It’s always a
pleasure to welcome you back again to Daily Bread. At the end of our last
study, Paul explained that we inherit the promise that God made to Abraham
because we are one in Christ . . . Part of Him, who was Abraham’s seed (Genesis
22:18,
Matthew 1:1-15). Next, Paul gives the Galatians a little comparison. Now
I say, that an heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a
servant, even though he stands to inherit everything; but is under guardians
and stewards until the time designated by the father. Likewise, when we were
children, we were in bondage (servants) under the principles of the world,
but when it was the designated time, God sent forth His Son, born of a
woman, born under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we
might be adopted as sons. And because we’re sons, God sent forth the Spirit
of His Son into our hearts, crying, Father, Father.
Therefore, you are
no longer a servant, but a son, and if you’re a son, then you’re an heir of
God through Christ. Nevertheless, before you knew God, you served them which
by nature are not gods. But now that you have known God, or rather are known
of God, why do you turn again to the weak and contemptible principles? Do
you desire again to be in bondage? In other words ... Now that you know of
God's Grace why would
you want to return to be under the LAW?
You honor days,
and months and times, and years. I’m afraid for you, that I’ve spent effort
on you for nothing. Brethren, I beg you, be as I am, because I am as you
are, you haven’t hurt (grieved) me at all. Oft times we encounter
those we show the TRUTH to and they may wander off the path of TRUTH. When
you try and tell them, they think they know all the answers (Like a
teenager) and cannot hear you. Paul is saying that for them to do against
his words of TRUTH is not hurting Paul but they are going against GOD and
hurting themselves. Sounds like something we would tell our children.
You know how
through weakness of the flesh I preached the Gospel to you at the beginning.
And my trial which was in my flesh, you didn’t look down upon or reject, but
you welcomed me as a messenger of God, even as Christ Jesus. (Paul had some
kind of visible ailment to the skin. He mentions this also in
2
Corinthians 12:7. Without modern medicine, back in those times, this was
considered unclean and for fear of contagion, people would probably not want
to associate with someone who was afflicted with such a thing.)
Where is the
blessedness you spoke of? (Paul is saying, What happened to the gratitude
you had because the Gospel of TRUTH was brought to, realized, and enjoyed by
you?) Because I tell the TRUTH, that if it had been possible, you would have
plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me. Have I in return
become your enemy because I tell you the TRUTH?
Others
passionately influence you, but not for a good cause, yes, they would
exclude (eliminate) you, that you might affect them. But it’s good to be
zealously moved always for a good cause, and not only when I am present with
you. This means that others might try and uplift you but they may be trying
to use you for their own benefit. In short. they smile at your face but
wanna take your place. Beware backstabbers.
My little
children, of whom I labor in birth again, until Christ is formed in you, I
wish I was with you now and to change my voice (tone), because I stand in
doubt of you. (Don’t miss the emotion in Paul’s heart when he says this. He
feels like the Galatians have gone back to square one. They are like newborn
babes again, and he has to labor to bring them back to the point of faith.
Think of how much time, effort, pain, etc., it takes to bear a child,
nurture it and teach it, until Christ is solid in their heart and they’re
strong enough to survive the challenges of the ungodly world. Paul, in
prison now, can only write to the Galatians, and he says, Oh, how I wish I
was with you now, and I didn’t have to talk this way because I fear for your
weakness. Remember, he is relying on a written letter to express such deep
feelings and heartache. The communication in this letter has to be enough to
reach in and touch the hearts of the Galatians . . . Enough to halt their
backpedaling and get them moving forward again toward faith, because right
now, they’re headed in the wrong direction. That’s quite an order, but if
anyone can do this, Paul can.)
Tell me, you that
desire to be under the law, do you not understand the law? It is written,
that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid (Hagar) and the other by a
freewoman (Sarah). The son of the bondmaid was born according to the flesh
(from man’s decision), but the son of the freewoman was according to the
promise (God’s decision).
These things are
symbolic of the two covenants. The one from the mount Sinai (where the law
was given), which leads to bondage, which is Hagar. Because this Hagar is
mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem which now is, and (Hagar) is
in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above (Isaiah
2:2), is free (where God bestowed Grace), which is the mother of us all
(Christianity sprang forth out of Israel). For it is written (Isaiah
54:1), Sing, O barren, thou that did not bear (Sarah), break forth into
singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child, for more are
the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith
the Lord.
Now we, brethren,
as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But just like back then, he that
was born according to the flesh, persecuted him that was born after the
Spirit, even as it is today. Nevertheless, what does the scripture say? Cast
out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be
heir with the son of the freewoman (Genesis
21:10). So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of
the free.
I didn’t want to
interrupt the flow of Paul’s explanation of the symbolism of the bondwoman
and the freewoman, so I saved this Daily Bread Crumb for the end. Back in
Abraham’s time, most of the eastern half of the Sinai Peninsula was part of
Arabia, and the western side belonged to the Egyptian Empire, just in case
you’re wondering why Paul referred to mount Sinai in Arabia. A more
interesting thing to note, however, is that the descendants of the
bondmaid’s son, Ishmael, are the Arab nations who are Muslim (also known as
Islamic). They are still persecuting the descendants of the freewoman’s son,
Isaac, who are the Christians, or the heirs of the promise.
Paul still has
much more to say to the Galatians to bring them back around to the truth, so
come on back to Daily Bread again soon, and we’ll share it together next
time.
