Articles
Sarah and Hagar - Galatians 4
Sarah and Hagar - Galatians 4
The story in Genesis about Sarah and Hagar is about real women, the heartache of being barren, the struggle of jealousy. Sarah and Abraham attempt to ‘help God out’ by producing a child through Hagar. But the promise was that Sarah would have a child by Abraham (Gen. 17:15-16). So, when we recite our ‘genealogies’, we never say “Abraham begat Ishmael.” But we COULD! Ishmael and all of his descendants are children of Abraham according to the flesh, but they were not the promised ones.
It is a twist then when Paul states that ISRAEL is now considered the children of HAGAR. They are children of what Paul could say is ‘the present Jerusalem’ and are ‘in slavery’. This all represents Mount Sinai – where God made the covenant with Israel by Moses, the ‘old covenant’, the ‘first covenant’.
WE, the disciples of Jesus, are of the NEW covenant, the 2nd covenant. This is the covenant ratified by the blood of Jesus (Matt. 26:28). This is the covenant that makes us FREE. It is by THIS WILL (covenant) that we now are related to God.
Paul had just taught: “WE (disciples of Jesus) are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus, for as many as have been baptized into Christ have clothed ourselves with Christ.” … And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise” (Gal. 3:26-29). In THIS covenant there is neither Jew nor Gentile, male nor female, slave or free man. We are now ONE body and hence ONE in Christ. Abraham begat Isaac, Isaac begat Jacob, and finally we see that Jesus was born, Jesus the son of Abraham, the promised son. And, so to speak, Jesus begat US. We are the children of promise.
Paul then makes this application: “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). We are free from THE law, but even more importantly, we are free from sin and condemnation. We are also free to SERVE ONE ANOTHER (Gal. 5:13).
How do you view this freedom in Christ? We are not said to be free to BE served, but to serve one another. Are you serving? What did you do this week? Whom did you provide service to?
Hugh DeLong
