1 YHVH visited Sarah as he had said, and YHVH did to Sarah as he had promised.
2 And Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which Gods had spoken to him.
3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac.
4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as Gods had commanded him.
5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
Isaac was born after Abraham and Sarah were both past the age of bringing forth. So we, when born of the Spirit through Faith, are born not "of the Will of the Flesh, but of Spiritual Will." The natural man has no power to bring forth the "new man", so Anointed. The natural man brings forth Hagar's son, who is not the chosen heir. The new man is a "new creature," begotten not of the Flesh, but of the Divine Word. This begetting represents the forming of a new state of consciousness, the consciousness referred to by Paul when he expressed the hope to the Galatians 4:19 that "The Messiah be formed" in them.
6 And Sarah said, "Gods have made laughter for me; every one who hears will laugh over me."
As one gains a certain inner satisfaction from doing a good deed, so in repeatedly following the promptings of Spirit one accumulates satisfaction that finally breaks forth in laughter. Isaac was not born until Abraham and Sarah had reached old age--had accumulated a "Spiritual Consciousness." Note the different kinds of laughter in this allegory. Abraham laughed questioningly, hopefully, when it was announced that Sarah would bear a son. Sarah laughed incredulously when the promise was announced to her. Both Abraham and Sarah, with their friends, laughed joyfully and thankfully when Isaac was born.
7 And she said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would suckle children? Yet, I have borne him a son in his old age."
Those who persistently exercise faith in Spirit find there is generated in their mind a condition that gradually grows into a conviction of the permanent presence of divine substance within, and this gives rise to the most exquisite joy. Inner Ecstasy is what gives the countenance of peace to the saint and of illumination and purity to the sister of mercy. It is experienced by all who pass into the second degree of Spiritual Consciousness (Isaac, son of Abraham).
8 And the child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.
9 But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking her son Isaac.
When Isaac was weaned (symbolizing his readiness to take a forward step in soul responsibility) Ishmael, Hagar's son, mocked him. Such mockery is the experience of everyone in the new birth. The natural soul (Hagar), lacking real understanding of the newly awakened spiritual soul (Sarah), looks on it with a jealous and antagonistic eye. The product of the thoughts of the natural man at work in the Flesh (Ishmael) reflects the natural soul's attitude and scoffs at the possibility of joy brought about through mere pleasure in spiritual life.
Such an attitude brings about a separation between the spiritual state of consciousness and the natural state that depletes the supply of energy on the physical plane.
10 So she said to Abraham, "Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son, Isaac."
The thoughts that are the fruit of the mind of flesh rise up within him and mock the new man. Here the individual has definite work to do. The animal soul (Hagar, the bondmaid) and the natural desires (her son) must be purified through spiritual cleansing. This is symbolized by their being cast out.
11 And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son.
As Abraham grieved when Hagar was banished, so do we sometimes grieve at giving up the fruits of materialistic thinking brought forth by the natural man.
12 But Gods said to Abraham, "Be not displeased because of the lad and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your descendants be named.
13 And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring."
The casting out of Hagar and her son symbolize the transmutation of the animal soul (Hagar) and her son (natural desires) through spiritual cleansing. The promise that a nation will be made of them means that they will, through this purification process that the consciousness is undergoing, eventually be spiritually empowered and thus become part of the new consciousness.
14 So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.
The wilderness of Beer-sheba represents in individual consciousness the multitude of undisciplined and uncultivated thoughts.
15 When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes.
The water symbolizes the life force that nourishes the animal soul, which in turn depletes the natural person of energy. Hagar running out of water symbolizes the state where the consciousness no longer focuses on nourishing the animal soul and it's desires.
16 Then she went, and sat down over against him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, "Let me not look upon the death of the child." And as she sat over against him, the child lifted up his voice and wept.
Hagar praying for help symbolizes the cleansing of the animal soul of it's former nature.
17 And Gods heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of Gods called to Hagar from the heavens, and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not; for Gods have heard the voice of the lad where he is.
This simple act of beginning the work of spiritual purification causes the animal soul to be receptive to spiritual guidance.
18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him fast with your hand; for I will make him a great nation."
The promise to make Ishmael a great nation means that the natural thoughts he symbolizes will be empowered and therefore contribute to the spiritual consciousness, making it far greater than it was before.
19 Then, Gods opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink.
Gods spoke to Hagar, which opened her eyes to the truth that the well of living water was close by and that she and her son would be amply sustained and prospered.
20 And Gods were with the lad, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow.
Ishmael became an archer, which indicates that he was an expert at hitting the mark.
21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
The name Paran means "region of caverns," "region of searching," "place of much digging." Paran represents the multitude of seemingly confused and undisciplined thoughts of the subconscious mind; also a place or period of much earnest searching after Truth. That "his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt" means that Ishmael (fruits of the flesh) through Hagar (the natural soul) unites with the feminine force of Physicality.
22 At that time Abim'elech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, "Gods are with you in all that you do;
23 now therefore swear to me here by Gods that you will not deal falsely with me or with my offspring or with my posterity, but as I have dealt loyally with you, you will deal with me and with the land where you have sojourned."
Phicol means "spokesman for all," "all-commanding," "every tongue." Phicol was the captain of the host of Abimelech and represents the seeming all-sufficiency of sense consciousness in man at a certain stage of his evolution. He was a Philistine, a Philistine denoting sense consciousness. Abimelech represents the Will, which though unregenerate at this stage of man's spiritual development, recognizes faith and its attainments (Abraham and his possessions). Abimelech fears that he and his kingdom will be overrun by Abraham and his ever-increasing family and household.
24 And Abraham said, "I will swear."
25 When Abraham complained to Abim'elech about a well of water which Abim'elech's servants had seized,
26 Abim'elech said, "I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, and I have not heard of it until today."
This latter means that the life force, which has been discovered and laid hold of by faith's activity, have been utilized and corrupted by the fleshly man instead of being retained for the use of the mental and spiritual.
27 So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abim'elech, and the two men made a covenant.
28 Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock apart.
The covenant between Abraham and Abimelech denotes the establishing of a right relation in consciousness between the spiritual and so-called material.
29 And Abim'elech said to Abraham, "What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs which you have set apart?"
30 He said, "These seven ewe lambs you will take from my hand, that you may be a witness for me that I dug this well."
To swear an oath by the seven lambs is to guarantee that the thing promised will be fulfilled, the number seven representing fulfillment of the natural law.
31 Therefore that place was called Beer-sheba; because there both of them swore an oath.
Beer-sheba represents the establishing of this agreement ("well of the oath") between the Inner and the Outer, wherein faith and its adherents (higher thoughts) are given ample room in the organism and are allowed to retain possession of the well (reservoir of life) that they have been instrumental in bringing to light. On the other hand, the higher thoughts of faith realize that they must not harm or destroy the outer man (Abimelech and his kingdom).
32 So they made a covenant at Beer-sheba. Then Abim'elech and Phicol the commander of his army rose up and returned to the land of the Philistines.
The Will (Abimelech) and Phicol (the seeming all-sufficiency of sense consciousness) both continue their normal activities with the understanding that this sustaining of the material life is needed for the spiritual purification process to be able to continue.
33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of YHVH, the Everlasting God.
Abraham calling on YHVH symbolizes the continuing expansion of consciousness.
34 And Abraham sojourned many days in the land of the Philistines.
Abraham remaining many days in the land of the Philistines means that once the Will and physical consciousness are understood as contributing to the process of spiritual purification, the spiritual consciousness can remain here for a very long period.