撒拉和夏甲是蒙神呼召之亚伯拉罕的妻和妾，寓指两个约（加四24）。使徒保罗若没有写加拉太书，告诉我们这两个妇人的寓意是两个约，我们作梦也不会想到这一点。有些基督徒批评人把圣经寓意化，但保罗却领头把旧约寓意化。亚伯拉罕的传记是寓意，他的妻子和妾更是很有意义的寓意。
在看这寓意之前，我们需要看看有关创世记这卷书的事。为甚么创世记这样甜美宝贵？因为这卷书包含了许多神自己所撒下，神圣启示的种子。这卷书包含了神圣启示主要的各面。在一章我们看见神有一个心意要藉着人彰显祂自己，并为这缘故按着祂自己的形像造人（创一26）。人按着神的形像被造，其用意是要人成为神精确的彰显，并要藉着这彰显，使神得着管冶，得着国度，在其中得以施行祂的权柄。这是神终极的心意，祂永远的定旨。你若用这个属天的亮光来读圣经，就会看见整本圣经都说到这个神圣的心意。为使神达成祂的心意，使祂自己得着彰显，并在地上得着管治，祂需要后裔和土地，这两者都与基督有关。这一位基督必须作到神的子民里面。神想把这个作在亚当身上，但亚当失败了。至终，神在新的族类身上有一个新的起头，这族类就是蒙召的族类，这族类的头一个人就是亚伯拉罕。你读亚伯拉罕的传记，会看见神一次又一次临到他，应许他两件事－后裔和土地（创十二7，十三15～16，十五5，7，18）。
在加拉太书保罗告诉我们，撒拉和夏甲这两个妇人是寓意，表征两个约。保罗看见这一点必是由于神的启示。我们不该满意于仅仅知道创世记里面的故事，却要努力明白寓意的意思。
在加拉太三章十七节保罗说，“而且我这样说，神豫先所立定的约，不能被那四百三十年以后才有的律法废掉，以致使应许失效。”这四百三十年包括从创世记十二章一节至出埃及二十章颁赐律法这段时间。在颁赐律法以前，就有一个寓意。换句话说，在颁赐律法以前，神就将四百三十年后所要发生关于律法的事拍了一张照片。
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The Allegory of the Two Women (1) — Gal 4:22-23
Sarah and Hagar were the wife and concubine of Abraham, who was called by God; they symbolize two covenants (Gal. 4:24). If the Apostle Paul had not written the Epistle to the Galatians telling us that the allegory of these two women is the two covenants, we would never have dreamed of this point. Some Christians criticize others for allegorizing the Bible, yet Paul took the lead to allegorize the Old Testament. Abraham’s biography is an allegory, and his wife and concubine are an even more significant allegory.
Before looking at this allegory, we need to look at matters concerning the book of Genesis. Why is Genesis so sweet and precious? Because this book contains the seeds of many divine revelations sown by God Himself. This book contains the main aspects of the divine revelation. In chapter 1, we see that God has a heart’s desire to manifest Himself through man, and for this reason, He created man in His own image (Gen. 1:26). Man was created in God’s image with the intention that man would become God’s exact expression, and that through this expression, God would obtain dominion and a kingdom in which He could exercise His authority. This is God’s ultimate heart’s desire, His eternal purpose. If you read the Bible with this heavenly light, you will see that the entire Bible speaks of this divine heart’s desire. In order for God to accomplish His heart’s desire, to have His expression and to have dominion on the earth, He needs the seed and the land; both relate to Christ. This One, Christ, must be wrought into God’s people. God intended to work this upon Adam, but Adam failed. Eventually, God had a new beginning with a new race; this race is the called race, and the first person of this race was Abraham. If you read Abraham’s biography, you will see that God came to him again and again, promising him two things — the seed and the land (Gen. 12:7; 13:15-16; 15:5, 7, 18).
In Galatians, Paul tells us that the two women, Sarah and Hagar, are an allegory signifying two covenants. Paul must have seen this point through divine revelation. We should not be satisfied with merely knowing the stories in Genesis, but we must endeavor to understand the meaning of the allegory.
In Galatians 3:17 Paul said, “What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.” These 430 years cover the period from Genesis 12:1 to the giving of the law in Exodus 20. Before the law was given, there was an allegory. In other words, before the giving of the law, God took a snapshot of the matters concerning the law that would occur 430 years later.