The unwise decision which induced Abram to have a son through Hagar, the Egyptian bond-maid, was certain to produce difficulties, and they became evident even before the child was born. “When she (Hagar) saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.” verse 4. We can more fully understand the typical meaning and lessons in the relationship between Sarai, Hagar and Abram, by turning to Galatians 4, where we read: “For it is written, that Abram 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 free-woman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants.” 10:22-24. In this we see that when Abram followed his wife’s bad advice they were both guilty of acting according to the flesh and not according to faith.
The heir of Abram, according to God’s promise, could never come through any outside channel. To be a child of Abram’s through a bondmaid (speaking of the law) was entirely foreign to God’s purposes. He must come in accordance with God’s plan, that is, through Sarai, the free-woman. Now these two types opposed each other—they had nothing in common—just as Sarai and Hagar inevitably had conflict between themselves. Hagar despised Sarai—just as those who place themselves under the law really despise the faith that acts on free grace. It may not be an outward discarding of faith, but it is actually so, nonetheless, when one puts himself under the yoke of the law for he says, in effect, “I have no use for God’s way of simple faith in His Son. I will just come my own way.”
As the law despises grace, it is equally true that grace cannot be in harmony with the legality and bondage of the law. Faith in Christ and bondage to the law are completely foreign to one another. It is this principle that is before us in our present chapter. The question is: Whose son shall the heir be? The son of a bondwoman (the law) or the freewoman (faith and liberty)? The promises given Abram as to a son and heir are a type of God’s purposes toward His true church, of which it is said: “Ye are not under the law, but under grace.” Romans 6:1414For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14). It is not surprising, therefore, to find that these two women, so contrary to each other in character and position, and particularly in what they represented before God, must separate.
“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.” verse 6. Sarai, being mistress of her own home, and with Abram’s approval, oppresses her maid. We are sorry to see that while Sarai is a type of grace, she is not gracious in this matter and so falls short of the wonderful place God had given her. But, acting in envy, she made life miserable for Hagar until her handmaid fled from her presence.
Sarai acted in the flesh in this matter and although she is able to show her authority and force matters with her maid, she is really displaying her inner confusion in reaping what she had sown. Sarai had many lessons to learn before she truly submitted to God’s ways for her and before it could be said of her: “She judged Him faithful who had promised.” Hebrews 11:1111Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. (Hebrews 11:11).
ML 07/04/1965