Verse 23

But one, the son by the slave woman, was born by natural descent, while the other, the son by the free woman, was born through the promise.

Referenced Verses

  • Heb 11:11 : 11 By faith, even though Sarah herself was barren and he was too old, he received the ability to procreate, because he regarded the one who had given the promise to be trustworthy.
  • Gen 18:10-14 : 10 One of them said,“I will surely return to you when the season comes round again, and your wife Sarah will have a son!”(Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, not far behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were old and advancing in years; Sarah had long since passed menopause.) 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking,“After I am worn out will I have pleasure, especially when my husband is old too?” 13 The LORD said to Abraham,“Why did Sarah laugh and say,‘Will I really have a child when I am old?’ 14 Is anything impossible for the LORD? I will return to you when the season comes round again and Sarah will have a son.”
  • Gen 21:1-2 : 1 The Birth of Isaac The LORD visited Sarah just as he had said he would and did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 So Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the appointed time that God had told him.
  • Rom 9:7-8 : 7 nor are all the children Abraham’s true descendants; rather“through Isaac will your descendants be counted.” 8 This means it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God; rather, the children of promise are counted as descendants.
  • Rom 10:8 : 8 But what does it say?“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”(that is, the word of faith that we preach),
  • Gal 4:28-29 : 28 But you, brothers and sisters, are children of the promise like Isaac. 29 But just as at that time the one born by natural descent persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, so it is now.
  • Rom 4:18-21 : 18 Against hope Abraham believed in hope with the result that he became the father of many nations according to the pronouncement,“so will your descendants be.” 19 Without being weak in faith, he considered his own body as dead(because he was about one hundred years old) and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver in unbelief about the promise of God but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God. 21 He was fully convinced that what God promised he was also able to do.
  • Gen 17:15-19 : 15 Then God said to Abraham,“As for your wife, you must no longer call her Sarai; Sarah will be her name. 16 I will bless her and will give you a son through her. I will bless her and she will become a mother of nations. Kings of countries will come from her!” 17 Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground and laughed as he said to himself,“Can a son be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” 18 Abraham said to God,“O that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 God said,“No, Sarah your wife is going to bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. I will confirm my covenant with him as a perpetual covenant for his descendants after him.