Introduction:
Paul continues to deal with the influence false teachers on the Galatians.
Paul’s argument remains the same.
The truth of the gospel message: Salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
Paul’s techniques vary.
Paul had just made a personal appeal.
Now he uses a theological defense.
Paul uses an Old Testament story from the life of Abraham, using the contrast between Hagar and Sarah and between their children. Paul argues for a similar contrast between those who are slaves under the Mosaic Law and those who are free in Christ.
Galatians 4:21-31 NLT
Abraham’s Two Children
21 Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? 22 The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. 23 The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise.
24 These two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. 25 And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. 26 But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. 27 As Isaiah said,
“Rejoice, O childless woman,
you who have never given birth!
Break into a joyful shout,
you who have never been in labor!
For the desolate woman now has more children
than the woman who lives with her husband!”
28 And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. 29 But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit.
30 But what do the Scriptures say about that? “Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” 31 So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman.
Examine the scriptures:
Galatians 4:21-31 NLT
Abraham’s Two Children
21 Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says?
Paul desperately wanted to stop the Galatians before they submitted to the bondage of the Law.
Paul wanted to turn them back to a life under grace.
Paul was asking, “Do you really know what you are doing? Do you really know what it means to live under the law?”
- The Galatians did not truly understand what it meant to live under the law.
The Galatians would not know much about the Old Testament.
The Galatians, not having a Jewish background, might not know the stories of the OT.
The Judaizers in the audience, if there were any, would know the OT stories.
Paul uses an Old Testament story to make his point. (The power of scripture.)
22 The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons,
- Abraham had two sons, Isaac and Ishmael.
one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife.
- Isaac was born of Sarah, the free woman. Ishmael was born of Hagar, the slave woman.
According to ancient law and custom the status of the mother affected the status of her son.
23 The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise.
- Ishmael was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise.
Genesis 16:1-4 NLT
The Birth of Ishmael
16:1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal. 3 So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.)
4 So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant.
But the son of the freeborn wife (Isaac) was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise.
- Isaac was born as the result of a promise. Abraham and Sarah were beyond the age of childbearing, but God miraculously fulfilled his promise in bringing life out of the deadness of Sarah’s womb.
Genesis 17:15-19 NLT
15 Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah. 16 And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.”
17 Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?” 18 So Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael live under your special blessing!”
19 But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant.
Simple summary:
Paul is talking about God’s promises vs. human efforts.
24 These two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants.
Symbolic of a deeper meaning. (Allegory?)
Paul interpreted the characters of the historical story as symbolizing the current situation.
- God’s two covenants:
The old covenant was formed through Moses. The covenant of law.
The new covenant came through Jesus Christ. The covenant of promise.
The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them.
Hagar represents slavery to human effort based on Mount Sinai.
A slave wife who represents human effort.
- Hagar represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them.
25 And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law.
- Both Hagar and Mount Sinai were symbols of (the earthly) Jerusalem.
Two Jerusalems
The first Jerusalem:
The first century city of Jerusalem, enslaved to Rome and in slavery to the Law.
Trusted in the law and in physical decent from Abraham for their status before God.
They rejected Christ and continued to live in slavery to the law
26 But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem.
- Sarah represents the heavenly Jerusalem.
The second Jerusalem, the heavenly city.
Occupied by those who trust in God for salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
Sarah represents freedom in the heavenly Jerusalem, the ideal city of God.
Hebrews 12:22-24 NLT
22 No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. 23 You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. 24 You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.
Simple summary:
Paul is talking about living under the covenant of law vs. living under the covenant of promise.
She is the free woman, and she is our mother.
Sarah represents the heavenly Jerusalem.
27 As Isaiah said,
Quoting Isaiah 54:1
“Rejoice, O childless woman,
you who have never given birth!
Break into a joyful shout,
you who have never been in labor!
For the desolate woman now has more children
than the woman who lives with her husband!”
Paul connects this prophesy to Abraham’s wife Sarah. She waited and waited and finally gave birth to a free son of her own, just as God had promised (Genesis 21:1–3). In a similar way, when the time was just right, God sent Christ to earth as a man to provide a way for those under the law to be truly free (Galatians 3:23–29).
Simple summary: Paul connects Isaiah’s prophesy to Abraham’s wife Sarah.
28 And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac.
You experienced a supernatural birth.
You are children of promise.
A recipient of the promise of salvation.
- Paul reminds the Galatians that they are children of the promise.
29 But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit.
Ishmael persecuted Isaac.
Genesis 21:8-9 NLT
8 When Isaac grew up and was about to be weaned, Abraham prepared a huge feast to celebrate the occasion. 9 But Sarah saw Ishmael—the son of Abraham and her Egyptian servant Hagar—making fun of her son, Isaac.
Similarly in Galatia, those who want to keep the law were persecuting those who trusted in God’s promise, the message of God’s grace through faith in Christ alone.
- In Galatia, those who wanted to keep the law were persecuting those who trusted in God’s promise, the message of God’s grace through faith in Christ alone.
- Incompatibility existed between the two sons. (Ishmael and Isaac, slave and free)
30 But what do the Scriptures say about that? “Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman (Ishmael) will not share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” (Quoting Genesis 21:10)
- Those enslaved by the law have no inheritance in the family of God.
Romans 9:31-32 NLT
31 But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. 32 Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path.
- The believers in Galatia needed to excommunicate the Judaizers.
This would have been shocking to the Judaizers who thought that they were the legitimate children of Abraham because of their insistence on keeping the law.
31 So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman. (Isaac)
- Those who come to God through Christ alone, by faith and not by keeping the law, are children of the free woman who inherit God’s blessing.
Romans 8:17 NLT
17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory.
**************************************
“We will…tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord…
so that they should set their hope in God.”
Abraham’s Two Children
- The Galatians did not truly understand what it meant to live under the law.
- Paul discusses Abraham’s two sons, Isaac and Ishmael.
-
- Isaac was born of Sarah, the free woman. Ishmael was born of Hagar, the slave woman.
- Ishmael was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise.
- Isaac was born as the result of God’s promise. Abraham and Sarah were beyond the age of child bearing, but God miraculously fulfilled his promise in bringing life out of the deadness of Sarah’s womb.
-
Simple summary:
Paul is talking about God’s promises vs. human efforts.
- Paul discusses God’s two covenants:
The old covenant was formed through Moses. The covenant of law.
The new covenant came through Jesus Christ. The covenant of promise.
-
-
- Hagar represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them.
- Both Hagar and Mount Sinai were symbols of (the earthly) Jerusalem.
- Sarah represents the heavenly Jerusalem.
-
Simple summary:
Paul is talking about living under the covenant of law vs. living under the covenant of promise.
Simple summary: Paul connects Isaiah’s prophesy to Abraham’s wife Sarah.
- Paul reminds the Galatians that they are children of the promise.
- In Galatia, those who wanted to keep the law were persecuting those who trusted in God’s promise.
- Incompatibility existed between the two sons. (Ishmael and Isaac, slave and free)
- Those enslaved by the law have no inheritance in the family of God.
- The believers in Galatia needed to excommunicate the Judaizers.
- Those who come to God through Christ alone, by faith and not by keeping the law, are children of the free woman who inherit God’s blessing.
