Galatians
Unbound, Unchained, Unbroken
Week 9 | Galatians 4:21-31
Lisa Scheffler, author
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Stories can be a great way to teach a lesson to kids. Depending on the culture you grew up in, you may remember “The Three Little Pigs” as a lesson about working hard and being prepared, “The Tortoise and the Hare” teaches that slow and steady wins the race, “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” shows the consequences of lying. Stories are also a great way to explain things to adults too. Jesus taught in parables, and preachers usually include illustrations in their sermons. Stories are engaging, and illustrate truth. Sometimes they help us find meaning and connections that we might otherwise miss.
This week, we’re going to see Paul use a story from the Hebrew Scriptures (our Old Testament) to make a final point about the law. Paul has used all kinds of tools to persuade the Galatian church of its error, and he’ll use a story from Abraham’s life as one more tactic to discredit his opponents and encourage the Galatian Christians to trust in Christ alone.
Day 1
So far in Galatians, we’ve seen Paul use arguments from Scripture (3:6–14), from covenants (3:15–25), and from sonship (3:26–4:20).[1] In our passage for this week, he’ll retell a familiar story with a different twist. In chapter 3, Paul brings up the covenant that God formed with Abraham. Abraham entered into this covenant by faith, and his faith was “credited to him as righteousness” (Galatians 3:6). Paul is now returning to the life of Abraham to make one last appeal to the Galatians regarding the law, but this time he’ll tell the story of Abraham’s sons as an allegory. An allegory is a story packed with symbolism that reveals a deeper meaning.
As you read the passage, notice how Paul gives meaning to certain elements in the story of Hagar and Sarah. Paul is also going to build a strong contrast. Notice what he’s contrasting.
[1] Scot McKnight, Galatians, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995), 228.
Read
Galatians 4:21-31
21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. 23 His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.
24 These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written:
“Be glad, barren woman,
you who never bore a child;
shout for joy and cry aloud,
you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband.”
28 Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. 30 But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” 31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
What contrast is Paul making?
Respond
Throughout Galatians, Paul has emphasized the importance of faith in God’s promises over works of the law. He is now reaching back again into Israel’s history to show that God has always kept his word as an act of faithfulness. That is what we rely on — that God will keep his promises, the way he has through Jesus. Our faith in Jesus brings freedom, our faith in our own human efforts is slavery.
How have you grown in faith during our study of Galatians? Are you learning to find freedom in Christ and a deeper appreciation for your inheritance as an heir of God?
What circumstances in your life are testing your faith? How can you apply what you’ve learned through God’s Word to that circumstance?
Meditate on these questions as you go through the week.