Onitsha, Nigeria

Introduction

One thing that is highly inevitable in a family is the frequent conflicts that exist among members of the family. Such conflicts in most cases go a long way to be resolved and some may even prove complex to achieve genuine reconciliation. There are glaring evidences of such conflicts generated by hatred, jealousy to mention but a few among biblical families. Throughout bible history, the most distressing and unhappiest state of opposition takes place among family members. Perhaps, the best known is that of Cain and Abel. See Genesis 4:1-6 for more details.

The brothers and sisters of Moses fell out with him after his marriage with the “wrong” woman” as they felt (Numbers 12). David also had a family rift after the adultery with Bethsheba while the case in the house of Jacob is another incident of how difficult it is to achieve genuine reconciliation after such conflicts. This was as a result of their (Joseph’s brothers) selling him (Gen. 37; 45; 50:15-21). The ministry of Jesus Christ also had friction in his family (Mark 3:21, John 7:5).

However, of all these conflicts, the one that is very heart-rending is that in the house of Abraham when he had another child in Isaac at the age of 100. The arrival of Isaac opened the door for a new complication. The complication was a direct struggle for possession between the two wives of Abraham namely Sarah and Hagar her Egyptian maidservant. Though this rift ended when the latter was forced out of the house of Abraham, it was however re-echoed by apostle Paul as relevant in his day some 2000 years after. Paul throughout the book of Galatians Chapter 4 used a rabbinic-like allegory to present the literal conflict as relevant during his days in Jerusalem. This article will therefore know no boundary in unveiling the mystery that is hidden behind the rift in the literal house of Abraham and how it translated globally or spiritually.

The Literal Rift

Abraham was a very wealthy man even before he left Babylon under the special order and guidance from God at the age of 75. However, he was hunted by one of the major problems some family face today – the sterility of his wife Sarah. He was however optimistic that God will bless him with a child one day. But in the midst of all these hope and uncertainty, coupled with her sterility, Sarah may have concluded that the promise of a child may not come through her. Hence, she immediately put in place an initiative to solve the problem. Thus, she presented her maidservant Hagar to Abraham as his second wife (Gen. 16:3). Hagar later gave birth to a son – Ishmael.

Although Sarah’s action can be described as “generous” little did she know it was soon to introduce serious tension in Abraham's house – tension that neither Sarah nor Hagar was able to handle very well. This tension was as a result of Sarah’s surprise birth at the age of 90 – a biological impossibility. The birth introduced a new complication that boarders on Inheritance. It was a struggle that continued until the weaning time of Isaac when Sarah saw an opportunity to force the issue.

The Weaning Time

The weaning of a child according to Hebrew culture marks the official transition from breast milk to traditional meal of the family. It is a very high huddle to overcome. One account has it that infant mortality rate in antiquity meant that most children did not survive to their third birthday. Perhaps, by the account, weaning of a child takes place around their third birthday. Hence, Isaac did, which is also a sign that the child would live to maturity. This may have strengthened Sarah’s stand to press further for the expulsion of Hagar and her son having scaled through the fear of weaning of her son – Isaac. A request that was granted with regret by Abraham and Hagar and her son were both expelled from the house of Abraham.

Global Abrahamism

Many people may have forgotten the incident and for those who still remembered, it was for the purpose of reference in teaching the people the doctrines of the bible. However, and according to Paul’s message in Galatians Chapter 4, it was a spiritual or global déjà vu. Paul in his analysis categorically laid emphasis of the relevance of the conflict in Jerusalem between the existing religious groups and the message of Christ. In opening the mind towards a global or spiritual conflict, he used a rabbinic-like allegory to emphasize that physical descent from Abraham is not decisive. In justifying his claim, he further explained that though the two boys (Isaac and Ishmael) were descendants of Abraham yet Isaac was chosen because he was a child of promise, born according to the spirit.

Hence, global Abrahamism or the spiritual family of Abraham now constitutes the congregation of believers (Galatians 3:7). Jesus Christ came that men shall be fellow members and fellow heirs of the house of Abraham – indeed children of Abraham by faith. It is this latter idea of expanded family that concretely laid the foundation for the concept of global Abrahamism. Thus, 100 scores later, and in Jerusalem, the conflict had taken a global dimension. See my article: the three great pillars on the site www.kwenu.com for more details on the 100 scores.

The Two Covenants

In identifying the groups, it will be fundamentally important to decipher the global concept of the two wives. Paul in verse 24 allegorically identified the two wives of Abraham as the two major covenants. The covenant of law and grace. By and large, the issue of law and grace as a basis for inheritance remained the major issue of controversy throughout biblical history and even in the various religious beliefs and ideas presently. However, we will be privileged at the end of this paper to fully understand as well as fully differentiate between the two as a basis for inheritance.

The Two Groups

The emergence of Christ some 2000 years ago of dated history introduced or better still re-introduced the message of the supremacy of grace over law as a basis for inheritance. Particularly, the ministry of grace was powerfully demonstrated by Christ and for those three years, there was nobody among his disciples or followers who was held responsible for one sin or the other.

Indeed grace and truth came from Jesus Christ according to John’s Gospel Chapter 1. Or should we rather say, that the three years period is too short for human beings to fully reflect their sinful nature? Absolutely not! For in those years, there were cases of misconduct by the apostles such as betrayal of Christ, lies and fearlessness. Remember the book of Revelation Chapter 21 says that the fearful shall have their part in hell.

In the reference, the bible noted that the two wives of Abraham were allegories that represent the freewoman and the bondwoman. Sarah the freewoman epitomizes the liberty which believers or the called out ones enjoy under the ministry of grace while the bondwoman Hagar, clearly depicts a condition of bondage or liability to a contractual defined commitment: a situation that is clearly reflected by the religious life of the Pharisees and Jews who are zealous of the law: a condition that has also extended to Christendom. It is therefore these two groups that have been in conflict since the time of Christ. According to the literal pattern, the two boys coexisted until the weaning time when Ishmael was cast out. It will therefore be interesting to understand how these two groups coexisted until the weaning time.

The Coexistence

The problem of the coexistence is easily resolved by quietly taking ones mind back to the pattern of Abraham’s family in the literal case. Hence, the literal Abrahamic family draws the pattern outline of the global family, which is the church (the called out ones). In the literal family, there were two women: Sarah and Hagar. They all lived together with Abraham, each of them struggling and sharing attention from Abraham the big-man. Thus, the two coexisted until the weaning of Isaac.

Therefore the apostles in their ministry merely fulfilled a pattern of ministry that was established long ago in Abraham. The careful examination of this pattern clearly confirms the validity (although not necessarily the absolute perfection) of the apostolic ministry (vs. 22-31). Hence, the apostles managed two streams of ministries as Abraham polygamously managed Sarah and Hagar until the time appointed and that is why, the apostles were combining the ministry of grace with the ministry of works of the flesh.

This is then the whole matter. For as in the literal family of Abraham, the church had to accommodate the two streams of religious doctrines: the book of Acts 21:20-21 notes some believers who believed and were zealous of the law and in Acts is demonstrated an evidence of clash between these two streams of belief in Jerusalem. This, the children of grace (freewoman) coexisted with the children of bondage (works) and as Abraham the husband, shared attention between Sarah and Hagar, so also the apostles spent some time attending to the message of works through the epistles and at other times, they attended to the message of grace as in most part of the book of Romans. However, there is a time limit for the coexistence, a time indeed the weaning time when the children of grace shall be separated even as the wheat is separated from the tares.

The Global Weaning Time

The weaning time is a rite de passage at a stage in human development. In particular, it marks a break with breast milk – the elementary doctrine of the word – and at the same it also marks an introduction to more traditional meal of the family. It is this weaning stage that marked the end of the coexistence of the two women (law and grace). See Gen. 21:8-14 for more details. Abraham did not like the idea of casting the bondwoman away with her son but God encouraged him to go ahead and listen to his wife Sarah.

Thus, when the ministry of Joshua was raised in 1986 for the same purpose as stated in the book of Hebrew Chapter 4:8, it was weaning time – a time to introduce the children of Abraham to the more mature food of the word, which you happen to be reading this moment. As such, the anointing commenced with a ministry of separation – separating the children of grace from the children of works of the flesh as a basis for Inheritance. This is why today Joshua members must and indeed are separate from the rest of Christendom just as Isaac was separate from Hagar and her child. The mystery surrounding 1986 and the raising up of Joshua will be fully discussed in a separate article.

Conclusion

This is therefore the whole truth of the rift in the house of Abraham. This rift as we have seen actually occurred in the literal house of Abraham as recorded in Genesis quoted above. The same rift was however translated into a global setting in Jerusalem and continued until 1986 when the ministry of grace (Joshua) was raised to put to a permanent end, the conflict between law and grace as a basis for inheritance.

The conflict of law and grace as a basis for inheritance has been the major issue of dispute throughout bible history. As we have clearly seen, Isaac was chosen by grace as against Ishmael. The case of Jacob and Esau, which we shall study in a separate article, is another powerful demonstration of the supremacy of grace over law from the foundation of the earth. These two covenants were very glaring during the time of the apostles and had continued till date. However, we have seen in this article the purpose for the conflict and how God intended to finally put an end to it, which was eventually done in 1986.

It is therefore for this purpose of inheriting the Promised Land by grace that Joshua was raised. Today, we have a family as ordained by the lord through a special visitation in 1986. There is therefore only but one covenant ordained from the foundation of the earth that will be instrumental in inheriting the land and that is the covenant of grace that has today been completely separated from works so that mankind irrespective of race, colour and nationality can become children of Abraham by faith through Christ.

He, who has understanding, let him decipher the spirit of his day.