"He shall be a wild man; his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.”- Genesis 16:12
Many see this as a prophesy of the wild Muslim Arabs living in Middle East, which is constrasted with God's faithfulness to the Jews though they persist is disbelief. But the story here is not about the boys themselves, but about two births representing two types of faith in the world- one leading to destruction (Jerusalem which now is) and the other to life (Jerusalem above).
The "wild man" is "in the presence of his brethren", trying to win adherents to his religion. Judaizers were in the church talking about being "sons of Abraham" but the thunderbolt in the next verse is that ‘Abraham had two sons. Which kind were the Judaizers?’” (Burton Coffman) And what kind of converts were they making? This is not about faults in Muslim religion only. That religion is relatively new. Muhammad was born around 570 AD in Mecca, now in Saudi Arabia. It is about deficiencies in the root religion of Judaism- nominal Judaism, in name only.
Galatians 4: 21-24a Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, which things are symbolic.
“‘Tell me, you who desire to be under the [yoke of the] law’ - Ye who desire to incorporate the Mosaic institutions with Christianity, and thus bring yourselves into bondage to circumcision, and a great variety of oppressive rites. ‘Do you not hear the law?’- Do ye not understand what is written in the Pentateuch relative to Abraham and his children. It is evident that the word law is used in two senses in this verse. It first means the Mosaic institutions; secondly, the Pentateuch, where the history is recorded to which the apostle refers.” (Adam Clarke)
"'For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, ' "Ishmael was born by a self-willed action of Abraham, but Isaac he received by God’s promise." (Collins) —which things are an allegory.’ (4:24, KJV) This story represents real history but it “may be interpreted allegorically“ (ESV); or symbolically (NKJV); or figuratively (NIV 2011). The cases are “illustrations” (HCSB) of two types of faith. “They are to be understood spiritually; more being intended in the account than meets the eye.” (Adam Clarke)
"When Abram reminded the LORD of both the seed promise and his lack of children, God re-affirmed the seed promise and further specified that Abram himself would have a son, and Abram believed God [and He accounted it to him for righteousness]. (Gen. 15:-2-6)
BUT GENESIS 16 OPENS: 'Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children.' If Abram is to have children, it is his wife who would bear them. And yet Yahweh, the giver of the promise, had 'prevented' (16:1) Sarai from having children.” ("Galatians 4:21-31: An Allegory?" by Brian Collins)
So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai.(16:2-3)— “just as Adam ‘listened to the voice of [his] wife’ (3:17).“("Galatians 4:21-31: An Allegory?" by Brian Collins) In Israel, hope was built on having sons to establish the family forever… yet according to the traditions of men, “a dotal maid was often given with the bride, that in case of failure of issue, the maid might bear children for her mistress.” (Joseph Sutcliffe)
Their faith was faulty. “Not indeed with regard to the substance of the promise, but with regard to the method in which they proceeded; since they hastened to acquire the offspring which was to be expected from God, without observing the legitimate ordinance of God.” (John Calvin)
But in the fulness of time, the son of promise was also born to Sarah. "Genesis 21 records the birth of Abraham’s second son. In this passage Moses specifically says that Isaac was born 'as He had promised' (21:1, NASB). He reinforces the fulfillment of the promise by noting that the birth took place 'as He had said' (21:1, NASB) and 'at the time of which God had spoken to him' (21:2). Moses also emphasizes the LORD’s involvement in the birth of Isaac by specifying that the LORD 'visited' Sarah, a term that indicates God’s special involvement. Abraham’s personal righteousness had nothing to do with the fulfillment of the promise, for he had failed once again in the previous chapter. His old age (noted in 21:1, 5, 7) also indicates that God fulfilled his promise. It is on the basis of this passage that Paul says, 'The son of the free woman was born through the promise' (Gal. 4:23)." ("Galatians 4:21-31: An Allegory?" by Brian Collins)
Thus, the story of the birth of Ishmael is not akin spiritually to the Muslim Arabs of our day, but to the Jews of Paul's day... and, in a sense, to many folks in the church who have a form of righteousness but lack the power thereof (2 Tim :5). "Paul saw in this story an illustration of the conflict between Judaism and Christianity, nomism and spirituality." (Dr. Thomas B. Constable)
Gal 4:24b-26 For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.
The circumstances of the births were first mentioned but now the mothers of those within the church body. "The comparison is now formally introduced. As in the house of Abraham there were two mothers, so are there also in the Church of God. Doctrine is the mother of whom we are born, and is twofold, Legal and Evangelical. The legal mother, whom Hagar resembles, gendereth to bondage. Sarah again, represents the second, which gendereth to freedom; though Paul begins higher, and makes our first mother Sinai, and our second, Jerusalem. The two covenants, then, are the mothers, of whom children unlike one another are born; for the legal covenant makes slaves, and the evangelical covenant makes freemen.” (John Calvin)
"Jerusalem is now treated allegory; "for it was a maxim among the rabbins, that 'whatsoever was in the earth, the same was also found in heaven for there is no matter, howsoever small, in this world, that has not something similar to it in the spiritual world.'.... and especially whatever concerns Jerusalem, the law, and its ordinances." (Adam Clarke) "No one can believe that Paul meant to say that Hagar was literally Mount Sinai. A great deal of perplexity has been felt in regard to this passage...Several manuscripts and versions read it, 'For this Sinai is a mountain in Arabia;' others, 'to this Hagar Jerusalem answereth.' etc" (Albert Barnes) "Although Sinai is in Arabia, Hagar is nonetheless to be identified with the present Jerusalem." (Ridderbos)
"This testimony [of Abraham's union with Hagar] reminds him of Jerusalem which now is in miserable bondage." (Bishop Alexander) "Hagar, the bond maid, bringing forth children in a state of slavery, answereth to Jerusalem that now is, συστοιχει, points out, or, bears a similitude to, Jerusalem in her present state of subjection; which, with her children-her citizens, is not only in bondage to the Romans, but in a worse bondage to the law, to its oppressive ordinances, and to the heavy curse which it has pronounced against all those who do not keep them." (Adam Clarke)
"Thus the Law is the standard by which man's work is measured, [but he can do nothing without the Spirit], and if depending on his own work, the result is bondage." (L. M. Grant) and ultimately eternal death. "But then, high above all, the apostle’s spirit rises to another Jerusalem, where the fetters fall from the soul of every slave that sets foot upon that soil. ‘Jerusalem which is above is free.’” (Bp. Alexander)— ‘which is the mother of us all.’ All the churches in Asia, which consisted of Jews and Gentiles were of the Jerusalem above, the mother of all true Christians. “Why ‘Jerusalem above’? (a) Her Supreme Head is above. (b) The Head of the Church not only rules the Church from above, but represents her above. (c) Again, the laws of the Church are from above; her laws of righteousness and her dogmas of faith. (d) Her inheritance is above. Her dower is not earthly honour, earthly riches, earthly endowments and establishments.” (Rev. A. Nicholson)
"Freedom must depend on the work of God. ‘If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed’ (John 8:36). So, for the child of promise, Abraham must depend entirely on God.
Isaac is this child of promise, born to Sarah when she was 90 years old, and Abraham 100, when their bodies were virtually ‘already dead’ (Rom 4:19), and any natural hope of childbearing long gone. But it was God who intervened in sovereign grace to fulfill His own word." (L. M. Grant)
Galatians 4:27-28 For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren, you who do not bear! Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children than she who has a husband.” (Isaiah 54:1) Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.
"Paul shows that in this allegory he has followed the steps of Isaiah, who foretold that the Church should be made and consist of the children of barren Sara, that is to say, of those who should be made Abraham's children by faith, and this only spiritually, rather than of fruitful Hagar, even then foretelling the casting off of the Jews, and the calling of the Gentiles.” (Geneva Study Bible)
Galatians 4:29-31 But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.
But as Ishmael- "'who was born after the flesh'—whose birth had nothing supernatural in it, but was according to the ordinary course of nature, ‘persecuted him’— Isaac, ‘who was born after the Spirt’— who had a supernatural birth, according to the promise,... The persecution here referred to is that mentioned Genesis 21:9. It consisted in mocking his brother...” (Adam Clarke)— which included, “challenging the birthright and deriding the covenant, etc.
Moses’s word, מצזחק, Genesis 21:9, holds forth, that Ishmael did not only himself mock Isaac, but made others also to mock him, exposing him to their jeers.” (John Trapp)
“‘Even so it is now [in Paul's day] he that was born after the flesh'—by the common course of nature— 'persecuted him [born] after the Spirit'— by the virtue of God's promise and after a spiritual manner.” (Geneva Study Bible) "The Jews, in every place, persecute the Christians; and show thereby that they are rather of the posterity of Hagar than of Sarah.” (Adam Clarke)
But there is also a sect of wild man within the camp or New Testament church This wild man is against every man and they against him. (Gen 16:12) He confessions the church creeds. And he holds to orthodoxy but without strong convictions. He has never really wrestled with the principles of the faith and become spiritual Israel, as Martin Luther did. He mocks those who have, especially if they become convicted of a biblical truth contrary to church tradition.
"Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? [In actuality, Sarah spoke this truth of God.] 'Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.' (Gen 21:10"The principal design of the apostle seems to be, by that type of the ejection of Ishmael out of Abraham’s family, to let them know the mind and will of God,... concerning the rejection of the Jews, upon the calling of the Gentiles.” (Matthew Poole) The Jews "had pleaded the prophecies as all the rabbins still do, that the gentiles were to be proselyted to judaism [but now a reversal]. These arguments the apostle here rebuts by affirming, that the spiritual Jerusalem is the mother of us all. Her sons are heirs, not of Jerusalem about to be destroyed..." (Joseph Sutcliffe)—“because they believe not in the promised Seed.” (Adam Clarke)
“So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free,’ typified in Sarah; from whence the scope of the apostle is to conclude, that we are not under the law, obliged to Judaical observances, but are freed from them, and are justified by faith in Christ alone, not by the works of the law.” (Matthew Poole) “Thus the apostle, from their own Scripture, explained by their own allegory, proves that it is only by Jesus Christ that they can have redemption.” (Adam Clarke)
I have another application of the allegory. The Zionist movement was human effort, likened to the birth of Ishmael. Jesus said, "If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” (John 18:36)
Yes, Israel occupies the land. It was quite an accomplishment of man. But that was not intended by God again, in my mind, until the consummation of all things when the remnant of each generation will be saved. They will be resurrected from the four corners of the earth. First, Israel had been carried into captivity and released. And later faithful Judah, even little Benjamin, went into captivity for a season for failure to allow the land to rest, according to Torah, but at the time of Paul, probation was ended. It was after the sixty-two prophetic weeks and Messiah had been cut off, but not for Himself, and the holy city and the sanctuary were soon to be destroyed by the Romans. See Daniel 9:16-27. It is now time for the Kingdom not made with hands. The promises to Abraham pertain to spiritual seed— stars, not sand— being gathered to New Jerusalem.
Our battle is spiritual. And there needs to be an evangelical shift. In my conviction, I am not for abandoning Israel in the midst of the man-made situation. But I am against giving that humanitarian situation any more weight based on a position that God favors the Israelites over Arabs in Palestine. That battle is a ruse that diverts our focus from personal salvation.
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