Galatians 4:19-31 (KJV)
My little children,
of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be
present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you. Tell
me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is
written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a
freewoman. But he who was of the
bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which
things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount
Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai
in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her
children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For
it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou
that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which
hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as
Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the
flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for
the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So
then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
Paul after showing that we have become sons of YHWH by faith
in Messiahs work, not by our observance of ceremony and ritual, goes on to
remind the Galatians that when He delivered the gospel to them he came as a man
needing the same salvation of faith in Messiah he was sharing with them. He
reminds them of their love for him for the message that He and they had need to
be crucified in Messiah that they might share in the same Spirit that raised
Yeshua from the grave providing for both He and them to have life.
In an obvious contrast to Pauls message of equality of need
answered by an equality of faith bringing an equality of life; these false
teachers place themselves greater than the Galatians in living for YHWH by a
greater knowledge of YHWH and that if followed they will teach them to become
as them. In effect telling those who are disciples of the word of YHWH
manifested in the flesh that to possess YHWH they must become disciples of men
born after the flesh.
The law of Moses is not only the ten commandment or only the
ordinances and statutes but it includes all that Moses has given from Genesis
through Deuteronomy; for it is not a teaching of what men should do but who
they should be.
So it is that Paul begins to show the difference between the
first covenant between YHWH and those born of the seed from Adam and the second
between YHWH and the Son born of His seed. Paul knowing all things in the law
are a witness of Messiah brings out the lesson of Ishmael and Isaac.
Ishmael and Isaac are the fruit of what has taken place to
form them; while one became a great nation in the earth he was cast out of the promise
of the inheritance of those born from above of YHWH the other would in the
earth (until that day) a remnant among the earth. But this small one among the
nations would receive the words of life from YHWH given to men led by His
breath until the seed was brought forth to be the word of YHWH manifested in
flesh by whom men of every nation would be made to inherit the life of YHWH.
So Paul takes us back to the way in which these two sons came
to be using allegory to show us that in which way we trust to bring forth life
will determine which child is brought forth in our own lives.
Abraham is visited by YHWH in Genesis 15 and promised a seed
from his own body shall inherate that which YHWH has blessed and promised him.
Abraham believes YHWHs promise, but Sarah and Abraham see no
way that they can produce a child and perform YHWH’s promise so they inspire a
plan to bring about that which YHWH has said will happen. The plan is that
Sarah will give as a wife that which belongs to her, her servant Hagar. Who conceives
when Abraham lays with her and brings forth a son from Abrahams own body just
as YHWH has said.
The problem is YHWH’s ways and thoughts are not like the
ways and thoughts of men; and no man (regardless of how close he may be to YHWH’s
heart) gives council to YHWH. Those things that He has spoken He brings to
pass; not by men’s might or their ability but by His Spirit. So YHWH comes to
Abraham again and gives him the token of circumcision of the foreskin and tells
Him that Sarah will conceive a son that shall be his heir. Showing Abraham and
us that only when the flesh is removed can that which YHWH has promised be
brought to manifestation.
How do these things being so show us what Paul is teaching
about the difference between the covenant of given at Sinai and the one which
is given from above in Messiah. The covenant of Sinai came with a promise that
if we loved YHWH our Elohim with all our heart and soul and might that the
words He spoke that day would be in our heart. As Sarah and Abraham heard and
believed the promise but could not see that YHWH had to bring it to pass; so
they proclaimed “we shall do all that YHWH has said”.
Every man born from the seed of Adam has been born in a
bondage of sin and death it is bondage which depends on the self to generate
life. So though they believed the promise; they thought to bring the life and righteousness
described in the law to manifestation by the strength of self.
Paul uses this to show that those in bondage even if a faith
comes into it cannot produce anything except bondage. The promise of YHWH is
the work and glory of YHWH and until the flesh of the self is removed He will
not manifest it for He shares His glory with no flesh.
For this reason our old man of flesh is removed in Messiahs crucifixion
that our life may be of YHWH alone making us to be one with Him.
Paul concludes that we must cast out the child of the
bondwoman born of the self-trying to take hold of the promises. The life in us is of a promise that the life
described by the law shall be our life if we place all trust and reliance and dependence
on YHWH to manifest His life in us. Not by our generation but we are freely
generated by YHWH.
