THE BOOK OF GALATIANS – CHAPTER 4:21–29 - MESSAGE 16 – THE ARGUMENT OF CONTRASTS: WHICH WOMAN ARE YOU FOLLOWING?
Part 1 – Galatians 4 verses 21 – 23
We come now to the latter part of chapter 3 and the continuing evidence why Christians are not under Law but walk by grace through the promises given to Abraham. In the fourth chapter of Romans Paul sets out the great faith of the man of faith, that is, Abraham. Paul has adopted various arguments in order to convince the Galatians of their error and now he turns to the bondwoman and the freewoman.
We continue, beginning at verse 21 and will work through this section carefully.
[A]. VERSE 21 – THE CHALLENGE IS THROWN OUT
{{Galatians 4:21 “Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law?”}}
His first statement is to challenge the Galatians to listen, meaning to take note and accept what God says. They wanted to keep the Law, now he tells them to listen to the Law. There comes a time when we need to be direct. We may hedge around the fringes hoping the message will be understood but like wafting smoke it passes overhead making no entry into a person’s understanding.
There is reticence on people’s part to be frank about situations because of shyness or concern the other person might take offence (which often happens) but that creates a problem, because if we are going to be honest with God, we must be true to His message, not compromise it even a little. I love the way the Old Testament prophets thundered, “This says the LORD.” Even though the application stated in Isaiah related to the nation of the Jews and their future restoration, there is still a principle in the following verses for us – {{Isaiah 55:10-11 “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth. IT SHALL NOT RETURN TO ME EMPTY without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”}}. Sometimes the word is sent for comfort; sometimes for challenge; sometimes for reprimand; and sometimes for assurance and hope.
Paul returns now to being direct as he was earlier in the letter to them – {{Galatians 3:1-3 “YOU FOOLISH GALATIANS, WHO HAS BEWITCHED YOU, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? ARE YOU SO FOOLISH? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”}} Questions, strategically used, often are arrows that enter the understand in the person to begin that awareness it was designed for.
So then, you Galatians, you who are wanting to place yourselves under the bondage of the Law, do you know what the Law is really saying? Are you that stupid?
[B]. VERSES 22-23 – ABRAHAM’S TWO SONS ARE TWO DESTINIES
{{Galatians 4:22 “for IT IS WRITTEN that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman,
Galatians 4:23 but the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.”}}
In dealing with the matters of God, authority is essential, and for his authority Paul appeals to the scriptures that he described in another place this way – {{2 Timothy 3:15-17 “and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. ALL SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED BY GOD and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”}} IT IS WRITTEN. The Lord set the example here for when He was tempted by Satan. Three times He used that expression. Satan hates it. To appeal to the authority of scripture is what Satan hates.
There are certain gripes I have and one of them is a preacher who rolls out story after story in the message. Some people think it is entertaining and enjoy it, but it is very lean pickings if the word of God is not preached and only incidentally referred to. I have said it from time to time that the best preaching is expositional preaching where the word of God is opened and a string of stories does not appear. The bible has its own example of that. Expounding the scripture is what the teacher of God does.
It was on the Emmaus Road where the Lord opened the scriptures to them and showed them all the things therein concerning Himself. That is expounding the word from the scriptures. What was the result? The verdict was, “Did not our hearts BURN within us.” That is a better outcome than, “I loved the stories.” Young people before me today, if the Lord is calling you to His service in teaching and preaching, remember expositional preaching is what you must develop.
I am NOT saying expositional preaching is the ONLY means of preaching. There is a place for topical subjects and select subjects, and I have several of these such as the one on rainforest trees, and honey, and Lessons from my Doves, baptism, and dealing with error in a church, and liberalism etc.
Abraham’s two sons lead to the two mothers. Now Paul concentrates on those mothers. The bondwoman is Hagar, who was in bondage being a slave whom Abraham had taken as a concubine. The freewoman was Sarah being the married woman to Abraham. Also in contrast is the way of their birth. One was conceived through the flesh as stated in verse 23, and the other through the promise of God.
Abraham thought he could help God with the heir. Ishmael was “born of the flesh” which happened because faith did not wait for the child of promise. As stark as it may seem, Ishmael was born because of failure. In human terms, who can blame Abraham and Sarah, but they could wait no longer for God’s promise? They were beyond the age of childbearing (almost) and it was one last ditch effort to have that son God promised. How many of us would have held on in faith when it was looking it was beyond faith?
{{Genesis 16:3 “After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram’s wife SARAI TOOK HAGAR the Egyptian, her maid, and GAVE HER TO HER HUSBAND ABRAM as his wife.”}} That whole episode was problematic. Lack of faith is what the bible would condemn, but Hagar’s attitude to Sarah was inexcusable – {{Genesis 16:4 “and he went in to Hagar, and she conceived and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight.”}} Then Sarah turned on Abraham for what was happening to her – {{Genesis 16:5 Sarai said to Abram, “MAY THE WRONG DONE ME BE UPON YOU. I gave my maid into your arms but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. May the LORD judge between you and me.”}} Then Sarah took it out on Hagar who you might think was the innocent party in all of this.
It was going to be another 14 years before Sarah conceived, when she was 90 and Abraham was 100. Abraham was still holding onto his first son for the great blessing - “Oh that Ishmael might live before You,” but God answered this way, {{Genesis 17:19 but God said, “NO, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac and I will establish My covenant with him for AN EVERLASTING COVENANT for his descendants after him.”}} Thus we have the two sons and the two destinies and the two contrasts. One son of the slave/servant, and one of the wife/free woman.
[C]. VERSES 24-26 - PAUL TAKES A GIGANTIC STEP IN APPLICATION
{{Galatians 4:24 This is speaking allegorically: FOR THESE WOMEN ARE TWO COVENANTS, one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves - she is Hagar.
Galatians 4:25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children,
Galatians 4:26 but the Jerusalem above is free. She is our mother,”}}
Paul connects Hagar with the bondage of the Law and Sarah with the freedom in Christ.
These contrasts Paul makes, he says belong to an allegory. The two sides being contrasted are two covenants. The first is Hagar and that corresponds with the children of bondage who are those under the law at the time of Paul’s writing to the Galatians. The Law had ended so all those still under Law were in bondage. They are slaves. They are Hagar’s children.
Technically, the Arab nations belong to Abraham through Ishmael, and they look to Abraham as their great father. Paul matches that first covenant with Hagar and puts it as Jerusalem under the Law (Moses). However there is a second covenant and that is freedom. The new covenant of freedom is related to promise and the heavenly Jerusalem, the free one. In fact we have one of two mothers (allegorically) – Hagar or Sarah. In a real sense everyone in the world does – BONDAGE (through sin) or FREEDOM (through Christ).
Paul explains this in another way here, where he continues the contrast – {{Hebrews 12:18-24 YOU HAVE NOT COME TO A MOUNTAIN that may be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word should be spoken to them, for they could not bear the command, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned.” So terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I am full of fear and trembling,” BUT YOU HAVE COME TO MOUNT ZION and to the city of the living God, THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.”}}
The contrast is clear. Abraham was given the covenant of Promise. Hagar bears the covenant of bondage (under the Law in allegory). Sinai is the covenant of the Law (bondage). Abraham’s covenant was promise; Sinai was conditional – “If they obey,” but they did not obey. They have two locations – Sinai and Jerusalem, AND the heavenly Jerusalem. There are two mothers, Hagar and Sarah. Sinai is the Law, which Paul attributes to Hagar because the Law is bondage, and that corresponded in Paul’s day with the city, Jerusalem.
We are called to freedom yet so many Christians have placed themselves in bondage to so many things. Some have a rigorous program they must keep; we still have the adherence to codes of dress such as those who wear suits in the tropics as godliness; those who have a strict procedure at the Lord’s Table, those who run by rules and regulations, constitutions, membership, and, well, there are many. For what it is worth I notice that the ones strict as to programs and procedures have grown cold in the Lord and these other things have taken the place of devotion.
[D]. VERSES 24-26 - THE BARREN WOMAN REJOICES FOR HER CHILDREN ARE MORE NUMEROUS
{{Galatians 4:27 for it is written, “REJOICE, BARREN WOMAN who does not bear. Break forth and shout, you who are not in labour for more are the children of the desolate than of the one who has a husband.”
Galatians 4:28 You brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise,”}}
Here are two verses related. {{1Samuel 2:5 “Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry cease to hunger. EVEN THE BARREN GIVES BIRTH TO SEVEN, but she who has many children languishes.”}} The one Paul quotes from is this one – {{Isaiah 54:1 “SHOUT FOR JOY, O BARREN one, you who have borne no child. Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed for THE SONS OF THE DESOLATE ONE WILL BE MORE NUMEROUS than the sons of the married woman,” says the LORD.}}
The contrast continues. The barren woman will have more children than the one who has a husband (and kids). Here, the desolate one, the barren one, is Sarah and the one with a husband to give her kids is pictured as Hagar. Hagar of course stands for those in bondage to the Law, those who hold to the old covenant, Israel of Paul’s time. The desolate one has many offspring because they are the descendants of promise through Abraham. It is the faithful ones who are of the Promise, the Church. Of course redeemed Israel will be there but that is still to come. The ones married to the Law (those in bondage) will not compare with the children of promise.
Paul says we are like Isaac, the son of promise. We are the children of promise. It is interesting that Paul uses “You” which means the Galatian believers. He knows they are of the promise and knows God will bring then out of the bondage they are placing themselves into.
I will quote again from G C Willis the Chinese missionary as he sums up what has just been said above – [[ “When the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and burned the Temple, from that time until recently, the Jews have been scattered to the ends of the earth. Their house has indeed been left unto them desolate (Matthew 23:38), but amazing as it will seem in that day, they will find far more children begotten by the gospel in the time of their desolation, than they ever had in the days of their greatest prosperity. The children brought in by grace are “more numerous” than those ever were under the Law, but these children are not children of the earthly Jerusalem, but of the Jerusalem above, the heavenly Jerusalem, that is free, for the heavenly Jerusalem “is our mother.” But God reckons them as Sarah’s children, “children of promise,” children of Abraham.” ]]
[E]. VERSE 29 - THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CASE CONTINUES
{{Galatians 4:29 “but as at that time he who was born ACCORDING TO THE FLESH persecuted him who was born ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT, so it is now also.”}}
Again another contrast is presented – flesh and Spirit. The flesh persecutes the Spirit. Those of the flesh persecute those born of the Spirit. Just look at the Australian Government. Non-Christians are persecutors generally. This began with the son of the bondwoman ridiculing Isaac. Ishmael was of the flesh even though he was a son of Abraham. He was a persecutor. {{Genesis 21:8-10 The child [Isaac] grew and was weaned and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, MOCKING. Therefore she said to Abraham, “Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac,”}}
The ones under the Law (Jews) gave Paul a terrible time with their hatred. All unbelievers are in bondage to sin. Some people show kindness and mercy but many are severe persecutors. Look around in the world today to see what persecution Christians are facing. Careers, rights, positions, reputations – so many examples to cite. My heart goes out to Nigeria and other African nations – Sudan, Cameroon, Congo, just to name three.
From Ishmael, the children of the flesh and bondage came. They were initially the Arab nations and the Meccans but over time grew up into Islam through Mohammad. Arab Islam is of the flesh and bondage. When it comes to persecution, the Moslems are a curse to the Jews. They are a curse to the world and they are a curse to themselves. The flesh will never accept the Spirit of God but will oppose it, and it WILL oppose God’s work. {{Galatians 5:16-18 “I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh, FOR THE FLESH SETS ITS DESIRE AGAINST THE SPIRIT, and the Spirit against the flesh for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please, but IF YOU ARE LED BY THE SPIRIT, YOU ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW.”}}
[F]. VERSE 29 – WALK AND LIVE AS SONS OF THE FREEWOMAN, NOT IN THE BONDAGE OF THE FLESH
{{Galatians 4:30 What does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman,”
Galatians 4:31 so then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman.”}}
Paul quotes the Scripture God gave to Abraham. He had to cast out Hagar and Ishmael. Initially Abraham did not want to sever ties with Hagar and Ismael but this – {{Genesis 21:12 but God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid. Whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE NAMED.”}} God said the son of the bondwoman would not be an heir with the son of the freewoman. The two are diametrically opposed. The flesh is opposed to the Spirit. Bondage is opposed to freedom. Sinful slavery is opposed to the promise in God.
The Galatians, by wanting to adopt and keep the Law were lining themselves up with the flesh, bondage and slavery. They despised the freedom and promise of God. They thought little of being made an heir of God and being brought into adoption.
Friends, never despise the freedom you have in Christ; never forget you are children of promise; never act as a rebel but remember you are heirs of Christ and all His promises. In verse 31 Paul tells the Galatians they are children of the freewoman, not of the bondwoman. What he is inferring is that the Galatians must stop behaving as children of the bondwoman. They have bound themselves to Mt Sinai, to Hagar, to the flesh, all of which oppose the work of God.
