Law or Grace; Slave or Free

Galatians 4:21-31

Galatians 4:21-3121 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, don’t you hear the law?

Galatians 4:21-3122 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and the other by a free woman.

Galatians 4:21-3123 But the one by the slave was born as a result of the flesh, while the one by the free woman was born through promise.

Galatians 4:21-3124 These things are being taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai and bears children into slavery – this is Hagar.

Galatians 4:21-3125 Now Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.

Galatians 4:21-3126 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.

Galatians 4:21-3127 For it is written, “Rejoice, childless woman, unable to give birth.Burst into song and shout,you who are not in labor,

Galatians 4:21-3127 for the children of the desolatewoman will be many, more numerous than those of the woman who has a husband.”

Galatians 4:21-3128 Now you too, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.

Galatians 4:21-3129 But just as then the child born as a result of the flesh persecuted the one born as a result of the Spirit, so also now.

Galatians 4:21-3130 But what does the Scripture say? “Drive out the slave and her son, for the son of the slave will never be a coheir with the son of a free woman.”

Galatians 4:21-3131 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of a slave but of the free woman.

Galatians 4:2121 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, don’t you hear the law?

The final basis for Paul’s appeal is: An Old Testament Story

I. The Story

Galatians 4:22-2322 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and the other by a free woman.

Galatians 4:22-2323 But the one by the slave was born as a result of the flesh, while the one by the free woman was born through promise.

Events During His Early Years:From birth to age 86 (Genesis 11-16)1. He was born and raised in Ur of the

Chaldees, a city located in the land of Mesopotamia (Gen 11:27-29; Acts 7:2-4).

Events During His Early Years: From birth to age 86 (Genesis 11-16)1. He was born and raised in Ur of the

Chaldees, a city located in the land of Mesopotamia (Gen 11:27-29; Acts 7:2-4).

2. God appears to Abraham (Gen 12:1-8).

Genesis 12:1-81 The Lord said to Abram:Go out from your land, your relatives,and your father’s houseto the land that I will show you.

Genesis 12:1-82 I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you,I will make your name great,and you will be a blessing.

Genesis 12:1-83 I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt,and all the peoples on earthwill be blessed through you.

Genesis 12:1-84 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.

Genesis 12:1-85 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated, and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,

Genesis 12:1-86 Abram passed through the land to the site of Shechem, at the oak of Moreh. (At that time the Canaanites were in the land.)

Genesis 12:1-87 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him.

Genesis 12:1-88 From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. He built an altar to the Lord there, and he called on the name of the Lord.

Events During His Early Years: From birth to age 86 (Genesis 11-16)3. Prior to his conversion, Abram was a

worshiper of idols (Josh 24:2).

Events During His Early Years: From birth to age 86 (Genesis 11-16)3. Prior to his conversion, Abram was a

worshiper of idols (Josh 24:2).4. God appeared to him, and Abram became

a believer shown by the fact that he obeyed God’s command to leave Mesopotamia for the new land that God had promised (Gen 12:1-5; Acts 7:2).

Events During His Early Years: From birth to age 86 (Genesis 11-16)5. God makes a promise to Abraham

(Gen 12:2-3).

Events During His Early Years: From birth to age 86 (Genesis 11-16)5. God makes a promise to Abraham

(Gen 12:2-3).6. He departs from Haran at age 75

(Gen 12:4).

Events During His Early Years: From birth to age 86 (Genesis 11-16)5. God makes a promise to Abraham

(Gen 12:2-3).6. He departs from Haran at age 75

(Gen 12:4).7. He arrives in Canaan, is promised the

land by God, and builds an altar at Bethel (Gen 12:5-9).

Events During His Early Years: From birth to age 86 (Genesis 11-16)8. He goes to Egypt during a famine in

Canaan, and lies about his wife Sarai (Gen 12:10-20).

Events During His Early Years: From birth to age 86 (Genesis 11-16)8. He goes to Egypt during a famine in

Canaan, and lies about his wife Sarai (Gen 12:10-20).

9. He returns to Bethel and again worships God (Gen 13:4).

Events During His Early Years: From birth to age 86 (Genesis 11-16)10. He separates from his nephew Lot

after an argument over land grazing rights (Gen 13:5-13).

Events During His Early Years: From birth to age 86 (Genesis 11-16)10. He separates from his nephew Lot

after an argument over land grazing rights (Gen 13:5-13).

11. God again promises to give him the land of Canaan (Gen 13:14-17).

Events During His Early Years: From birth to age 86 (Genesis 11-16)12. He moves to Hebron and builds an

altar to God (Gen 13:18).

Events During His Early Years: From birth to age 86 (Genesis 11-16)12. He moves to Hebron and builds an

altar to God (Gen 13:18).13. He rescues his nephew Lot (now living

in Sodom) who had been taken prisoner by a Mesopotamian king named Chedorlaomer (Gen 14:1-17).

Events During His Early Years: From birth to age 86 (Genesis 11-16)14. He meets, gives tithes to, and is

blessed by Melchizedek, king of Salem (Gen 14:18-24).

Events During His Early Years: From birth to age 86 (Genesis 11-16)14. He meets, gives tithes to, and is

blessed by Melchizedek, king of Salem (Gen 14:18-24).

15. He is promised a son and to become the father of a great nation (Gen 15:1-5).

Genesis 15:1-51 After these events, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:Do not be afraid, Abram.I am your shield;your reward will be very great.

Genesis 15:1-52 But Abram said, “Lord God, what can you give me, since I am childless and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”

Genesis 15:1-53 Abram continued, “Look, you have given me no offspring, so a slave born in my house will be my heir.”

Genesis 15:1-54 Now the word of the Lord came to him: “This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body will be your heir.”

Genesis 15:1-55 He took him outside and said “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “Your offspring will be that numerous.”

Events During His Early Years: From birth to age 86 (Genesis 11-16)16. He believes God and is declared

righteous due to his faith (Gen 15:6).

Events During His Early Years: From birth to age 86 (Genesis 11-16)16. He believes God and is declared

righteous due to his faith (Gen 15:6).17. He enters into a blood covenant with

God (Gen 15:7-11).

Events During His Early Years: From birth to age 86 (Genesis 11-16)18. In a dream God reveals to him that his

descendants would serve in a foreign land for 400 years, but then depart with great substance (Gen 15:12-17).

Events During His Early Years: From birth to age 86 (Genesis 11-16)18. In a dream God reveals to him that his

descendants would serve in a foreign land for 400 years, but then depart with great substance (Gen 15:12-17).

19. He is now given the boundaries of the land (Gen 15:18-21).

Events During His Early Years: From birth to age 86 (Genesis 11-16)20. At the advice of his barren wife Sarai,

he marries Hagar, her Egyptian handmaid with the hope that he could father a son through her (Gen 16:1-3).

Genesis 16:1-41 Abram’s wife Sarai had not borne any children for him, but she owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar.

Genesis 16:1-42 Sarai said to Abram, “Since the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps through her I can build a family.” And Abram agreed to what Sarai said.

Genesis 16:1-43 So Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar, her Egyptian slave, and gave her to her husband Abram as a wife for him. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan ten years.

Genesis 16:1-44 He slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant.

Events During His Early Years: From birth to age 86 (Genesis 11-16)21. Soon after conception, and following

an argument, Hagar is sent to the desert by an angry Sarai (Gen 16:4-6).

Genesis 16:4-64 When she saw that she was pregnant, her mistress became contemptible to her.

Genesis 16:4-65 Then Sarai said the Abram, “You are responsible for my suffering! I put my slave in your arms, and when she saw that she was pregnant, I became contemptible to her. May the Lord judge between me and you.”

Genesis 16:4-66 Abram replied to Sarai, “Here, your slave is in your hands; do whatever you want with her.” Then Sarai mistreated her so much that she ran away from her.

Events During His Early Years: From birth to age 86 (Genesis 11-16)22. Hagar is ministered to by the angel of

the Lord, promised a son whose name would be called Ishmael, and sent back to Sarai (Gen 16:7-14).

Events During His Early Years: From birth to age 86 (Genesis 11-16)22. Hagar is ministered to by the angel of

the Lord, promised a son whose name would be called Ishmael, and sent back to Sarai (Gen 16:7-14).

23. Hagar gives birth to Ishmael when Abram was 86 (Gen 16:15-16).

Events During His Latter Years: From 86 to 175 (Genesis 17-25)1. God appears to Abram when he was 99

years old and changes his name to Abraham (Gen 17:1-5).

Events During His Latter Years: From 86 to 175 (Genesis 17-25)1. God appears to Abram when he was 99

years old and changes his name to Abraham (Gen 17:1-5).

2. He again is promised both seed and soil (Gen 17:6-8).

Events During His Latter Years: From 86 to 175 (Genesis 17-25)3. God now institutes the ceremony of

circumcision (Gen 17:9-14).

Events During His Latter Years: From 86 to 175 (Genesis 17-25)3. God now institutes the ceremony of

circumcision (Gen 17:9-14).4. Sarai’s name is now changed to Sarah

(Gen 17:15-16).

Events During His Latter Years: From 86 to 175 (Genesis 17-25)5. God promises to bless Ishmael and

reassures Abraham that Sarah would give birth to a baby boy who would be called Isaac (Gen 17:17-22).

Genesis 17:15-2215 God said to Abraham, “As for your wife Sarai, do not call her Sarai, for Sarah will be her name.

Genesis 17:15-2216 I will bless her; indeed, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will produce nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”

Genesis 17:15-2217 Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, give birth?”

Genesis 17:15-2218 So Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael were acceptable to you!”

Genesis 17:15-2219 But God said, “No. You wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. I will confirm my covenant with him as a permanent covenant for his future offspring.

Genesis 17:15-2220 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will certainly bless him; I will make him fruitful and will multiply him greatly. He will father twelve tribal leaders, and I will make him into a great nation.

Genesis 17:15-2221 But I will confirm my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year.”

Genesis 17:15-2222 When he finished talking with him, God withdrew from Abraham.

Events During His Latter Years: From 86 to 175 (Genesis 17-25)6. Abraham circumcises himself and all

the males in his camp (Gen 17:23-27).

Events During His Latter Years: From 86 to 175 (Genesis 17-25)6. Abraham circumcises himself and all

the males in his camp (Gen 17:23-27).7. Abraham is visited by the Lord and two

angels, who again reassure him of Isaac’s birth, now to occur in less than a year (Gen 18:1-15).

Genesis 18:9-159 “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “There, in the tent,” he answered.

Genesis 18:9-1510 The Lord said, “I will certainly come back to you in about a year’s time, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him.

Genesis 18:9-1511 Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.

Genesis 18:9-1512 So she laughed to herself: “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I have delight?”

Genesis 18:9-1513 But the Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Can I really have a baby when I’m old?’

Genesis 18:9-1514 Is anything impossible for the Lord? At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year she will have a son.”

Genesis 18:9-1515 Sarah denied it. “I did not laugh,” she said, because she was afraid.But he replied, “No, you did laugh.”

Events During His Latter Years: From 86 to 175 (Genesis 17-25)8. God tells him Sodom would soon be

destroyed (Gen 18:16-22).

Events During His Latter Years: From 86 to 175 (Genesis 17-25)9. Isaac is born when Abraham was 100 years old (Gen 21:1-8).

Genesis 21:1-71 The Lord came to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised.

Genesis 21:1-72 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time God had told him.

Genesis 21:1-73 Abraham named his son who was born to him – the one Sarah bore to him – Isaac.

Genesis 21:1-74 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded him.

Genesis 21:1-75 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

Genesis 21:1-76 Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears will laugh with me.”

Genesis 21:1-77 She also said, “Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne a son for him in his old age.”

Galatians 4:22-2322 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and the other by a free woman.

Galatians 4:22-2323 But the one by the slave was born as a result of the flesh, while the one by the free woman was born through promise.

II. The Illustration

Galatians 4:2424 These things are being taken figuratively…

Galatians 4:2424 These things are being taken figuratively, for the women represents two covenants.

Galatians 4:2424 One is from Mount Sinai and bears children into slavery – this is Hagar.

Galatians 4:2525 Now Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.

Galatians 4:26-2726 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.

Galatians 4:26-2727 For it is written, “Rejoice, childless woman, unable to give birth.Burst into song and shout,you who are not in labor,

Galatians 4:26-2727 for the children of the desolatewoman will be many, more numerous than those of the woman who has a husband.”

III. The Application

Application

1. We are children of the promise.

Galatians 4:2828 Now you too, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.

Romans 9:6-96 Now it is not as though the word of God has failed, because not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.

Romans 9:6-97 Neither are all of Abraham’s children his descendants. “On the contrary, your offspring will be traced through Isaac.”

Romans 9:6-98 That is, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but the children of the promise are considered to be the offspring.

Romans 9:6-99 For this is the statement of the promise: “At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.”

Application

1. We are children of the promise.2. We should expect persecution.

Galatians 4:2929 But just as then the child born as a result of the flesh persecuted the one born as a result of the Spirit, so also now.

Application

1. We are children of the promise.2. We should expect persecution.3. We should reject false gospels.

Galatians 4:21-3130 But what does the Scripture say? “Drive out the slave and her son, for the son of the slave will never be a coheir with the son of a free woman.”