What does Ishmael represent in Galatians 4?
In Galatians 4, Ishmael represents the energy of the flesh and the children of the flesh. He pictures the fleshly effort to produce God's promise through Hagar, which God never commanded. He contrasts with Isaac, the child of promise, showing that only those born of promise enter God's covenant program.
Les explains that Ishmael was born in response to the wishes of the flesh, because God never told Abraham or Sarai to have a child with Hagar; it was strictly a fleshly idea. Even when Paul uses Ishmael as an allegory in Galatians chapter 4, Ishmael is always the picture of the energy of the flesh. The contrast is with the child of promise: we can accomplish nothing in the energy of the flesh, and only those born of promise come into God's covenant program. Paul also says in Galatians 4 that the seed of the woman is Christ, and every believer was promised to Christ before the foundation of the world.
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What did Ishmael and Isaac represent in the allegory of Galatians 4?
In the allegory of Galatians 4, Ishmael represented the law and legalism, while Isaac pictured the freedom believers have in grace because of God's promises.