Galatians 4:29
29 But [alla] as [hosper] then [tote] he that was
born [gennao] after [kata] the flesh [sarx] persecuted
[dioko] him that was born after [kata] the Spirit [pneuma], even [kai] so [houto] it is now [nun]. KJV-Interlinear
29 But as at that time he who was
born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the
Spirit, so it is now also. NASB
Within the total scope of Gods plan are included
two approaches to history.
First there is the history of which God intends and
prefers, which is for the better for all people.
And second, there is included within that same
timeline, all of mans and angels plans, even those that run contrary to Gods
divine plan.
Despite the objections and contra plans of man and
angel, namely Satan, all things work together for good, which is to say that
God brings all things to the inevitable conclusion that God intends.
And try as they may, neither man nor angel can
change or alter or compromise or affect anything permanent in Gods original plan.
Jesus Christ is God, and Jesus Christ controls
history despite every possible attempt to alter that history.
Hagars son, Ishmael, was born after the flesh,
which is a reference to mans plan in contradiction to Gods plan.
Isaac, was born in accordance with Gods plan, or
according to the spirit.
Needless to say both children were born in the same
manner as all children are born, but the intent here has to do with the
intended purposes of the parties concerned.
God promised a son to Abraham and Abraham went to a
slave girl to get that son. Gods promise
was intended to come through Abraham’s legitimate wife, Sarah. Thus the flesh is a reference to Abrahams
plan, and the spirit is a reference to Gods plan.
As is the nature of all things that are not of Gods
authorship, namely the plans of man, then anything of man or of the world or of
Satan, are all collectively in opposition to God and Gods plan. Ishmael’s mocking behavior toward Isaac, is
an example of this attitude of the worldly versus God, Gen. 21:9.
We all live within an environment that is far
greater than any of us can measure with our physical methods. The physical world goes only so far and then
the spiritual realm extends much further beyond that.
All things in this physical world are a part of
Satan’s cosmos, which is run by his policies of evil. His intent is to destroy God or at the very
least, to get God to stumble even once, and as such, all things run contrary to
any and every aspect of Gods plan.
This example was true back in Abraham’s day, it was
true in Pauls day, and it is true today.
I almost every aspect of life, there is a direct or
indirect opposition of some kind, against truth.
Your only defense, against that and those attacks
and distortions, is truth, which you gain only through your daily study of
doctrine.
Your only access to Gods blessings, is through His truth,
and never through anything of your own invention.
