Our Verse today, Galatians 4:22 begins one of Paul’s most unusual “illustrations,” in all of His Holy Spirit inspired Corpus (Body of Literature).

“For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.” Pure Old Testament history!

Paul’s “string of words” here, actually better called a “formula” … specifically “It is written” … automatically indicates an Old Testament quotation or allusion is on the immediate horizon.

In fact, Jesus used the same designation during His Teaching Ministry! Luke 4:8 furnishes us an example. “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: FOR IT IS WRITTEN, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Quoting Deuteronomy 6:13.

So … the word picture Paul is about to share with us is directly Old Testament oriented. Again, “It is written!” 

Then we are reminded “Abraham had two sons.” Well really, he had more than two. But only the first two are in focus here. (Proof: “Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.” Wow, Genesis 25:1-2, more than I thought!)

The sons in this discussion are, of course, Ishmael and Isaac.

“For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.”

Ishmael was borne to Abraham by his “handmaid” Hagar, an Egyptian. And Isaac was (miraculously) his son by his Wife Sarah.

Here Paul does not even bother to give their names! He simply identifies them by the circumstances of their births! (Although Hagar is referenced in verse 25 and finally Isaac in verse 28, near paragraph’s end.)

The point being, these sons are representative in Paul’s illustration. This thing is nearly a parable, I’d say. I remind you, Paul’s masterful logic at work. Preaching through the medium of Bible history!

“For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.”

One boy represents slavery. That would be Ishmael, Hagar’s son. She indeed was a servant!

The other son pictures freedom, liberty!  That being Isaac, of course, the son of Sarah, not a slave, not a servant, not an handmaid!

And from this foundation Paul builds his Sermon!

A sermon about us being (in Christ Jesus our Lord) … free! At liberty! Not under the law!

To which all of us should say, “Hallelujah!”

More tomorrow, the Lord willing, as these verse build.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

Photo … driving home in the rain last night, after the Revival Meeting!

Yes, I have an early morning dentist appointment, a severely chipped tooth! For that reason I will write the Lesson later today, upon returning to the house. (Although, as you can see, I have already given the Lesson a Title!)

But this does give me an opportunity to ask you, our readers, to pray for us regularly. We do serve the All Sufficient God, Who guards his children. He is our Safety!

Pastor Marvin and Dottie Gunter

We’ve just finished a Revival in Winston, Georgia, five Bible-filled Services! Working with a precious Pastor, Brother Marvin Gunter and his people at the Liberty Baptist Church.

Until later in the day …

Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

Paul, as he segues into a major “word picture” concerning successful Christian living, asks yet another question. “Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?” Galatians 4:21

Well first, he starts with a command! (Paul is one “bossy” little Preacher, wonderfully so … to the Glory of God!)

“Tell me,” a stark order, a mandate! The verb being “lego,” meaning “to talk,” but here I think Paul is longing for a conversation! A “back and forth” dialogue! (By the way, “lego” is the first word in  the Greek sentence, too, indicating very high interpretive, hermeneutical priority!)

They “desire” to be under the Law, Moses’ Law, those 613 Old Testament commands written for Israel to obey? (The little word “under” is the preposition “hupo,” as in the medical term “hypoglycemia,” low blood sugar! The “u” in hupo becomes a “y” when it is anglicized.) So here the Law is towering over these Galatian Christians. And apparently they love it that way!

“Desire” translates “thelo,” showing they “get pleasure, freely choose, fully intend” to follow the Law! Doing so is their “wish!” This is a present participle too, ongoing “hunger” for the Law! 

Mercy!

Now comes Paul’s query, “Do ye not hear the Law?” Almost, “Have you never read that Law?” Implying they might be a little ignorant of the very Law they have come to espouse!

If anyone in the New Testament knew the Law, it would have been the Apostle Paul! (Acts 22:23 … “I Paul am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the LAW of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.” Add … “Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the LAW, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the LAW, blameless.” Philippians 3:5-6)

I will guarantee Paul had memorized in detail all 613 of those Mosaic Statutes!

Galatians, professing Christians … “Do ye not hear the Law?”

I get the feeling they are about to “HEAR” some of it, rightly applied! 

In Greek the verb for “hear” is “akouo.” We get our word “acoustics” from this root! The “sound quality” of a given room, especially a Church!

“Do you not study that Law?”

“Do you not understand what that Law really means?”

“Have you not paid close intention to that Law?”

These questions may at least parallel what Paul is asking his converts, if not further (more fully) explain the Apostle’s interrogative.

(It is a good idea to always “learn” what we say we “believe!” To “master” what we desire “to master” us! To “comprehend” what we desire “to rule” our lives!)

Wow!

“Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?”

Now tomorrow, the Lord willing … we begin that elongated illustration FROM THE LAW … that beautifully illustrates we are no longer UNDER THE LAW!!!

I’m excited!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell