“Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which genders to bondage, which is Hagar” (Gal. 4:21-24).
Thus the two covenants were in the family of Abraham. For “these women are two covenants.” Verse 24, R.V.
But how did the two covenants get into the family of Abraham, and one of these even the covenant from Mount Sinai? “For these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which genders to bondage, which is Hagar.”
Since Hagar is one of the two covenants, —the one from Sinai, and the one that genders to bondage, —the story of Hagar in the family of Abraham is the story of the covenant from Sinai.
But God had made a covenant with Abraham himself, before ever Hagar was heard of. And this covenant was confirmed in Christ, before ever any mention was made of Hagar.
This covenant was the covenant of God’s promise to Abraham and to his seed—not “seeds, as of many: but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.” This was the covenant of God’s righteousness, —the righteousness of God which is by faith, —for when God had made promise to Abraham, Abraham “believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness” (Gen. 15:6).
This promise was to Abraham, that in him should all families of the earth be blessed, —that to his seed would he give the land of promise, which is the world to come; and that his seed should be as the stars of heaven.
This Seed, to whom the promise was made, being Christ, this covenant was made in Christ; and, when Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness, this covenant was confirmed in Christ. This is, therefore, the everlasting covenant, which answers to Jerusalem, which is above; for, in that covenant, because of that promise, Abraham “looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb. 11:10).
All this came to Abraham when as yet he had no child; and the promise was to be accomplished in his seed. Several years had passed after the first mention by the Lord of Abraham’s seed when as yet he had no child. Abraham was already old when the thought of his seed was first suggested, and was growing older without seeing any seed. Accordingly, he said: -
“Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, to me thee hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. “And behold, the word of the Lord came unto him saying, This shall not be thine heir, but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness. And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it” (Gen. 15:2-7).