Rachel Workman: 21 Tell
me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says?
22 The
Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from
his freeborn wife.[g] 23 The son of the slave
wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s
promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of
his promise. Our efforts to control our lives are a lot like this. God has a
plan but we have our will. We make things happen that are not in the will of
God. And we force events that God clearly wants us to wait for. God's timing is
the best timing.
24 These two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. 25 And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia,[h] because she and her children live in slavery to the law. 26 But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. 27 As Isaiah said,
“Rejoice,
O childless woman,
you who have never given birth!
Break into a joyful shout,
you who have never been in labor!
For the desolate woman now has more children
than the woman who lives with her husband!”[i]
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John Burnett: 21 Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the Law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and one by the free woman. 23 But the son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. 24 This is speaking allegorically, for these women are two covenants: one coming from Mount Sinai giving birth to children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is enslaved with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. 27 For it is written:
“Rejoice, infertile one,
you who do not give birth;
Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor;
For the children of the desolate one are more numerous
Than those of the one who has a husband.”
Paul is questioning why the Galatians want to be enslaved to the law and their sin instead of being free from the bondage of sin in Christ Jesus. In verse 27 Paul references Isaiah 54:1. At that time Isaiah 54 was written Israel was exiled and enslaved by the Babylonians because they could not follow the law and they were being punished. When we are in Christ, we are no longer enslaved to the law or our sin nor are we going to suffer the consequences we deserve for our sin because Jesus Christ suffered those consequences for us 2000 years ago on the cross.
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Tomorrow’s reading for Galatians 4:28-31
28 And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. 29 But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit.
30 But what do the Scriptures say about that? “Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”[j] 31 So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman.
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