The allegory is made, in Galatians 4, between Abraham’s two oldest sons: Isaac and Ishmael. Ishmael, the child of the flesh; Isaac, the child of the Spirit. Ishmael was born through fleshly effort and Isaac was born by trusting in the promise of God though it seemed impossible to be birthed from an elderly woman. Earlier in chapter 4, it was made clear that we Christians are heirs with Christ, and we cry Abba Father to our heavenly Father because Christ’s Spirit is in us. We are the children of the free like Isaac because of our faith in the Father through Christ, and we are instructed to cast out the bondwoman and her son (legalists keeping rules instead of accepting God’s grace) because they are not heirs with the free and will persecute those born of the Spirit. Galatians 4.© Copyright 1990