A Metaphor of Grace in Eliezer, Ishmael, and Isaac
Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness...
Romans 4:4-5 ESV
Forgiveness of sins and eternal life are gifts of God, granted by his grace alone. Nobody can buy or work their way into eternal life. Eliezer, Ishmael, and Isaac make a great illustration of God's plan.
Eliezer was Abraham's chief servant. He worked for Abraham his whole life, helping him build his wealth and watch out for his family. If Abraham had died without children, Eliezer would have been his heir according to the traditions of man. He was a faithful servant, but his inheritance would have been the wages of his own efforts.
Ishmael was Abraham's firstborn son according to the flesh. However, he was also the son of a slave. If Abraham had not had another son by a free wife, Ishmael would have inherited God's covenant as Abraham's firstborn, displacing Eliezer, in accordance with the laws of both man and biology.
Isaac was a child of promise, conceived through miraculous intervention. Sarah's time in Abimelech's house might cast a shadow over Isaac's right of inheritance as Abraham's biological son, but God's decree overrides anything man might do. Isaac inherited the covenant promises of Abraham because God intervened and made it happen, apart from any natural or man-made law, and Abraham believed him.
This is an image of our salvation, which is granted by divine intervention according to our belief in God's promises.
See also Genesis 15:1-5 and Genesis 17:15-21.
From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com).
This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal.
Follow me on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@AmericanTorah
Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://www.thetorahnetwork.com/jaycarper
Follow me on Twitter: https://jaycarper.com/twitter
Add me as a contact on MeWe at https://jaycarper.com/mewe
Follow me on Gab at https://gab.com/carper
Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/americantorah/
-
1:45:38
American Torah
1 month ago $0.02 earnedLeaving Egypt with Dr. Dinah Dye
61 -
LIVE
SquallRush
3 hours agoBrawlhalla then Monster Hunter
468 watching -
2:25:39
JTT Show
6 hours agoI Accidentally Got In Bed With My Father-In-Law
1.33K1 -
3:08:57
Spittin' Chiclets
7 hours agoBoston vs. Toronto Game 7 Livestream
13.8K4 -
LIVE
Akademiks
8 hours agoKendrick Lamar spins the Block on Drake AGAIN!! Disses him again and even BIG AK gets a bar!
9,288 watching -
1:24:41
LFA TV
17 hours agoLAST CALL WITH MIKE CRISPI | FT. JEREMY HERRELL & SHAWN FARASH | 5.4.24 8PM
35.6K28 -
1:49:51
Darkhorse Podcast
23 hours agoNever Alone: The 223rd Evolutionary Lens with Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying
57.6K56 -
2:22:22
Jewels Jones Live
1 day agoWEAPONIZATION | A Political Rendezvous - Ep. 75 - 5/4/2024
64.3K41 -
1:35:13
Roseanne Barr
1 day ago $12.26 earnedGuns And Chardonnay | The Roseanne Barr Podcast #46
151K323 -
1:11:58
Steven Crowder
2 days agoPALESTINE COMMIES: Mug Club Undercover First to Infiltrate Marxist Protesters at George Washington
592K1.76K