“Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.” Galatians 4:10, Paul’s short but rather caustic observation concerning the Galatians new (bad) habits!
The verb “observe” is in the indicative mood here, stating a clear fact. It is also written here in the present tense, action happening at that very time. They had not stopped such ritualism! And the verb is also in the “middle” voice (which we do not have in English), showing us that the observations Paul is depicting are impacting the Galatians themselves in a negative way. (What they were then doing was hurting them spiritually!) Plus the verb is plural, a lot of the Galatians had fallen into this Judiazing/legalistic trap! In Greek this key word is spelled “paratereo,” meaning to “watch over” or even “to guard” certain things. Almost … to “count the days” until they arrive!
No longer are these Christians solely delighting (glorying) in the Grace of God!
They now serve the Law of Moses and its many “timely” requirements.
Wow!
Oh, one further nuance which I must mention.
In the ancient heathen world, out of which these Galatians were saved, “horoscopes” ruled supremely! A superstitious way of life was followed by nearly everyone. Days and months were declared “lucky” or “unlucky.” Certain years were declared (by means of omens and spells) to be safe for major decisions, others were not good times, “bad vibes!”
But God had saved the Galatians out of that background!
(The early Christians in Ephesus had such magic books! Acts 19:19 tells us what they did with them! “Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and BURNED THEM before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.” Wow!)
But now … since these (troublemaking) people from Jerusalem have come, the Galatians have begun to observe the special days of the Old Testament Law! (Remember Galatians 2:2? “Certain men came from James.” And James was a legalist! I personally believe he played a detrimental role in Paul’s premature death!)
Yes, the Galatians are once again observing … “days, and months, and times, and years.”
True, no longer in the “luck oriented” pagan sense (from which they had been set free) … but in a “Moses oriented” sense (which observances they have now begun to obey)! But still (after a brief interlude of liberty), slaves to the calendar!
Full circle the Galatians had ironically come, but in a bad way!
Yes, the Judiazers thought they were being “Biblical!” (Wresting such verses as Genesis 1:14 from their proper context. “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for SEASONS, and for DAYS, and YEARS: and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.”)
Observing days?
Yes, every 7th day, the weekly Sabbaths.
Or circumcising all the baby boys on the 8th day, specifically! (Leviticus 12:3 … “And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.”)
Observing months?
Yes, especially the “new moons.” (Numbers 28:11 … “And in the beginnings of your MONTHS ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the LORD; two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot ….”) The Jews observed a lunar (based on the moon) calendar, not a solar calendar.
Observing times?
Yes, especially the annual eight day Feasts such as Passover or Tabernacles!
And years?
Yes, no doubt the (twice a century) Year of Jubilee or the regularly (and more frequently) occurring Sabbatical years!
Wow!
Back into ritualistic bondage!
And Paul is ashamed of such behavior!
Anyway, those are my ideas on our Text today, Galatians 4:10. “Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.”
Folks, I love my freedom in Christ Jesus!
Free to live a godly life (because I desire to do so), being motivated by the Holy Spirit Himself, not by a complicated Rule Book! Serving Jesus through love, not through hundreds (if not thousands) of demands!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
This too. We now understand that the Legalizers from Jerusalem were demanding at least three things from Paul’s new Galatian converts to Jesus.
1. Circumcision … these men literally preached “circumcision!” (An “operation,” a form of “surgery,” being forced on these Gentiles!) Which Paul did not preach, certainly not as a requirement for salvation! See Galatians 5:11, for example.
2. Eating by the Jewish (Mosaic) food laws! (A complete change of diet for these once heathen Christians!) As is illustrated by Galatians 2:12, the way Peter acted when those big-shots from Jerusalem came to Antioch! “For before that certain (men) came from James, Peter did EAT with the Gentiles (non-Kosher foods): but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself (not eating just “anything” any more), fearing them which were of the circumcision.” Wow!
3. And today we have learned … observing the precise Jewish calendar! All its days and months and years!
No wonder Paul will yet write to the Galatians … “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the YOKE OF BONDAGE (with the Law).” Galatians 5:1
Essential advice!