Theological term
Allegory
3 sermons · All terms
Genesis 21:1-34
Genesis 21 records three interlocking events — the birth of Isaac, the expulsion of Ishmael, and Abraham's covenant with Abimelech — all of which demonstrate the faithfulness of God to his dual promise of seed and land made to Abraham at the call from Ur. The birth of Isaac after 25 years vindicates the persevering faith of Abraham and the sovereign elective purpose of God, who chose Isaac over Ishmael not on grounds of merit but according to his own prerogative. The expulsion of Ishmael, though painful to Abraham, is endorsed by God as consistent with his covenant plan, a pattern the Apostle Paul reads allegorically in Galatians 4 to expose the error of the Judaizers. The covenant at Beersheba, often read as a mere appendix, is in fact a down payment on the land promise, so that by the chapter's end Abraham holds both seed and a legally acknowledged foothold in Canaan, prompting his worship of El Olam — the everlasting God.
Bond or Free
Galatians 4:21–31 presents the contrast between Hagar and Sarah as Paul's climactic illustration of the two mutually exclusive ways of standing before God: righteousness by law-keeping and righteousness by faith. Working through the passage under three headings — the illustration described, explained, and applied — the sermon argues that the Judaizers' demand for circumcision and law-observance is a return to the bondage of Mount Sinai, while all who believe in Christ belong to the Jerusalem above, the free woman, born of promise through the Spirit. Listeners are warned against the perpetual temptation to add anything to justification by faith alone, and are called to stand fast in the liberty Christ has secured for his people.
2 Kings 6:24–7:20
The siege and deliverance of Samaria in 2 Kings 6:24–7:20 exposes both the devastating covenantal consequences of Israel's idolatry and the sovereign mercy of Yahweh who refuses to abandon His people. The cannibalism, famine, and political helplessness that afflict Samaria are not arbitrary calamities but the precise covenant curses of Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, visited upon a nation that had abandoned Yahweh for the gods of Canaan. God's deliverance comes not through royal power or military might but through four leprous outcasts, an unnamed servant, and a supernatural terror sent upon the Syrian army — instruments so unlikely that only God can receive the glory. The passage presses its hearers to trust the prophetic Word of God rather than political power, and to proclaim the good news they have received rather than remain silent.