(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)
“Therefore say, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.” “‘They will come there, and they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there. I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them. I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them. They will be my people, and I will be their God. But as for them whose heart walks after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way on their own heads,’ says the Lord Yahweh.””
(Ezekiel 11:17-21)
“Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, don’t you listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the servant, and one by the free woman. However, the son by the servant was born according to the flesh, but the son by the free woman was born through promise. These things contain an allegory, for these are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children to bondage, which is Hagar. For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to the Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in bondage with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, “Rejoice, you barren who don’t bear. Break out and shout, you who don’t travail. For the desolate women have more children than her who has a husband.” Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, are children of promise. But as then, he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. However, what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the servant and her son, for the son of the servant will not inherit with the son of the free woman.” So then, brothers, we are not children of a servant, but of the free woman.”
(Galatians 4:21-31)
God’s way is the better way. If they would repent and turn to Him, He would take care of them. But He knew most of them were going to rebel. He made a promise. He would be with the remnant. He would let them walk out the consequence of their choices. He would not abandon them. And when the time came, He would collect them from where they were and bring them back. He would give them a renewed covenant. One that was better. One what was based in their hearts. Hearts He would renew and soften. Those that leaned into the promise, held it, looked to Him, and walked with Him would enjoy it. Would receive it. Those that insisted on their own way and their own deeds would not. It was a choice that was up to them.
We have two ways to go. We can look to our deeds to save us, or to the Lord. There is nothing wrong with the Law. It shows us how we should be living. It tells us what to avoid. It stirs up our selfish nature and lets us see what we are really like deep down. It provides the opportunity to rely on God to save us. There is nothing bad about it. But there is a better way. The renewed covenant of Grace. God paying the price. God doing the thing. God’s efforts. Jesus becoming what we were always meant to and then opening the Way so that we can do the same thing when we rely on Him. This was the promise. The other way, the Law, was preparing us to walk in Him. It showed us the Way and then Jesus did the heavy lifting. Why go back a step to legalistic hope when we can have fulfilled hope in Jesus? Why look to our efforts to see where we fall short (in order to turn us to Him) when we can start by looking to Him and seeing where He will lift us up? Jesus is the better way, the fulfilled covenant, the starting point, the journey, and the destination all rolled into one.
Summary
Hagar was never denigrated in the Word. She was not a bad person and she did the best that she could. God honours that. Yes, she missed it in a few places, but that doesn’t change that she wasn’t a failure. But isn’t being free better than being a slave? Isn’t walking in Grace better than relying on whether you can do well in any given situation? Why depend on the Law to provide you with righteousness based on how well you think, speak, and act in accordance with it (something that can never be done perfectly), when we can depend on Jesus’ sacrifice for us and God’s Grace to provide us with righteousness (because in Him we are made what He is, instead of what we are)? Don’t look to your performance. Look to Jesus. Where you succeed, praise Him for His Grace, Mercy, and guidance. When you miss it, repent, get your mind aligned with His, and accept His correction. Let Him soften your heart. Let Him be your sacrifice and Lord. Listen and obey. Let Him guide you and remember that He did it all and succeeded so that you wouldn’t have to try and fail. Thank Him, follow Him, love Him, and obey Him.
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