代表恩典的撒拉，不愿容忍以实玛利对以撒的戏笑，就对亚伯拉罕说，“你把这使女，和她儿子赶出去，因为这使女的儿子，不可与我的儿子以撒，一同承受产业。”（创二一10）。神进来告诉亚伯拉罕：“你不必为这童子和你的使女忧愁，凡撒拉对你说的话，你都该听从，因为从以撒生的，才要称为你的后裔。”（创二一12）。属天的法官作了最终的判决，告诉亚伯拉罕要照撒拉所要求的去作。惟有以撒才算为后裔，以实玛利不算。亚伯拉罕顺从神。十四节说，亚伯拉罕清早起来，就打发夏甲和以实玛利上路了。
我们要看见把夏甲和以实玛利赶出去的属灵意义。你和所有的基督徒一样，从得救那天起，就一直想要行善。但神对付你，使你许多时候受到管教并切割。
我们也许恨恶自己天然的生命，以及从天然生命所产生的一切，但我们不是绝对的恨恶。我们深处仍旧宝贵它，并且说，“我所产生的这以实玛利相当不错。他是从我生的。”这样的观念总是耽延以撒的出生。只有在亚伯拉罕经历了一次又一次的对付，一次又一次的失败以后，最终以撒才生出来。
基督已经在我们基督徒的生命里生出，但我们仍然保留我们的以实玛利，迟疑不肯放弃我们的好行为。我们许多人仍然夸耀自己天然的良善。
出生在我们基督徒生命里的基督开始长大时，我们天然的良善就会戏笑祂。然后在我们里面的恩典会说，“把律法赶出去！把使女和凭肉体的努力与她所产生的赶出去！”你愿意这样作么？也许你表面上这样作，暗地里却仍紧抓着夏甲和以实玛利，紧抓着律法并你天然的品性和良善。今天很少基督徒有胆量像撒拉那样说，“把这使女，和她儿子赶出去。”很少人会说，“把律法赶出去，把肉体的努力赶出去，把我努力所得的一切成就赶出去。”反之，我们依恋自己的成就，紧抓着自己天然的良善。但迟早神会迫使我们放弃律法，放弃自己的努力，以及我们所产生的一切。律法和肉体努力的结果，必须完全放弃。
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Hagar and Ishmael Cast Out – Gen 21:9-10
Two Things Needed to Fulfill God’s Purpose — The Second Item is the Land
Sarah, representing grace, would not tolerate Ishmael’s mocking of Isaac, so she said to Abraham, “Drive out this maid and her son: for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac” (Gen. 21:10). God came in to tell Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named” (Gen. 21:12). The heavenly Judge made the final verdict, telling Abraham to do as Sarah had demanded. Only Isaac is counted as the seed; Ishmael is not. Abraham obeyed God. Verse 14 says that Abraham rose up early in the morning and sent Hagar and Ishmael away.
We need to see the spiritual significance of casting out Hagar and Ishmael. Like all Christians, from the day you were saved, you have been trying to do good. But God deals with you, causing you to be disciplined and cut many times.
We may hate our natural life and everything produced by the natural life, but we do not hate it absolutely. Deep within, we still treasure it and say, “This Ishmael produced by me is quite good. He was born of me.” Such a concept always delays the birth of Isaac. Only after Abraham had experienced dealing after dealing, and failure after failure was Isaac finally born.
Christ has been born in our Christian life, but we still keep our Ishmael, hesitating to give up our good works. Many of us still boast in our natural goodness.
When Christ born in our Christian life begins to grow, our natural goodness will mock Him. Then the grace within us will say, “Cast out the law! Cast out the maid and the fleshly effort with what it has produced!” Are you willing to do this? Perhaps outwardly you do this, but inwardly you still cling to Hagar and Ishmael, clinging to the law and your natural character and goodness. Today very few Christians have the boldness to say like Sarah, “Cast out this maid and her son”. Very few would say, “Cast out the law, cast out the effort of the flesh, and cast out all the achievements gained by my effort”. On the contrary, we are attached to our own achievements and cling to our natural goodness. But sooner or later God will force us to give up the law, give up our own efforts, and everything we have produced. The result of the law and the effort of the flesh must be fully abandoned.