"This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. For it is written, "REJOICE, BARREN WOMAN WHO DOES NOT BEAR; BREAK FORTH AND SHOUT, YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR; FOR MORE NUMEROUS ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE DESOLATE THAN OF THE ONE WHO HAS A HUSBAND." Gal. 4:24-27

Paul says that this story of two mothers and two sons is “allegorically speaking”, that is the story really has a deeper meaning in spiritual terms. In verse 24, he tells us that the two women represent two covenants. Hagar represents the covenant of the 10 commandments and Sarah the new covenant of the blood of Christ. One is a covenant of works and trying to meet a standard that is humanly impossible to meet and the other is a covenant of grace that is seen in the shedding of the blood of Christ so that those who believe in Him may have eternal life.

In my many trips to the Middle East, I have seen the futility of the covenant that is represented by Hagar. It is a covenant of slavery and bondage to a religion that is without hope. In the Islamic faith, the only sure means of salvation is give your life as a martyr for the faith. Young boys are taught this principle in the madras’s from an early age. The only way to secure salvation is to blow oneself up for the cause of Allah, taking the lives of as many infidels as possible. You must kill the infidel (unbelievers) for the cause of Allah. It is all a trick of the enemy to have people destroy one another under the tenets of false religion.

Those who are followers of Christ, on the other hand, have everything to live for. He has commanded His followers to have a passionate purpose in life. The purpose is to love people into the kingdom of God. Christ does not send His followers forth to “kill the infidel” but to love them, even to the point of turning the other cheek when they do us evil. God demands that we love those who despise us. He expects us to demonstrate His love to unbelievers to the point that they ask what is different about us that causes us to love them in spite of their attitude toward us.

Several years ago a friend of mine began a friendship with a man we will call Abdul. He was Muslim, an ardent follower of Mohammed. Over the years, my friend prayed for Abdul and simply loved him and respected him whenever they were together. One day shortly after 9/11 Abdul told my friend that he should be worried because it was just the start of the true faithful killing Christians around the world. My friend responded to Abdul that he was not afraid. Instead, he was glad that God had put him into a place where he could love Abdul in the name of Jesus, for that is what Christians do instead of killing unbelievers. After several days of thinking about what my friend had said to him, Abdul came to him to ask how he could love people who meant him harm. My friend then shared with Abdul that he was able to love him and all Muslims because Jesus did also. In a few weeks time, Abdul asked many questions and finally came to the point of asking my friend how he could know this love instead of the fear that was in his heart. My friend led Abdul to Christ that day, and he is today a growing, maturing follower of Christ.

Thank you Lord, that you have called your followers to a life of loving others into your kingdom. Help us to put aside fear and to replace it with bold love. Amen

Written by Steve Hardy