Culver Community Church

Pastor Chris Sweeney

Sermon Notes

September 27, 2019

Galatians 4:21-31 – Sons of Abraham

{vs 21-22} So in this section, Paul moves to a new track or argument.  He begins by saying ‘So, you want to be under the Law - - - do you?’, ‘then lets take a look at the Law!’  Paul invites them to take a look under the hood – to see some of what is in the Law, what the Old Testament says because he intends to apply it to their own situation!  When we fall back into legalism or a religion of works, we inevitably forget the consequences - - - we never take the whole Law into account.  Have you ever noticed that legalists and those who try so hard to be perfect (acceptable to themselves, to others and to God) always hold tightly to the letter of the Law in every area that is easy for themselves?  However, when it comes to the things they struggle with, to the areas in their own life where they have failed - - - then they want to apply a sliding scale, mercy, forgiveness – then it’s all about second chances, understanding and grading on the curve!  And this isn’t just for the ultra orthodox or hyper hypocritical!  We all get hot when someone cuts us off or makes an illegal turn right in front of us - - - don’t they know that’s wrong?!?  However, when we go above the posted speed limit - - - well, everyone does it and the authorities know this is … etc. etc. etc.

Now I want to bring something to your attention – Paul is going to reference an episode in Old Testament (Jewish) history and he assumes that, although most of these Galatian believers are not Jewish, he assumes that the readers know the story well.  I bring this up because we modern-day believers are hard pressed to know the details of most Old Testament stories.  I’m not talking about detailed genealogies or nit-picky points of the Law but if you doubt me on this, go onto the internet and take one of those ‘Bible quizzes’ that are so abundant out there and see how many of the plain truths and simple stories of our faith are either vague or absent from your memory!  So many of us can quote the lyrics from our favorite singer, the stats from our team or the cultural trivia from dozens of vapid sitcoms – but can we recall who faced off against the 450 prophets of Baal or who the first believer to be martyred was?  Some information or trivia will exalt God in our minds and lives, teaching valuable lessons about eternity.  Other facts and tidbits will simply take up space and waste our time!  These gentile believers took to God’s Word like fish to water because they greatly valued God and wanted to know all about what He has revealed to our world.  That’s why it was so easy to take what they learned from the Old Testament and confuse them!

Satan has a simple strategy – steal, kill and destroy!  He is not particular how he gets those results.  Sometimes he comes at us with temptations to sin.  Other times he comes with a twisted bit of God’s Word – hoping to confuse.  If he can’t get us to fall back away from God into sin, then he’ll try to push us forward into hyper-religion.  Some believers get so busy with things they imagine God wants them to do that they push God right out of their life!  It wasn’t just the Sadducees (those live for today for tomorrow we die, liberal, loose with the Law Jews) that needed to be saved.  The ultra religious, legalistic, scripture memorizing Pharisees also fought God and handed Jesus over to be killed!

Back to the text … Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman … Paul does not go into details but I’ll give you some background just in case some of us may have forgotten.  God came to Abram (whose name means father) and made some pretty amazing promises to him – including a Promised Land, blessings (salvation) for all the peoples of the Earth and ironically, that he would be the father of many nations and that kings would descend from him (Genesis 12).  In time, God would rename him Abraham, meaning father of many/multitudes to match the promises.  Yet as time went on, Abraham and Sarah (his wife) grew old and remained childless in a culture that considered a barren woman to be cursed.  So our man Abraham (the man of faith) agrees with a plan that his wife came up with to help God (the Almighty God who created all that is) with His plan.  She says let’s do a surrogate mother thing here – I’ll give you my maidservant (slave) and we’ll call her child my own – that’s Adultery!  Now they didn’t think to ask God, or just never waited for an answer (they should have known better because God promised he would have a son by Sarah) – so, they put the plan in motion anyway.  A son was conceived and everything fell apart quickly the slave woman begins to despise Sarah, as her child will when Isaac is born.  Sarah wants that boy and her slave (the mother) to be sent away (which God allows, telling Abraham that He will look after and bless this boy too, even though he is not the Son of promise).  In case you’re wondering, Abraham had other sons and daughters after this, but these two serve to illustrate the point.  For God’s purposes, in regard to the promises – we need to know that God calls Isaac Abraham’s only son – the son of promise.  (God did not forget Ishmael but for the promise/covenant – only Isaac counts!) 

Now, that’s the quick summary and we’re all caught up!

{vs 23-25} Verse twenty-three simply gives us the very short summary, the accounts of the two births and the nature of their conception (natural or supernatural).  However, the next verse tells us that these two births can be an illustration for us.  The NIV renders it rather awkwardly (These things are being taken figuratively) – but the idea is ‘figuratively speaking . . .’  When you or I want to convey a message or idea, we have a multitude of ways to do so – we send a text or email, mail a letter, pick up the phone or just plain speak face to face.  However, God has a more amazing option – God uses the circumstances or life events of people to illustrate His lessons!  It is as if He works as easily, no more easily in the medium of the lives of men than we do with pen and ink!  Now, I want you to know that God does not do this as a puppet master would – forcing people to act against their will – but in knowing us and how we will react in any circumstance, God can place us as an artist would a speck of color on a canvas.  You and I have the gift of free will, as long as we live, which we can exercise within the range of choices afforded to us (neither God nor the Devil make us do it).  Paul expresses this idea in 1 Corinthians 10:11, when he says that “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us”.  Paul is not saying these events did not take place or that they are only a story for us to learn from but that God recorded this truth in their lives and in the pages of scriptures examples for us!

This example is about the Law versus God’s Promise, which is why we find it here in the letter to the Galatians.  From these two mothers came the Arabic and Hebrew peoples, who could not get along then and yes, continue the struggle today (they will until the events of Revelation are fulfilled!)  Ishmael was born from works – man’s effort (Sarah’s idea and well you know the rest…).  He and his mother represent the Law, slavery/bondage, the old Jewish system and the earthly or physical city of Jerusalem – all the things that Paul wants them to come out from under!

{vs 26-27} Isaac was born to Abraham in his old age from Sarah’s dead womb – a physical impossibility made possible by God, by His promise!  Sarah was a free woman, not a slave and Isaac born of their God approved marriage did not represent sin!  Sarah and her son Isaac represent God’s promise, faith, grace and the Heavenly Jerusalem – they are the supernatural or miraculous!  When God promised Abraham a son – it was unconditional (nothing required of Abraham or Sarah – no planning, help or scheming required!) this is just like God’s grace! 

Nothing can be added to God’s grace - - - or it isn’t grace anymore!  One commentator I was reading this week told the story of a wonderful churchgoer who decided to gift a fabulous new church facility to the congregation.  After all the planning, construction and dust settled they met in the new building for the first time to celebrate and a ceremony took place.  Up upon the altar, the Pastor and Elders thanked the donor, gave a plague and one single dollar.  You see legally the state would not recognize them as the owners unless the land was sold to the church, so the donor set the price at one dollar!  However, in that moment this amazing gesture went from a free gift to the world’s cheapest (most generous) real estate transaction.

“Be glad, barren woman…” – this confusing (to us today), confusing quote is from the prophet Isaiah (chapter 54) (the section on salvation and encouragement to the Babylonian exiles).  In its original context, he and God were telling the broken remnant of Israel that they would return to the Promised Land – that although they seem barren . . . they would, in the end be more prosperous than before!  Here, in Galatians Paul and God attaches a spiritual meaning – perhaps a more powerful and primary meaning to the quote!  The natural woman (Hagar) and her slave children (all those born under the Law to the earthly Jerusalem) will be outnumbered by the supernaturally born children – the New Covenant or Heavenly Jerusalem.  This is prophetic too, soon the believers would outnumber all those who had ever been born under the Old Covenant, to the Law!

{vs 28-31} As we end this chapter, Paul offers this amazing encouragement – believers, you are children of promise!  We are the heirs of God, the joint heirs of Christ and we get it all!  Just like in Abraham’s story - - - the child of promise inherited everything!  Ismael and his mother were sent away because they had no part in the promise.  Today they could not enter the Kingdom, it is not by natural birth, only by adoption!  This contrast set up conflict between the two - like these two branches of Abraham’s family - - - the Law and grace are incompatible, they cannot coincide!  Just as the Judaizers persecuted the true believers and just as the legalists persecuted and put to death our Lord!  For now, until the natural children are put away – we have to deal with this persecution!  This world and all of those who belong to it are perishing and we who are of this new spiritual birth (kingdom) are being taken out of this world to a new and glorious place prepared for us!  Praise God!