Yitschaq

And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age. And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. -- Genesis 21:1-10

Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham 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 freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. -- Galatians 4:21-31

God is faithful. This simple truth was brought home to Abraham again and again. Imagine the joy and wonder Abraham and Sarah experienced at the birth of their long-promised son despite their advanced age. It is no wonder that this son was named Isaac, which is derived from the Hebrew "yitschaq", and means he laughs. No matter how you look at it, the fulfillment of this promise, though long in coming, was nothing short of miraculous.

As amazing as this account is, it was not included in the scriptures merely as a historical record. In the fourth chapter of Galatians the Apostle Paul refers to the account as an allegory. An allegory is the symbolic meaning of a story. Although an allegory is not the literal meaning of a story, this does not discount the story's literal meaning in any way. In fact, allegories are frequently drawn from both factual accounts such as the one above and fictional stories such as The Three Little Pigs. The allegorical meaning may be true regardless of the authenticity of the original story.

In this case the apostle Paul alludes to two covenants, which he identifies as "mount Sinai" and "Jerusalem which is above". Of course, the reference to Sinai is meant to recall to our minds chapters 19 & 20 of Exodus where God met with the Israelites and declared His law to them. The essence of this covenant was obey the law and be blessed or break it and be cursed. Although it included the famous ten commandments, there was much more to the law disclosed in the Old Testament. Some have counted more than 600 commandments in the law from the Lord!

The second covenant is identified as "Jerusalem which is above". Instead of bondage, it offers freedom through promise. The contrasting natures and relationship between these two covenants are described further in the eighth chapter of Hebrews:

Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.... But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

Even as Isaac was to Abraham and Sarah, so Christ is the fulfillment of God's promise to humanity. Christ fulfilled the Old Covenant and became the author of the New Covenant, which brings freedom to those who put their faith in Him. Sadly, many still choose to cling to the Old Covenant in one form or another. Perhaps they are trusting in keeping the ten commandments, or good works, or church attendance, or baptism, or any other law that their hearts can devise. Others try to combine a professed faith in Christ with religious deeds in the vain hope that they are covering all their bases.

Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. -- Galatians 4:30-31