The story of Sarah and Hagar is often read as a domestic drama filled with jealousy, hardship, and divine favour. But within the mystical teachings of Neville Goddard, this narrative reveals something far more powerful: a symbolic blueprint for understanding how manifestation occurs through different states of consciousness.
Each character—Sarah, Hagar, and Abraham—represents a part of the individual in the process of spiritual awakening. This is not a tale of ancient family dynamics, but of the internal split between the natural effort of the outer world and the miraculous power of inner belief.
Hagar: The Bondwoman of Outer Effort
Hagar, the Egyptian servant, symbolises the natural mind—that part of us which tries to bring about change through external means. She is referred to in Paul’s letters as “the bondwoman,” which Neville interprets as the mind that relies on labour, logic, and striving.
When Sarah, seemingly barren, gives Hagar to Abraham in order to produce a child, this reflects the attempt to bring about the promise by outer action. We do this ourselves when we try to force results through manipulation, anxious effort, or submission to the visible world. What is born of this is Ishmael—a manifestation, yes, but one that comes without alignment to the higher spiritual law.
Sarah: The Freewoman of Inner Power
In contrast, Sarah represents the freewoman, the inner realm of imagination, and the divine principle of faith. She is the seemingly barren mind that has no logical way to produce results—and yet, it is from this “womb” that Isaac, the child of promise, is born.
Neville taught that imagination is the only creative power and that “the child is only the result of the state you occupy.” Sarah’s story challenges natural reasoning. She conceives at a time when, by all appearances, conception is impossible. This is the hallmark of a spiritual birth—when a manifestation comes not from effort, but from living in the assumption of the wish fulfilled.
“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” – Genesis 18:14
Sarah’s laugh upon hearing the promise reflects our own inner disbelief when imagination seems too wild to trust. But Neville would say: trust it anyway. What appears “barren” is often pregnant with power, if you dwell in the state long enough.
Isaac and Ishmael: Two Manifestations, Two States
The children born to these two women symbolise the results of their respective wombs:
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Ishmael, the son of Hagar, is the manifestation produced through outer work and rational planning.
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Isaac, the son of Sarah, is the manifestation of inner faith and spiritual conviction.
These are not just children, but symbolic outcomes. Ishmael is what we get when we act from fear or pressure. Isaac is what we receive when we persist in imagination, even when everything around us says it cannot be done.
Abraham’s Grief: The Pain of Letting Go
When Sarah insists that Hagar and Ishmael be cast out, Abraham is deeply grieved. This is a vital turning point in the narrative—and in us.
“And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.” – Genesis 21:11
Abraham represents the awakening consciousness—the part of us realising the truth of imagination, yet still emotionally attached to the old way. His sorrow is our sorrow when we recognise that our familiar tools of effort, fear, and control no longer serve.
We may still love the things we created through the flesh. Ishmael, after all, is Abraham’s son. But in the journey toward full alignment with imagination, even cherished beliefs must go.
“Cast out the bondwoman and her son.” – Genesis 21:10
To cast out Hagar is to abandon the belief in outer causation. To let go of Ishmael is to release the results born of misaligned effort. This may feel like loss, but it is in fact a profound liberation.
God’s Assurance: Trust the Promise
God tells Abraham not to grieve, for the promise will be fulfilled through Isaac. This isn’t a dismissal of Hagar or Ishmael, but a redirection of faith. The message is clear:
“In Isaac shall thy seed be called.” – Genesis 21:12
Neville would say: the seed is your assumption, and Isaac is its fruit. The true future lies in the invisible realm of imagination, not in the visible results of fear-based action.
Two Wombs in You: Which Will You Choose?
Each of us contains a Sarah and a Hagar. At any moment, we are either acting from the bondwoman (striving, reacting, clinging to appearances), or from the freewoman (resting in assumption, trusting imagination, allowing).
Neville’s call is clear: live from the end, and dwell in the state of the fulfilled desire. Sarah’s barrenness becomes irrelevant in the presence of sustained belief. The womb of spirit is never truly barren—it is only waiting for you to trust it.
So cast out the old dependence. Honour it, perhaps—even grieve it, as Abraham did—but let it go.
For in Isaac, the child of spiritual alignment, shall your seed be called.
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