Galatians 4 verses 19 - 31

GALATIANS 4 VERSES 19 TO 31

My little children of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.  I desire to be present with you now and to change my voice for I stand in doubt of you.  Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not know the law?  For it is written that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a free woman.  But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.  Which things are an allegory; for these are the two covenants the one from the mount Sinai which gendereth to bondage which is Agar.  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to Jerusalem which now is and is in bondage with her children.  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not, break forth and cry, thou that travailest not; for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.  Now we, brethren as Isaac was, are the children of promise.  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit even so is now.  Nevertheless what saith the scrpture?  Cast out the bondwoman and her son; for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman.  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

INSTAGRAM POSTING ON Galatians 4 verses 19 to 31

Paul accepts the challenge of using the law to prove that Christians are not under the law. He uses the familiar story of Ishmael and Isaac. Paul uses these real events as an allegory - a story that has a deeper meaning behind it. This means the story can be read on 2 levels - the literal and the symbolic.

Warren Wiersbe in his commentary splits this section in 3 - the historical facts, the spiritual truths and the practical blessings.

Ishmael was the son born to Abraham and his slave Hagar, Isaac was born to Sarah and Abraham. One born after the flesh and one conceived miraculously. 25 years after the original promise was given to Abraham but he became impatient in the meantime. Isaac represents faith and Sarah grace. He was born by grace through faith as we are if we have put our trust in Christ for saving faith. His name means laughter and salvation is an experience of joy to ourselves but also to those around us. He grew and was weaned - as Christians we need to grow and lay aside childish things. He was persecuted by Ishmael and as Christians we will face similar problems within ourselves as we tangle with the way we once were to what we are now - we have freedom in Christ. 

God began with Sarah not Hagar. In other words God began with grace. We see that in the Garden of Eden when man sinned. His covenant with Abraham was all of grace too. The law was added at a later stage.

Hagar was always a slave, giving birth to Ishmael did not change her position. Sarah was free from the start. The law was given to as a mirror to show man's sins and as a monitor to control man. Hagar was never meant to bear a child. This was all as a result of unbelief and impatience. The law cannot give life or righteousness or the gift of the Spirit or a spiritual inheritance which is ours through Jesus' blood shed on Calvary.

Notice that eventually Hagar and Ishmael were cast out by Abraham. It is impossible for law and grace to be together. God gave us his Son to give us liberty in Christ.

WARREN WIERSBE'S COMMENTARY

Since the Judaisers appealed to the law, Paul accepts that challenge and uses the law to prove that Christians are not under the law.  He takes the familiar story of Ishmael and Isaac and draws from its basic truths about the Christian relationship to the Law of Moses.

Paul uses these real events as an allegory - a narrative that has a deeper meaning behind it.  In an allegory persons and actions represent hidden meanings so that the narrative can be read on 2 levels: the literal and the symbolic.

1.  The Historical facts - verses 19 to 23

Genesis 12 to 21

At 75 Abraham was called by God to go to Canaan, God promises many descendants.  Sarah was barren.

At 85 Sarah becomes impatient and suggests Abraham marry Hagar her maid to try to have a son by her.

At 86 Hagar gets pregnant and Sarah gets jealous.  Sarah throws Hagar out.  The Lord intervenes, sends Hagar back and promises to take care of her and her son.  The son is born and is called Ishmael.

At 99 God speaks to Abraham and promises again he will have a son by Sarah and he is to be called Isaac.  Later God appears again and reaffirms the promise to Sarah.

At 100 a son is born.  Isaac's name means laughter.  His arrival causes a problem - Ishmael has a rival.

At 103 - it was customary for Jews to wean children at 3.  At this feast Ishmael mocks Isaac.  Hagar and Ishmael have to go - Abraham sends them away because the Lord tells him to.

2.  The Spiritual Truths - verses 24 - 29

The Old Covenant

Law, Hagar the Slave, Ishmael conceived after the flesh, earthly Jerusalem in bondage.

The New Covenant

Grace, Sarah the free woman, Isaac conceived miraculously, Heavenly Jerusalem which is free

2 births - the physical that makes us sinners and the spiritual that makes us children of God.

Isaac - born by God's power.  God waited 25 years before he granted Abraham and Sarah their son "born after the Spirit" verse 29.  The Christian is born of the Spirit - John 3 verses 1 to 7.  Isaac came through Abraham - he represents faith, Sarah represents grace.  He was born "by grace .... through faith" as is every Christian.

He brought joy - his name means laughter.  Salvation is an experience of joy, not only to the believer himself but also to those around him.

He grew and was weaned - Salvation is the beginning and not the ending.  After we were born we must grow.  Along with maturity comes weaning: we must lay aside "childish things".  Never become a man until it happens.

He was persecuted - Ishmael caused problems for Isaac just as our old nature causes us problems for us.  Ishmael created no problems in the home until Isaac was born just as our old nature creates no problems for us until the new nature enters when we yield to Christ.

Hagar versus Sarah = Law verses Grace

Ishmael versus Isaac = Flesh versus Spirit

The Judaisers taught the law made the believer more spiritual but Paul makes it clear that the law only releases the opposition of the flesh and a conflict within the believer ensues.  There was no law strong enough either to change or to control Ishmael but Isaac never needed any law.  It has well been said "The old nature knows no law and the new nature needs no law."

Paul is illustrating the contrasts between the Law and grace and is proving that the believer is not under the law but is under the loving freedom that comes through God's grace.

Hagar was Abraham's second wife - God didn't begin with Hagar; he began with Sarah.

God began with grace - in Eden God provided for Adam and Eve by grace - he provided coats of skin.  He did not give them laws to obey as a way of redemption, instead he gave them a grace and promise to believe - victorious Redeemer.

In relationship with Israel God first operated on the basis of grace not law.  His covenant with Abraham was all of grace because Abraham was in a deep sleep when the covenant was established.  When God delivered Israel from Egypt it was on the basis of grace and not law for law was not yet given.  Like Hagar the law was "added".  Hagar performed a function temporarily and then moved off scene just as the law performed a special function and then was taken away.

Hagar as a slave - 5 times Hagar is called "bondmaid" or "bondwoman".  Sarah was a free woman, her position was one of liberty but Hagar even though married to Abraham was still a servant. Likewise the law was given as a servant.  it served as a mirror to reveal men's sins and as a monitor to control men and ultimately lead them to Christ but the law was never meant to be a mother.

Hagar was not meant to bear a child - Abraham's marriage to Hagar was out of the will of God; it was the result of Sarah's and Abraham's unbelief and impatience.  Hagar was trying to do what only Sarah could do and failed.  The law cannot give life or righteousness or the gift of the Spirit or a spiritual inheritance.  

Isaac was born Abraham's heir but Ishmael could not share in this inheritance.  The Judaisers were trying to make Hagar a mother again while Paul was in spiritual travail for his converts that they might become more like Christ.  No amount of religion or legislation can give the dead sinner life.  Only Christ can do that through the Gospel.

Hagar gave birth to a slave - Ishmael was a "wild man" and even though he was a slave nobody could control him, including his mother.  Like Ishmael the old nature (the flesh) is at war with God and the law cannot change or control it.  By nature, the Spirit and the flesh are "contrary the one to the other" and no amount of religious activity is going to change the picture.  Whoever chooses Hagar (Law) for his mother is going to experience a bondage.  But whoever chooses Sarah (grace) for his mother is going to enjoy liberty in Christ.  God wants his children to be free.

Hagar was cast out - It was Sarah who gave the order.  "Cast out this bondwoman and her son" and God subsequently approved it.  Ishmael had been in the home for at least 17 years but his stay was not to be permanent, eventually he had to be cast out.  There was not room in the household for Hagar and Ishmael with Sarah and Isaac, one pair had to go.

It is impossible for law and grace, the flesh and the Spirit to compromise and stay together.  God did not ask Hagar and Ishmael to make occasional visits to the home, the break was permanent.  Th Judaisers in Paul's day - an in our own day - are trying to reconcile Sarah and Hagar and Isaac and Ishmael, such reconciliation is contrary to the Word of God.  It is impossible to mix law and grace, faith and works.  God's gift of righteousness and man's attempt to earn righteousness.

Hagar was not married again - God never gave the law to any other nation or people, including his church.  For the Judaisers to impose the law upon the Galatian Christians was to oppose the very plan of God.  In Paul's day the nation of israel was under bondage to the law while the Church was enjoying liberty under the gracious rule of the "Jerusalem which is above".  The Judaisers wanted to "wed" Mount Sinai and the heavenly mount Zion but to do this would be to deny what Jesus did on Mount Calvary.  Hagar is not to be married again.

From the human point of view, it might seem cruel that God should command Abraham to send away his own son Ishmael whom he loved very much.  But it was the only solution to the problem, for "the wild man" could never live with the child of promise.  In a deeper sense, however, think of what it cost God when he gave his Son to bear the curse of the law to set us free.  Abraham's broken heart meant Isaac's liberty: God's giving of his Son meant our liberty in Christ.

3.  The Practical Blessings - verses 30 and 31

We are the children of promise.  The covenant of grace is our spiritual mother.  The law and the old nature want to persecute us and bring us into bondage.  How are we to solve this problem?

We can try to change them - this must fail for we cannot change either the law or the old nature.  God didn't try to change Ishmael and Hagar either by force or by education, neither can you and I change the old nature and the law.

We can try to compromise with them - it didn't work in Abraham's house and neither will it work in our lives!  The Galatians were trying to effect such a compromise but it was only leading them gradually into bondage.

We can cast them out - what we are supposed to do.  Paul applies this to nation of Israel - verses 25 to 27, then he applies it to the individual Christian.  The nation of Israel had been in bondage under the law but this was a temporary thing, preparing them for the coming of Christ.  Now that Christ had come, the law had to go.  Jesus was a child of promise, born by the miraculous power of God.  Once he had come and died for the people the law had to go.

Israel - earthly Jerusalem, bondage, barren legalism

The Church - heavenly Jerusalem, freedom, fruitful grace

Sarah had been barren and she tried to become fruitful by having Abraham marry Hagar.  This failed and brought only trouble.  The law cannot give life or fruitfulness, legalism is barren.  For the early church to go back into bondage would mean barrenness and disobedience to the Word of God.  Because it held fast to grace it spread across the world to fruitfulness.

Legalism means worshiping standards and thinking we are spiritual because we obey them. It also means judging other believers on the basis of these standards.

The old nature loves legalism because it gives the chance to "look good".  For 17 years Ishmael caused no trouble but then isaac came along and there was conflict.  The Christian who claims to be spiritual because of what he doesn't do is only fooling himself.  The Judaisers were attractive, they carried credentials from religious authorities, high standards, careful what they ate and drank.  Effective in making converts and liked to advertise their accomplishments.  They had rules and standards to cover every aspect of life making it easy to know who was spiritual and who wasn't.  But they were leading people into bondage and defeat - and the people didn't know the difference!

The Christian is set free from the curse of the law and the control of the law.  It must be done!  To attempt to mix the law and grace is to attempt the impossible.  It makes for a frustrated barren life.  But to live by grace though faith gives one a free and fulfilling Christian life.

What is the secret? The Holy Spirit.  Now Paul is going to share this secret in the closing "practical" chapters of Galatians  We need to beware lest Hagar and Ishmael have crept back into our lives - if so cast them out!