Two Better Than One

1- The covenant of law
2- The covenant of faith

I. THE COVENANT OF LAW

24These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 25Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. 27For it is written:
"Be glad, O barren woman,
who bears no children;
break forth and cry aloud,
you who have no labor pains;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband."

Genesis 21:1-13

In this text, we see a comparison that Paul is talking about. Hagar is the slave woman. Her son Ishmael was born according to the flesh, the way any normal child would be conceived and born.

But Sarah represents the freewoman whose child was conceived miraculously when she was 90 and Abraham was 100 years old. WHAT A MIRACLE!

Here's a brief outline of what happened in Abraham's life.
- At age 75 - Abraham was called by God and promises him many descendents.
- At age 85 - The promised son had not yet arrived and Sarah became impatient. She suggested that Abraham marry Hagar and have a son by her.
- At age 86 - Hagar got pregnant and Sarah got jealous! Things were so difficult in the home that Sarah threw Hagar out of the home but the Lord intervened and sent Hagar back and promises to take care of her and her son. When Abraham is 86 the son is born to Hagar and calls him Ishmael.
- At age 99 - God spoke to Abraham and promises again he would have a son by Sarah and said to call his name Isaac.
- At age 100 - The son is born to Sarah and he is named Isaac as commanded by God. But the arrival of Isaac creates a problem in the home. Ishmael has a rival. For 14 years, Ishmael has been his father's only son and very dear to his heart. Now there's a new kid on the block! Well, a new son in the home.
- At age 103 - It was customary at the age of 3 to wean their children. At the feast, Ishmael mocks Isaac and to create trouble in the home.

GUESS WHAT? There is only one solution. Hagar and her son Ishmael must go! There will always be problems when you have more than one woman in the picture!

ILL.- Remember the recent problem of Governor of SC, Mark Sanford? From June 18 until June 24, 2009, the whereabouts of Governor Sanford were unknown to the public.

This included his wife and the State Law Enforcement Division, which provides security for him, garnering nationwide news coverage.

Well, we all found out where Gov. Sanford was! He was in Buenos Aires with his so-called "soul mate" named María Belén Chapur, a 43-year-old divorced mother of two.

And the latest is this: Jenny Sanford and her sons moved out of the governor's mansion in Columbia and is now divorcing him.

The moral of the story is that most of the time, if not all of the time, two women vying or competing for the affection of one man won't work! And it didn't work with Sarah and Hagar either. But God had a plan! He always a plan and it's a good one!

On the surface, this appears to be nothing but a family problem but there is a great lesson here and it's a spiritual lesson. Abraham, the two wives and the two sons