Galatians 4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
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.
31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
Here we see that just as Isaac inherited the promises made to Abraham, so also are believers the recipients of God’s redemptive promises , because they are spiritual heirs of Abraham. It goes own to tell of how Ishmael mocked Isaac which helps us to see that there will always be conflict between believers an unbelievers. Paul is warning them here that there will never be peace between the flesh and the Spirit. Then we are told to cast away that which is of the law and embrace the freedom that comes with righteousness. Christians are not of the flesh, but are of the Spirit. We are righteous, with faithful Abraham, because we have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to follow the truth of the word of God and not be legalistic in trying get closer to God. This chapter has helped us to see that we need to stay in the word of God to know that we are following in His righteousness and not listening to false doctrines.
Galatians 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.
25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
In this passage, Paul uses historical people and places from the Old Testament to illustrate spiritual truth. Paul makes Hagar represent the Mosaic covenant which gendereth to bondage. As Hagar gave birth to Ishmael, sharing her same social status of slavery, so the law puts those subject to it in spiritual bondage.Paul viewed Hagar and Judaism in the same way, for as Hagar and her offspring were in social bondage, so Judaism and her adherents were in spiritual slavery to the law.Then we see this is speaking of the New Jerusalem where Christ reigns. Also this is speaking of the Christians, who are saved, being so many that they are impossible to number. Are you living bondage today, if so, you can be free form that if you give your life to Christ.
Galatians 4:21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
Paul now poses a question to the Galatians because they have drifted form his original teaching and wants to know if they want to be under the law. He used the example of Abraham having two sons, one by a bond woman and another by a free woman. We see in this a very good argument for not going back to the law. We have discussed in a previous lesson how the law symbolized the flesh, and grace symbolized the Spirit. The law brought bondage to them. Grace had brought freedom. Ishmael’s birth was motivated by Abraham and Sarah’s lack of faith in God’s promise and fulfilled by sinful human means, but Isaac’s birth was by promise, in other words, as the result of divine promise. The comparison here is that the bond woman’s child was the natural birth of the nation of Israel and the law. This was a religion of works of the law. The free woman was the mother of the son the promise who would be the redeemer. We have shown over and over in these lessons how the seed spoken of in the promise to Abraham was Jesus, and through Him His followers. Which would you rather live under the law or the redeeming grace of our Savior?
Galatians 4:17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.
18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
Here Paul is letting the people know that the Judaizers were trying to put them back under the law which would make the fact that Jesus came to fulfill the void. If they did not want to believe the Judaisers they would shun them. Next Paul is saying that it is a good thing to work hard for things that are right. The main thing is that they need to be strong in their belief, whether he is with them or not. Because he cannot be with them all the time he wants them to grow up strong in the Lord so they walk the Christian walk even when he is not there. He calls them little children, because they had not grown up in the Lord. They were still feeding on milk and honey. He wants Christ to be so fully in their lives that they will not get off the Truth again.Paul is concerned that they have gone back into the teaching of the law. He believes if he were there, speaking directly to them, they would be stronger in the Truth. How often do we see when a person is away from sound teaching they start to slip from the truth. We need to remember we need to get as much of the Word of God as possible embedded in our hearts as often as possible.
Dad says our pastor talks about walking in the favor of God – that God loves to bless us by giving us things we like, or by finding something we need that’s marked down, or by letting us see blessings in the things around us. There are all kinds of things God can bless you with. (And it’s not about what we do, or who we are- it’s just that God loves His children and wants to bless them!)
I know Jesus loves us dogs and cats too; and sometimes we get blessed when the people we own get blessed.
So guess what happened today? When Mom and Dad went to Tractor Supply to pick up a bag of dog food, they also found some of the peanut butter cookies I like so much. They also got some bags of the chicken meatballs that we both like. While they were checking out, the lady gave Dad a coupon for a free bag of treats that her dogs like! Then she even went and picked up the bag and brought it to us- it’s got sweet potato in it and it looks like bacon.
We already got to try some and they are GOOD.
“For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from the LORD.” Proverbs 8:35
Galatians 4:14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
Paul goes on to tell us here that even though he had a physical ailment they accepted him to preach the gospel to them as a ministering spirit from the lord.He goes on to question them as to why would they turn from the original teachings he gave them when at first they would do anything for him that he might ask of them. Because Paul mentions they would even pluck out their eyes and give them to him that his infirmity could have had something to do with his eyes. Finally we see that he questions them again because they treating him like an enemy.While Paul was away the enemy crept in and destroyed what he preached to them that gave them great joy. This helps us to see that if we let someone stray from the truth too long they are not going to want to listen to us when we try to correct them for believing a lie.
Galatians 4:12 Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.
13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
Paul here is just asking the Galatians to remember where he came from and how he came to righteousness and even through some percussion of the Jews. He is just wanting them to continue to believe in what he preached to them even though they have seen how the Jews act toward them. He is letting them know this has not hurt him in any way. He reminds them how when he first preached to them he was not well but he knew they needed to here the message he had for them. This can help us see that even though we may be criticized for how we help someone come to Christ we need to stay true in the Word of God as we teach people about His Word. Also to continue to lift them up in there growing in Christ so no pulls them in the wrong direction. Please attend church today and see how God can fill your life with hope.
Galatians 4:8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
Many of the Galatians had been heathen people, before they received Christ as their Savior. They truly had not known what, or whom to worship, until they received the Truth through Jesus Christ. They only worshiped things they could see and feel and these things were not God.We will never know God in the fullest sense, until we are in heaven with Him. He knows us though. How can they even think of turning away from the freedom they know in Christianity and go back to the bondage of the law? The people back then wanted to continue to worship the the traditions of the law and still be Christians. This is one of the reasons the Christians celebrate Sunday instead of Saturday for their holy day. The Christians are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. The others are living in the law. Because of this Paul feels he has wasted his time because it seems they have forgotten everything they had been taught. This lets us know we need to stay in the true wood of God daily so as not to go back to the things of this world.
Galatians 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Every child of God was divinely given the Holy Spirit the moment he was adopted by God. The Spirit gives us an awareness that God is our Father. Only Jesus and Jesus’ followers can call the Father Abba. It is actually the Spirit of Jesus within us that cries out Abba. The Holy Spirit within us reveals the fact to us of our sonship. This Spirit of the Risen Christ within us opens our understanding to this. Our inheritance is in Christ and we are His inheritance as well. Paul is trying to remind us here about the benefits of grace of God over the law and that we receive sonship through the Spirit of Christ within us.
Galatians 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
This is telling us that before we became a christian we were like a child not knowing how to do everything but only what we learned as we grew. This could also apply to the adults that had grown up under the law that is all they knew. Being under bondage to the law was like a child under bondage to a guardian. Then when it was time God sent His Son By a woman who was under the law, but knew what her son was there for. The last verse lets us know that Jesus was sent to redeem all from the and be adopted into the kingdom of God. The reason that all must be redeemed from the law is the fact that by the law all are condemned to die. The law brings death. Every Christian has been redeemed by Jesus Christ with His precious blood and been adopted into the family of God. We are the adopted sons of the Father, if we accept Jesus as our Savior Redeemer.
"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." I John 5:7
