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There are many places in scripture where we are often left saying, “God, I just don’t understand. Why would you do this?”
I repeatedly hear this question in regards to Ishmael and Isaac (Genesis 16-23) and Esau and Jacob (Genesis 25-27).
It is difficult to comprehend why exactly God permits Abraham rely on his own strength in conceiving a child (Hagar) as opposed to the desires of God (Sarah), or why God allows Jacob to deceive Esau and steal the blessing that rightly belonged to him.
I propose a solution that – while not definite – may shed some light on the situation, more through connecting the dots than introducing any new information.
We read in Galatians 3: 29, “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”
We are all aware that Abraham has earthly descendants – Israel – and that he also has spiritual descendants – the church – composed of both Jew and Gentile.
Abraham’s earthly descendants are symbolized by the sands of the sea (Gen 22: 17) while his spiritual descendants are represented by all the stars in the sky.
And there is much language in the Word of God pointing us to the fact that the promises of God were open first to Jew, and then to Gentile (Matthew 10: 5-7, John 10:16, Romans 1:16, Romans 4: 13-16, Romans 9: 6-8 & 30-33, Romans 15: 8-12, 2 Cor 5: 14-15, Gal 3: 6-29).
Might it not make sense, then, to recognize the imagery present when God desires the seed of Abraham to continue through Isaac (second born) and Jacob (second born) rather than Ishmael and Esau (first born)?
Just as Isaac and Jacob did not have natural birth right, but were granted it by the providence of God, so are the Gentiles not immediately in line for the adoption by God, but are granted access because the Gospel was first offered to Jew and then to Gentile.
