Today’s Text verse is Galatians 4:24. Where Paul writes: “Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.”

Paul is here teaching … with a specific goal in mind. Trying to “save” his Galtian converts from drifting back into a form of slavery! From neglecting their precious “liberty” in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son!

So he is relating the story of Abraham’s two sons, his first two sons precisely. One who was born of a salve girl, a handmaid. The other being born of a full-fledged Wife, “Sarah.”

That’s where today’s verse “fits” into the overall scheme. “Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.”

But first, what is an “allegory?”

The English word “allegory” is defined as: “a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, often a moral or religious one.” Another dictionary shortens it some, to merely  a (verbal) “symbol!”

Better maybe yet, the Greek word here is “allegoreo.” It is a blend of “allos” (a pronoun) which simply means “another,” or “the other” of two or more choices. Then “agoreo” (a verb) meaning “to gather together,” or even “to assemble.” (This is the only time in all the Bible this word appears, a true “hapax legomenon.”)

Hence, an “allegory” takes one set of facts (Abraham’s two boys) and compares them to a corresponding set of facts, for teaching/illustrative purposes.

And what is an “Agar?”

Just the Old Testament name “Hagar,” but brought directly from Greek into English, not translated … but transliterated! (In Greek technically there is not “h” letter, not in their whole alphabet! So the King James translators obeyed this grammatical constriction precisely.)

Yes, Hagar was a woman in “bondage,” in the employ of Abraham and Sarah as a “servant.” (The first time the noun “handmaid” is used in Scripture is Genesis 16:1, identifying Hagar! “Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an HANDMAID, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.” The noun is “shipchah,” a slave girl!)

Things are becoming clearer.

The Galatians, who have been born again by the liberating Grace of God … can now live like free-born sons (Isaac’s kind) … or they can spurn their freedom and go back into a form of slavery (Ishmael’s kind, the son of Hagar) and live an inferior life!

Wow!

“Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.”

Boys compared to covenants!

The verb “gendereth,” just like it one might suspect, means “to give birth” to something.

Paul does not “hate” the Law of Moses. He is just violently opposed to it as a means of salvation! Something better (Someone Better) has now been provided by God the Father!

As is stated in 1 John 4:14. “And we have seen and do testify THAT THE FATHER SENT THE SON TO BE THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD.” 

Amen!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Look at this, too! “For the Law MADE NOTHING PERFECT, but the bringing in of A BETTER HOPE did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.” Hebrews 7:19, and obviously Jesus is that BETTER HOPE!

 

In Luke 15 Jesus told the beautiful short Story of a man with two sons, and the our Lord drew a wealth of practical truth from that account. But even longer ago (back in the Book of Genesis) a man named Abraham also had two sons. And the Apostle Paul (in our Text today) is going to begin drawing vital Biblical truth leaned from these two boys, their lives, their births even!

Galatians 4:23 reminds us: “But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.”

The child of the slave (bondwoman) was Ishmael. 

The baby born to the freewoman (the mistress, the matriarch, wife of the household) was Isaac.

Ishmael’s mother was Hagar.

Isaac’s … Sarah.

But Paul wants us to know more than these bare facts.

“But he who was of the bondwoman was born AFTER THE FLESH; but he of the freewoman was BY PROMISE.”

These two facets of the boys’ origins must be important!

They must be established … in order for Paul to continue with his application.

I’d say Ishmael (the name means “God will hear”) was certainly born via fleshly means. Abraham had sexual relations with a slave they owned. And through her was this child given! Sarah was not involved, except she at first agreed to the plan. In fact, she originated it! (“Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.” Genesis 16:1-2)

And THIS TIME … Abraham listened!

But not always did he put Sarah’s best interest first! (“And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. SAY, I PRAY THEE, THOU ART MY SISTER: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.” Genesis 12:10-13)

Yes, this is the flesh!

But Isaac’s birth was different!

Solely by promise!

Miraculously so!

Here’s the Genesis Record … “And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.” Genesis 21:1-5

Abraham, a new Dad, at age 100! (Sarah was 90, folks!)

Again I say, this is promise!

Well before the birth, God said: “And God said, Sarah thy wife (Sarah) shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.” Genesis 17:19, named even before he was conceived!

I think the point is well established … our Text today … “But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.”

Now Paul can go forward building his illustration, his argument, his sermon!

Which we shall notice further tomorrow morning, the Lord willing.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

In reality, from the time God first told Abraham about his “seed” (his “child”) being “of promise” (when Abraham first left Ur of the Chaldees) a period of 25 years had lapsed! Yes, Abraham was 75 years of age when he left his home, solely to follow God Almighty. And he (as we have seen) was 100 when Isaac was born!

That’s trusting God and His PROMISE!

 

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