Gospelology (Part 13)
Hagar and Sarah
Galatians 4:21-31 ESV
Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. 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." Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 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. 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." So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.
The allegory of Hagar and Sarah
1. Born of flesh makes you a slave (22-25) a. The order of promise and self effort for salvation (Gen 12, 15, 16) i. Paul sums up the differences in births in v.23 when he says, “The son of the slave woman was born in the ordinary way, but the son of the free woman was born as the result of the promise.” b. Man's attempt to get to God (Gen 16) - he believed God in ch.15 and then he listened to the logic and voice of his wife. Trying to work out of his own salvation in his flesh and not just trusting the work of God. i. Adam was created in the image and likeness of God and then listened to to voice of his wife who listened to Satan that they where not like God and tried to be like him in the flesh instead of just trusting in the work of God. ii. Jesus was tempted to get all he could see if he would just bow down and worship he was tempted to go the fleshly way to fulfill his purpose. But obeyed his father.
Allegory and Covenants (21-31)
1. Two entirely different covenants (works or grace) 2. Two entirely different mothers (slave or free) 3. Two entirely different conceptions (flesh or spirit) a. This is what he is moving to in the next chapters. One is trying to produce promise out of his flesh. The other only comes by the power of the Spirit. 4. Two entirely different identities (slave or free) a. Unrest in your religious identity (Do you know if you've done enough?) b. Rest in your gospel identity (It is finished) 5. Two entirely different ways to live (fear or love) a. Obedience is from fear (do this FOR life) b. Obedience is for adoration (do this FROM life) 6. Two entirely different destinations (hell or heaven, Jerusalem here or above) 7. Two entirely different inheritances (the world or Jesus) Allegory of this story - It is a picture of that reveals the way people try and fulfill the promises of God. They try and work for it in the flesh or the receive it by faith and trust the word.
Born of promise makes you a Son (26-28)
1. Children born to the barren (Gen. 18:11-12) a. A picture of what we can never do (from barren to birth) 2. Rejoice O barren one (Isa. 54 following Isa. 53) a. Why did he quote Isaiah 54? The barren are the ones that will be fruitful. The ones that cannot naturally produce the ones that can not do it through their flesh but need the spirit. 3. Children of promise, performed by God (miracle of Isaac's birth points forward)
Miracle Of Isaacʼs Birth Points Forward
Hebrews 11:11-12 ESV
By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
Why the religious hate the gospel
1. They trust in themselves (Gospel people only trust in God) 2. They find identity in themselves (Gospel people are only impressed with God) 3. Implications of living religiously (life according to the flesh) a. Insecurity (slavish fear, stress, lack of joy, lack of peace) b. Inability: i. to be honest ii. Confess sin - You can not talk about sin because your performance is you righteousness. You can not admit when you are sinning. 1. You see many many people who are in sin and they blame others for why they do not want to tell them... a. they will judge b. they will not understand c. they will not accept me d. it will make them not glorify God 2. the bottom line is they care more about their flesh and their performance than they do His grace iii. Be in community 1. Isolate so no one really knows you 2. Critical of other because you feel better when others are worse 3. No grace with others, expect perfection, push away when failed because you are self-righteous a. Don't pursue as Christ pursued 4. People exist primarily as providing something instead of people to pursue iv. To receive instruction v. To be rebuked vi. To enjoy God (because you fear God as a slave)
Christianity misunderstood or understood?
Christianity Is So Often Understood As Slavery, Not Liberty...This Passages Destroys That Conception Because It Confronts That Teaching And Teachers... You can either see Godʼs work as power or a prison.
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