“And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son,” that is, Ishmael verse 11. When Isaac was born Ishmael was fourteen years of age and Abraham had, in accordance with natural affections, become quite attached to him. Certainly it was no easy matter for him to contemplate casting him out of his home. It is equally true that man, left to himself, is always attached to his old nature and the things resulting from his own efforts. Pride and self-acclaim have a great hold on our natural hearts and the longer one lives with his eye on his own accomplishments and his pride in them, the harder it is to separate from them. Left to himself, one would never turn from things of the old nature. Abraham had to look to God about this difficulty and was told: “Let it not be grievous in thy sight... for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.” verse 12. It is to God too that the believer must turn if the old nature makes its claim upon him, for there is no other power sufficient to break those old ties to which the enemy would have one cling so strongly. If his own insufficiency is felt in this, it is a happy certainty that “The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth.” Psalms 145:1818The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. (Psalm 145:18).
It was not until Isaac came that the true character of Ishmael was shown. And it is not until the sinner finds his attraction in Christ that he will have any sense of how opposed to God he was when living “in the flesh” of the old nature. “And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had borne unto Abraham, mocking.” verse 9. The feast that Abraham prepared at his son’s weaning spoke, in type, of the fullness of his joy in Isaac, the son of faith. It was the outflowing of a heart rejoicing in a new-found treasure. But Ishmael —a type, not of faith, but of the flesh —mocked at this display and therein revealed what was in his heart.
Sarah really had more discernment than Abraham at this time. She realized that the two sons could not abide in the same house and that no effort to overlook or change their differences and interests would be successful. Oh, that every believer might have the same discernment! It is so common to find true children of God who fail to see the important distinction between the old and the new natures and, as a result, try fruitlessly to improve or make over the old flesh. However, the Word of God says: “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other.” Galatians 5:1717For 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 5:17). There is no profit in trying to improve the old nature for it cannot be changed, any more than Ishmael could be transformed into another person.
Before any can be accepted of God he must cast that old nature aside, truly saying: “In me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing.” The moment one reaches this point and knows Christ as his personal Saviour the new life, with its new nature, is given him. The Holy Spirit comes in to encourage this new nature and keep the saved soul in the enjoyment of all that is thus opened to him.
ML 11/07/1965