Hagar and Sarai: The Allegory Contained Within

For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one by the free woman.  

Howbeit the son of the handmaid is born after the flesh; but the son of the free woman is born through promise. 

Which things contain an allegory; for these women are two covenants; one from Mount Sinai, bearing children unto bondage, which is Hagar. 

Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem that now is; for she is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem that is above is free, which is our mother.

Galatians 4:22-26

 

"Abraham made a great mistake and attempted to fulfil God's

promise. A son had been promised him,--a true free-born son who could be his heir. 

It had been expressly stated that a servant could not be his heir. Gen. 15:2-4. 

Nevertheless, he harkened to the voice of Sarai, instead of to
the Lord, and took Hagar, Sarai's Egyptian bondmaid, by whom he had Ishmael. But since Hagar was a bondservant, a slave, Ishmael could be nothing else. 

So Abraham had gained nothing. 

 

Afterwards Isaac, the child of promise, was horn. 

He was free, and could inherit all that Abraham had. 

The history is so plain that no one can misunderstand it.  

 

These two women, Hagar and Sarah, represent two covenants, known respectively as the first and the second, the old and the new.

 One originates at Mount Sinai, 

the other in the New Jerusalem above. 

---In the first one the people promise to keep the law; 

---in the second one God promised to write the law in their hearts by His Spirit.
---The first one can give nothing but bondage, condemnation, and death. 

---The other gives pardon, justification, and life. 

 “for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”
Heb. 11:10. 

 

Here we may come and be adopted as free-born citizens. “For ye are
not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto

blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more (for they could not endure that which was commanded, and if so
much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart; and so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake). 

---But ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and
church of the first-born, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.” Heb. 12:18-24."

Sabbath School Lesson 1900