I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. [Genesis 21:12] That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
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HOMILIES ON GENESIS 46.4-5
Don’t object, he says, to what is said to you by her; instead, “whatever Sarah says to you, heed her.” Accept everything she now says to you about Ishmael and Hagar, and pay close attention. Don’t be ready to distress the woman who in all this period has given evidence of such great affection for you on more than one occasion so as to save you from death by surrendering herself for your welfare and proving the occasion of your wonderful prosperity. On the first occasion she caused you to leave Egypt with all that wealth, and later she was responsible for your being accorded remarkable esteem by Abimelech. So don’t allow yourself to follow a course of action contrary to what is advised by her; nor in fact will things turn out otherwise. You see, your descendants will be called after Isaac, the child born of her, and he will be your successor. “But this son of the maidservant I shall cause to become numerous; I shall make him grow into a mighty nation since he is your offspring.” So do what is said to you by her, and pay attention to her words.Consider now, I ask you, how great was the peace and harmony that all at once began to reign over their life together, God’s goodness strengthening their relationship. “He arose early next morning,” the text goes on, remember, “took bread and a bag of water, and gave them to Hagar; he then set the child on her shoulders and sent her off.” Notice once again, I ask you, the good man’s utterly correct attitude in giving evidence in every way of his godly purpose. I mean, when he heard Sarah’s words, “Send away the maidservant and her son,” it struck him as severe, since he was kindly disposed toward Ishmael. But when the Lord gave him orders, he immediately carried them out and gave no further thought to his natural affections. In other words, he said to himself, When it is he that commands, let all feelings take no further part; after all, the one who commands is the Lord of nature. “So the maidservant took the bread and the bag of water,” the text says, “and went off with her son.”
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