Inheritance

By Venessa Holtzhausen

Gen 21:10 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.

Ishmael was a legitimate son, but he was not automatically guaranteed the birth right. At this time, the Hammurabi and earlier Lipit-Ishtar laws provided inheritance rights to legitimate sons, in this case Ishmael. Yet as part of the LipitIshtar code, a father could expel a slave girl and her son which could have annulled Ishmael’s inheritance. Based on these laws and the gross disrespect and spite Hagar showed, Sarah demands that she and her son be thrown out, thus reserving the inheritance for Isaac.

Gal 4:29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
Gal 4:30 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.
Gal 4:31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

The Complete Jewish Study Bible renders Gal 4:29 as: ‘but just as then the one born according to limited human capability persecuted the one born through the Spirit’s supernatural power, so it is now.’

One was rejected according to the flesh, the other accepted because born according to the desires of the Spirit, God. Those in the world are living according to the flesh, but we are called and live by the Spirit, through Who we call: ‘Abba Father’ We are not children of the world, but of the Spirit.

Amen!