The Sonship 

And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.  But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing.  So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.”  And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son.  But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named.  And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.” (Genesis 21: 8 to 13) 

It is always a big enjoyment to have a newborn in a family.  Abraham was no exception.  Especially, after he had waited for so long.  However, when Sarah asked him to get rid of that slave woman and her son, it distressed Abraham greatly because the boy was still his son. Until God promised to make the boy into a nation too.  So, the next day, Abraham sent them off with some food and a skin of water.  After running out of the water, Hagar and the boy almost died until God saved them from the distress. 

We may ask why Sarah was so hush to Hagar and the boy.  It's understandable why Sarah was hush to Hagar because Hagar despised her when Hagar was pregnant.  So, Sarah was returning the favor.  However, her boy was innocent.  Why did God agree with Sarah to get rid of the boy too? 

Just like what God said that only Isaac was the legitimate son who was entitled to the inheritance.  Not only that, but we also know that the boy was Ishmael.  Yet, his name didn't get mentioned even once in the whole chapter.  That's the difference between the legitimate and illegitimate.  That's why Israelites took it for granted for the inheritance because they were the legitimate offspring of Isaac.  The rest of us are just nameless illegitimate gentiles who have no portion of the inheritance.  Not even to get to stay in the same household as the reckoned ones.  Furthermore, if God honored that then nobody can change or deny it.   

Then Paul wrote in his letter as below. 

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman.  But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. (Galatians 4: 22 23) 

Paul continued to write as below. 

Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.  But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.  But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.”  So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman. (Galatians 4: 28 to 31) 

So, according to Paul, to be the sonship is not based on the flesh but the divine promise.  No matter who you are, if you were born as the result of the divine promise then you are the legitimate sonship and entitled to the inheritance. 

Now, how can we be born as the result of a divine promise?  Just like Jesus told Nicodemus in the Bible as below. 

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ (John 3: 5 to 7) 

So, we need to be born again.  Jesus continued as below. 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (John 3: 16 to 18) 

Paul also wrote in his letter as below. 

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6: 3 4) 

We all believed in Jesus Christ and submitted to him.  And we were all baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.  Therefore, we are all the legitimate sons of Abraham.  It may seem simple.  Nonetheless, if we understand what the status conversion from illegitimate to legitimate means then we will know how big a grace this is.  Emmanuel. 

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