Galatians 4:21-31
Example of Hagar and Sarah
21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. 23 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. 24 Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written,
“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
than those of the one who has a husband.”
28 Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” 31 So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.
I’m sure many Christian families in the United States experience a similar situation as me; in that, I’m not totally sure if everyone in my family is a believer in Christ. It would be utterly extraordinary and absolutely amazing if all were faithful followers of Christ and active participants in the church. But tragedies do happen, causing many families to plummet into an ebb of despair. One thing we know as Christians, “Nothing! Absolutely nothing takes our Sovereign Lord God by surprise”. He is the author and the finisher of our faith, to those who trust in Him. He is the God Creator and Sustainer of all life. Therefore, Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, is in control of every minute detail that happens in our lives; even down to the smallest particle of pollen that is instantly inhaled into our nasal passage causing us to sneeze in a specific moment in time that is not random, but ordained by God. To such a One with great omnipotence, is it no wonder that Scripture reassures us in an imperative to “cast our cares before Him, for He cares for us” (1 Peter 5:7). Nevertheless, the hint of losing a family member to suffer in eternal damnation is disheartening. All because they are spiritually blinded to the truth of Scripture. Our only weapon is to pray that the Lord will bind the strongman and bring enlightening truth to their hearts and minds. Without the working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of our nonbelieving family members and friends, they are spiritually blind and subject to the wrath of God. They must be born again!
Let’s hypothetically suppose, there is a family with two sibling daughters: one is adopted and the other one was naturally born. They both have equal rights as children of their parents. But in our scenario, the adopted child, for some strange reason that is troublesome and unexpected to the parents, tells her parents that she does not want to live with them anymore; she wants to go back and be with her biological parents, even if they exist because she does not know. The parents are so heartbroken and try to reason with their daughter that she is loved unconditionally and she is a significant part of the dynamics of their lives. But the daughter, without any proof or evidence, conjectures or speculates that she needs to go. Oh, how heartbreaking when families collapse! Oh, how troubling it is when a family member is spiritually blind to a viable and important truth of God. We need to lift up our families and pray for them, as we remember that God is in control and He desires all things be done for His glory.
In the same way, the Christians in Galatia were behaving as if they were spiritually blind to the gospel truth. They had no evidence or Scriptural proof to suggest that they must become a Jew first in order to become a Christian. As a matter of fact, they have the teaching of the Apostle Paul who refutes their erroneous belief as not being true. Yes, they believed they were saved by grace through faith, but they did not fully understand that sanctification is their walk by faith: being led and taught by the Holy Spirit as they are immersed in the Word of God. Faith and works are important. As James said in James 2:14-26, believers are to do works by faith; for without works, faith is dead. However, we must note that the works James is talking about are the works of righteousness: feeding the poor, helping the blind, and healing the lamed. In the case of the Galatians, on the other hand, they were more obliged to follow the Mosiac laws and traditions of Judaism, which is unbelief, according to Paul. They were spiritually blind.
In today’s passage, Galatians 4:21-31, Paul still continues to use Abraham as an example. And this is fitting since the whole context is in regards to forcing Gentiles to obey the Jewish Law, or not. All Jews see themselves as children of Abraham. Therefore, Paul meticulously frames a portrait of Abraham as the Father of faith, a concept beyond their understanding, since their eyes are blinded to the truth of Scripture. In this passage, it is more of an analogy, or as Paul specifically stated in verse 4:24, it was to be interpreted allegorically. Believers in Christ are portrayed as sons of the promise, which is Isaac, the son of Sarah. Whereas, non-believers are equated as sons of the flesh, or the slave woman, Hagar, who was the mother of Ishmael. Now the sons of the promise are by faith since Abraham was the father of faith; he believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. If we believe Christ, His person and work on the cross on Mount Calvary, that is accounted to us as righteousness. The sons of the slave woman, on the other hand, are those who continue to hold to the elements of the old covenant law; they are deceived to think that circumcision and obedience to the dietary laws cause their growth in their sanctification, and not by walking in faith in obedience to the Spirit of Christ.
In our application, we may have family members who are not believers in Christ. Or, we may have family or friends who say they are Christian, yet, they do not live a life worthy of their true calling. Additionally, we may have family members who error and it is up to us to graciously and respectfully lead them back to the truth, lest they fall into apostasy. Those who are called by the Spirit are led by the Spirit. If any do not deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Christ, they are not his disciples. So what must we do? First, we need to pray for them. We pray that our God the Holy Spirit will open their hearts and minds to the gospel message. Then, we must also speak and declare the truth of Scripture. The last thing we can do, as believers in Christ, is to trust Him that He and only He can save. The Apostle Paul used Old Testament Scripture and characters to demonstrate the gospel message of Christ. In the same way, we also must use all Scripture that is available to us too. The Old Testament characters and stories are a great tool to bring light to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In all things, may Jesus Christ be praised! for the glory of the Father!
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O Gracious God and Redeeming Lord! We praise and worship You for giving us Your Word and Your church. Thank You, Lord God, for the gift of being adopted into the amazing family of God. Give us the love, wisdom, and heart to contend for the faith of Christ and to correct our brothers or sisters when they error. Give us grace so we may love and treat them, as we want them to treat us. Send Your Spirit to lead and guide us. May He convict hearts and lead them to repentance. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, amen!
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Open My Eyes, That I May See by Clara H. Scott in 1895
