Freedom in Christ, Hagar and Sara

Gen. 16, 21 Gal. 4

The book of Galatians is a book that deals with Jewish Christians wanting to go back to the old law.

See also Acts 15.

Paul shows the futility of this all.

1. The background:

The circumstance:

Abraham and Sarai had been promised a son.
The son did not come.
Hagar was taken to give Abraham a son.

Hagar:

Ismael:
H3458 yishmâ‛ê'l

yish-maw-ale'

From H8085 and H410; God will hear; Jishmael, the name of Abraham’s oldest son, and of five Israelites: - Ishmael.

2. Gal. 4: 21- 31

Gal 4:21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

Gal 4:23 But he who wasof the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman wasby promise.

Gal 4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

Two sons, two mothers, two destinies, two promises.

A bondmaid:

After the flesh.

Ismael was born according to a normal natural process.

A freewoman:

By promise

Isaac was born as a result of a promise.

Note the words of Gen. 15: 1- 6; 18: 10- 15; 21: 1- 7

Gal 4:24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

Allegory: An allegory is an extended metaphor, especially a story in which fictional characters and actions are used to understand and express aspects of concepts relating to human existence.

Allegory, from αλλος, another, and αγορεω, or αγοπευω, to speak, signifies a thing that is a representative of another, where the literal sense is the representative of a spiritual meaning; or, as the glossary expresses it, ετερωςκαταμεταφρασιν νοουμενακαιουκατατηναναγνωσιν. "where the thing is to be understood differently in the interpretation than it appears in the reading."
Here it becomes evident that Paul talks about the old law of Moses.
This law had been brought to an end.

Hebr. 7: 12

Rom. 7: 1- 6

Those that are in Christ Jesus are freed from the law by which they were held.

2 Kor. 3: 1- 18

A glorious contrast is made in this text:

The letter kills but the spirit gives life. (3: 6)

The administration of death versus the administration of righteousness. (3: 9-10)

When one turns to Christ the veil is taken away. (3: 16)

Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. (3: 17)

See also:

Joh. 1: 16- 18

For as the bond maid or slave could only gender-bring forth her children, in a state of slavery, and subject also to become slaves, so all that are born and live under those Mosaic institutions are born and live in a state of bondage-a bondage to various rites and ceremonies; under the obligation to keep the whole law, yet, from its severity and their frailness, obliged to live in the habitual breach of it, and in consequence exposed to the curse which it pronounces.

Gal. 5: 3

Gal 4:25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

Gal 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Bondwoman:

Mount Sinai in Arabia.

Is in bondage.

Jerusalem that now is.

Freewoman:

Jerusalem which is above.

Gal 4:27 For it is written, Rejoice, thoubarren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

Quotation: Isaiah 54: 1

Sara was barren. She could not have children, yet she was the one that would have many children.

Gal 4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise

Rejoice:
-Thou barren, that barest not.
-Break forth thou that travailest not.
-The desolate had many more children.
-With Isaac, the children of promise.

Gal 4:29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it isnow.

Like it was then, so it is now

The one that was born after the flesh persecuted them that was born after the spirit.

Gal 4:30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

Gal 4:31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
What does the scripture say:

Cast out the bondwoman.

There can be no heirs together.

Fleshly Israel needed to become spiritual Israel.

3. The purpose of the law.

Gal 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring usunto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Gal 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

4. Freedom in Christ.

see and view this freedom as a freedom to the flesh.

Some view this as a freedom to do whatever one wants to do. They do not see that the law of Christ is actually a law to live after.

Gal. 2: 3, 4
    Gal 2:3 But not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:
    Gal 2:4 and that because of the false brethren privily brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:

James 1: 25
    Jam 1:25 But he that looketh into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and so continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing.

2Ti 2:22 after righteousness, faith, love, pace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.