tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32640004.post7976589307174471587..comments2023-10-30T08:47:31.863-05:00Comments on The Rambling Prophet: Sending Ishmael AwayTonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13090951749017263188noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32640004.post-88659557685375735052009-03-09T16:32:00.000-05:002009-03-09T16:32:00.000-05:00You know, I did not make that connection, and maki...You know, I did not make that connection, and making that connection, the passage makes a whole lot more sense now, at least from a spiritual perspective. I still ache for Abraham, because it was his son, regardless of how he was conceived. <BR/><BR/>That is one passage that almost HAS to be preached and taught from a spiritual perspective, because form an earthly one, it sure doesn't make a lot of sense. In Gal 4 though, Paul does use it as spiritual application and says nothing about the legitimacy/illegitimacy of sending Ishmael away, just as their earthly son.<BR/><BR/>Maybe next Sunday night I'll go back and "repreach" that message. :)Tonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13090951749017263188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32640004.post-40966826389477434902009-03-09T07:47:00.000-05:002009-03-09T07:47:00.000-05:00Did you make the connection that Hagar was an Egyp...Did you make the connection that Hagar was an Egyptian, and of course, "Egypt" has come to represent the life of sin prior to becoming a Christian? I know the timing is a bit backward, but my point is that Ishmael was a result of Abraham's failure to believe God and thus falling for "sin". In one respect, Ishmael appears innocent due to being conceived by two people with no involvement of his own, but he was a connection to a time (and a continual cancer, of sorts) when Abraham failed to believe. In spite of that, he was Abraham's genuine son. <BR/><BR/>Our "sin" becomes personal to us. It really is a part of us. Abraham could never change the fact that Ishmael was his son. We cannot change the fact that we have a sin nature. Yet, we daily struggle to send Ishmael away. I doubt that Abraham could forget Ishmael. We cling to our sin because it is a part of us. <BR/><BR/>The child of the promise, the redemption through Christ, is indeed a better way. Yet, we cling to it because seeing it die is seeing a part of us die. <BR/><BR/>In one respect, we don't mind sending it away, but we don't want to see it die, do we? <BR/><BR/>Get any blank stares? :) Sounds like it were a good 'un.Bernard Shufordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12902276677689422490noreply@blogger.com