A1 | 15: 18. Covenant. The seed and the land.

B1 | 16: 1-16. Hagar and Ishmael. The flesh interferes.A2 | 17: 1-8.

Covenant. The seed and the land.

B2  |  17: 9-14.  Circumcision commanded.  The flesh repudiated.A3  |

17: 15-22. Covenant. Established with Isaac.

B3  |  17: 23-27.  Circumcision performed.  The flesh repudiated.A4  |

18: 1-15. Covenant. Reaffirmed.

B4 | 18: 16-20. Sodom and Abimelech. The flesh condemned.A5 | 21:

1-8. Covenant performed. "As He had said."

B5 | 21: 9-34. "Cast out this bondwoman and her son."

The flesh repudiated.A6  |  22:  Covenant sealed "In

blessing I will bless thee".

What is here set forth in connection with the seed and Abraham is but a picture of

what has been going on ever since the creation of Adam, the history of Israel being an

epitome of the greater purpose of the ages.

If every descendant of Adam or of Abraham was one of the seed of God, Paul could

never have written Rom. 9: 8:

This line is but a part of a longer argument, and is introduced by the word `but' which

contrasts it with the preceding statements that declare that `all Israel' does not include all

who are `of Israel', but that a selection is always in mind "In Isaac shall thy seed be

called", a statement that rules out Ishmael who was as surely the son of Abraham as was

Isaac. "Children of the flesh" continues the Apostle `are not the children of God, but the

children of the promise are counted for a seed'. The two terms `promise' and `counted

for' must be examined for the light they will give on the character of the seed of God.

All the promises of God, whatever they are, and wherever they operate, are implemented

and enjoyed in Christ.

We do not need to have a very long acquaintance with the Scriptures to become aware

that Satan is the Arch-Imitator; he deceives by imposing upon the world the spiritual

equivalent of the Babylonian `brick for stone' (Gen. 11: 3), and we can be sure that if the