(Everything in blue on this blog is a clickable link. I want you to read the Scriptures for yourself and ask God to teach you. His Word is so much more powerful than my own!)
Galatians 4 is one of many demonstrations of why we must study both the Old and New Testaments side by side to gain a complete picture of God's redemptive plan for all people. Passages like this one in Galatians simply do not make sense if we ignore God's story in the Old Testament. To understand this chapter, we need to know the history of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael from Genesis 15-25. Ishmael was Abraham's first son, born of Hagar, the slave woman. Isaac was Abraham's firstborn son of Sarah, the result of God's promise that Abraham would become the father of many nations. Wrapped up in Galatians 4 is the age-old struggle between two nations, between Hagar and Sarah's sons, whose descendants have always warred against one another, Muslim vs. Jew.
v. 20 Paul was so frustrated with the Galatian believers, because through Christ, they had been born free, children of the promise of Abraham. However, they were choosing to live as slaves to the law. v. 11, 19 Paul had struggled to bring spiritual birth to the Galatians, and he felt like he had wasted his time. We can really hear Paul's frustration and sarcasm in Galatians 5:12! Because we have children, you and I can probably relate to his feelings of wanting to pinch their heads off, but Paul took it up a notch!
v. 3-7 These are really the focal verses of Paul's rant. He paints the picture of a timeline.
You and I get stuck in the cycle too! God has a plan for freedom in our lives. Let's follow His timeline and get off the merry-go-round of slavery to sin. This is the secret to Victory in Christ!
v. 28-31 This is what Paul is trying to teach to the Galatians:
Galatians 4 is one of many demonstrations of why we must study both the Old and New Testaments side by side to gain a complete picture of God's redemptive plan for all people. Passages like this one in Galatians simply do not make sense if we ignore God's story in the Old Testament. To understand this chapter, we need to know the history of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael from Genesis 15-25. Ishmael was Abraham's first son, born of Hagar, the slave woman. Isaac was Abraham's firstborn son of Sarah, the result of God's promise that Abraham would become the father of many nations. Wrapped up in Galatians 4 is the age-old struggle between two nations, between Hagar and Sarah's sons, whose descendants have always warred against one another, Muslim vs. Jew.
v. 20 Paul was so frustrated with the Galatian believers, because through Christ, they had been born free, children of the promise of Abraham. However, they were choosing to live as slaves to the law. v. 11, 19 Paul had struggled to bring spiritual birth to the Galatians, and he felt like he had wasted his time. We can really hear Paul's frustration and sarcasm in Galatians 5:12! Because we have children, you and I can probably relate to his feelings of wanting to pinch their heads off, but Paul took it up a notch!
v. 3-7 These are really the focal verses of Paul's rant. He paints the picture of a timeline.
Paul was perplexed and asked, "Why would you want to cycle back to being slaves after all God did to redeem you?" This reminds me of Hosea and Gomer's story! This has been a cycle of Israel throughout history, and it is repeatedly told throughout the Bible.
v. 28-31 This is what Paul is trying to teach to the Galatians:
- You are sons.
- God gave you His Spirit.
- You have a Father.
- You are free.
- You are heirs of the promise.
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