Nevertheless, Abraham acted upon Sarah’s pro
Nevertheless, Abraham acted upon Sarah's pro posal, and the result was Ishmael. That was a very serious mistake, and the Jews continue to suffer from it. Why did Abraham make such an error? Because he was still in himself. He had forsaken many other things, but he had not for saken himself.
When did Abraham leave himself? He for sook himself when he was a hundred years old, at which time he considered himself as good as dead. To be sure, every dead person has come out of himself. At the age of a hundred, Abra ham looked at himself and said, "I am finished. I am as good as dead." Romans 4:19 says, "he considered his own body already become dead." This indicated that he had finally emerged from himself. He had become a fully called person. Have you been called? Although you are a called person, you have not yet forsaken yourself.
As we have seen, the created race had de generated to such an extent that they exchanged God for idols. God was unable to do anything with them. As far as God was concerned, the cre ated race under the headship of Adam was hope less, and He gave it up completely. However, out of that created and fallen race God called out Abraham to be the father and head of a new race,