“For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants.” (Galatians 4:22–24, ESV)
It seems that, very often, children take on the characteristics and direction of their parents. In my life, my dad was chief of design for a company that built steam turbines. Upon graduation from high school, I pursued a degree in mechanical engineering. My dad served in the United States Army during WW2. I enrolled in the Army ROTC program at college and received a commission in the Army at the tail end of the Vietnam Conflict. I left the service and began a career in engineering and manufacturing. In fact, the only departure that I had from my dad’s career path was that some years after the Lord saved me, he called me to the pastoral ministry.
The point is this. Very often people are born into a position in life and continue in that line throughout life. Around the world we see caste systems. Some people, born of professional status move into professional fields. Some born in poverty remain in poverty. Some born in homes where drugs and alcohol are abused fall into the same trap. Yes, there are exceptions. I am one born in a home with no real focus on Christ and the church who experienced salvation at the age of 32 and became an active servant in the church and eventually entered the pastorate.
Here in this section of the letter to the Galatians, Paul continues his thoughts on the perplexing situation he saw in the Galatians. He began this section with these words.
“Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law?” (Galatians 4:21, ESV)
He then moved to give them an explanation from the Old Testament. To understand this section will take some time, more than can be covered in a short devotion. So, it will take a few.
The first thing that one needs to understand is seen in this verse.
“Now this may be interpreted allegorically” (Galatians 4:24, ESV)
Paul presented an allegorical argument. The English word allegory is a transliteration of the Greek allegoria. It refers to speaking in other words. It presents a symbolic representation to reveal a concept or truth.
Here Paul used a contrast between two sons of Abraham, one was Ishmael who was born of Hagar, Abraham’s slave or servant woman. The other was Isaac who was born of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. These two lineages allegorically represent two different covenants. One is a covenant under the promise. The other allegorically represented that under the law.
God had promised Abraham a son through whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed. We know that this, the seed of Abraham, refers to Jesus. Yet this was to happen through Sarah giving birth to a son of Abraham. Even though she was advanced in years and barren, God moved to bless them with a son named Isaac. Unfortunately, prior to the birth of Isaac, fleshly impatience got the better of Abraham and Sarah, and they made a decision for Abraham to have a child through the slave woman Hagar. The child was named Ishmael.
Hagar and her son Ishmael represent the lineage of slavery, that is bondage. This referred to those who were under the law and slaves to it. In contrast, the union of Abraham with his wife Sarah was according to the promise and represents the lineage of freedom and those set free from bondage to the law
Here again Paul is referring to the promise which is freedom and the law which represented slavery. His point to the Galatians is that faith in Jesus sets them under a better covenant, one that is of the promise. This is in contrast to the law, allegorically represented by the slave woman and her son.
The big point of all of this is that believers have a great heritage. We have been set free. Having such freedom under the new covenant, why would anyone want to move back into slavery.
We will continue in this allegorical argument in the next devotion.
Renewing the Heart 