was the second son of Isaac and Rebekah. She loved him more than her firstborn, so she connived to get Jacob the first-born blessing and birthright in place of first-born Esau. This led to a long-lasting conflict between the two brothers.
- Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen. 48:13-20): Ephraim was the second-born son of Joseph. Come time for Jacob to bless the sons of Joseph, he placed his hand of blessing on Ephraim rather than first-born son Manasseh. This led to the tribe of Ephraim becoming more prominent in Israel’s history.
Why is this a signature move of God? Because this is a flashing arrow pointing us to the fact that the first son of God (Adam, see Luke 3:38) was not the prominent son. He introduced us ALL to sin. The right Son of God is Jesus. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit... For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Cor. 15:45&52) God does all things after the counsel of His own will. Jesus was the second Son of God on earth, and through Him, now WE have the power to become the sons of God! (John 1:12) It's a huge deal to God.
R&J Shee
Comments