The Comparison Of Sarah And Hagar

"It says that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman, the other by the free woman, his wife.  The son of the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but the son of the free woman was born in fulfillment of GOD's promise.

Here we have an allegory and the figures of two covenants.  The first is the one from Mount Sinai, represented through Hagar: her children have slavery for their lot.  We know that Hagar was from Mount Sinai in Arabia: she stands for the present city of Jerusalem which is in slavery with her children.

But the Jerusalem above, who is our mother, is free.  And Scripture says of her: Rejoice, barren woman without children, break forth in shouts of joy, you who do not know the pains of childbirth, for many shall be the children of the forsaken mother, more than of the married woman.

You, dearly beloved, are children of the promise, like Isaac.  But as at that time the child born according to the flesh persecuted Isaac, who was born according to the spirit, so is it now.  And what does Scripture say?  Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave cannot share the inheritance with the son of the free woman.

Brethren, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

CHRIST freed us to make us really free.  So, remain firm and do not submit again the yoke of slavery." - Galatians 4:22-5:1  

At the start of sacred history is Abraham's faith and the promise GOD made to him.  It should be noted that this promise was not to be inherited in the same way as family goods, which had to be distributed among all the children.  The promise will not come to Ishmael born like any other.  [Paul says: "born according to the flesh".]  Rather, what GOD promised was only destined for the son of promise, Isaac: the one who was born through a miraculous and free intervention of GOD.  Thus, from the very beginning of the Bible, we see that we do not come to faith and to GOD's inheritance because we have a right to them, but through grace.

By clinging to their religious observances, the Jews were forgetting that they were, above all, the people of the promise.  Chosen by GOD in preference to other people, their mission was to announce that there are promises of GOD for all nations.  They were wrong in thinking thus: since we are chosen by GOD, let everyone do what we do and observe our practices.  Instead, they should have shared their hopes with others; they should have taught others to believe in GOD's promise and not put their trust in particular religious practices.

Hagar, the slave woman who gave birth to Ishmael, ancestor of the Arabs, becomes the image of the people of the first covenant, people who received the Law on Mount Sinai in Arabia: they did not achieve true freedom and held the earthly Jerusalem as their capital.

While Sarah, the free woman, with her son Isaac, born according to the divine promise, represents GOD's new covenant with those who believe in HIS promises.  These are the free people, the Christians who wait for the heavenly Jerusalem.

Ishmael persecuted Isaac and Abraham sent him away.  This means: the inadequately converted Jews are disturbing the Galatians; the Church, then, has to send them away.)

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