Chapter Eight
Chapter Eight
Meet Your Mother
We parents never seem to outgrow our children. “When they’re little, they’re a handful; but when they’re grown, they’re a heartful!” I remember hearing my mother say, “When they’re little, they step on your toes; but when they’re grown, they step on your heart.”
This is what Paul was experiencing as he tried to help the Galatian believers with their confused spiritual lives. When he had first come to them with the gospel, he had “travailed” spiritually to see them turn to the Lord. But after all, the Lord Jesus had travailed on the cross to make possible their salvation (Isa. 53:11), and Paul’s travail was nothing in comparison. But now the Galatian Christians were falling back into legalism and a “second childhood” experience, and Paul had to travail over them again. He longed to see Christ formed in them, just as we parents long to see our children mature in the will of God.
Since the Judaizers appealed to the law, Paul accepted their challenge and used the law to prove that Christians are not under the law. He took the familiar story of Ishmael and Isaac (Gen. 16—21) and drew from it basic truths about the Christian’s relationship to the law of Moses.
The events described actually happened, but Paul used them as an allegory, which is a narrative that has a deeper meaning behind it. Perhaps the most famous allegory in the English language is John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, in which Bunyan traces Christian’s experiences from the City of Destruction to heaven. In an allegory, persons and actions represent hidden meanings, so that the narrative can be read on two levels: the literal and the symbolic.
Paul’s use of Genesis in this section does not give us license to find “hidden meanings” in all the events of the Old Testament. If we take that approach to the Bible, we can make it mean almost anything we please. This is the way many false teachings arise. The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to discern the hidden meaning of the Genesis story. We must always interpret the Old Testament in the light of the New Testament, and where the New Testament gives us permission, we may search for hidden meanings. Otherwise, we must accept the plain statements of Scripture and not try to “spiritualize” everything.
THE HISTORICAL FACTS (4:19–23)
Perhaps the easiest way to grasp the historical account is to trace briefly Abraham’s experiences as recorded in Genesis 12—21. Using his age as our guide, we will trace the events on which Paul based his argument for Christian liberty.
75—Abraham is called by God to go to Canaan, and God promises him many descendants (Gen. 12:1–9). Both Abraham and his wife, Sarah, wanted children, but Sarah was barren. God was waiting until both of them were “as good as dead” before He would perform the miracle of sending them a son (Rom. 4:16–25).
85—The promised son has not yet arrived, and Sarah becomes impatient. She suggests that Abraham marry Hagar, her maid, and try to have a son by her. This act was legal in that society, but it was not in the will of God. Abraham followed her suggestion and married Hagar (Gen. 16:1–3).
86—Hagar gets pregnant and Sarah gets jealous! Things are so difficult in the home that Sarah throws Hagar out. But the Lord intervenes, sends Hagar back, and promises to take care of her and her son. When Abraham is 86, the son is born, and he calls him Ishmael (Gen. 16:4–16).
99—God speaks to Abraham and promises again that he will have a son by Sarah and says to call his name Isaac. Later, God appears again and reaffirms the promise to Sarah as well (see Gen. 17—18).
100—The son is born (Gen. 21:1–7). They name him Isaac (“laughter”) as commanded by God. But the arrival of Isaac creates a new problem in the home: Ishmael has a rival. For fourteen years, Ishmael has been his father’s only son, very dear to his heart. How will Ishmael respond to the presence of a rival?
103—It was customary for the Jews to wean their children at about the age of three, and to make a great occasion of it. At the feast, Ishmael starts to mock Isaac (Gen. 21:8ff.) and to create trouble in the home. There is only one solution to the problem, and a costly one at that: Hagar and her son have to go. With a broken heart, Abraham sends his son away, because this is what the Lord tells him to do (vv. 9–14).
On the surface, this story appears to be nothing more than a tale of a family problem, but beneath the surface are meanings that carry tremendous spiritual power. Abraham, the two wives, and the two sons represent spiritual realities; and their relationships teach us important lessons.
The Old Covenant
The New Covenant
Law
Grace
Hagar the slave
Sarah the free-woman
Ishmael, conceived after the flesh
Isaac, conceived miraculously
Earthly Jerusalem in bondage
Heavenly Jerusalem, which is free
THE SPIRITUAL TRUTHS (4:24–29)
Paul now explained the meanings that lie behind these historical events; perhaps they are best classified as shown in the chart below.
Paul began with the two sons, Ishmael and Isaac (Gal. 4:22–23), and explained that they illustrate our two births: the physical birth that makes us sinners and the spiritual birth that makes us the children of God. As you think about this and read Genesis 21:1–12, you discover some wonderful spiritual truths about your salvation.
Isaac illustrates the believer in several particulars.
He was born by God’s power. In fact, God deliberately waited twenty-five years before He granted Abraham and Sarah their son. Isaac was “born after the Spirit” (Gal. 4:29), and of course, the Christian is “born of the Spirit” (John 3:1–7). Isaac came into the world through Abraham (who represents faith, Gal. 3:9) and Sarah (who represents grace), so that he was born “by grace … through faith” as is every true Christian (Eph. 2:8–9).
He brought joy. His name means “laughter,” and certainly he brought joy to his aged parents. Salvation is an experience of joy not only to the believer himself, but also to those around him.
He grew and was weaned (Gen. 21:8). Salvation is the beginning, not the ending. After we are born, we must grow (1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 3:18). Along with maturity comes weaning: We must lay aside “childish things” (1 Cor. 13:11). How easy it is for us to hold the “toys” of our earlier Christian days and fail to lay hold of the “tools” of the mature believer. The child does not enjoy being weaned, but he can never become a man until it happens. (Read Ps. 131 at this point.)
He was persecuted (Gen. 21:9). Ishmael (the flesh) caused problems for Isaac, just as our old nature causes problems for us. (Paul will discuss this in detail in Gal. 5:16ff.) Ishmael created no problems in the home until Isaac was born, just as our old nature creates no problems for us until the new nature enters when we trust Christ. In Abraham’s home we see the same basic conflicts that we Christians face today:
Hagar versus Sarah = law versus grace
Ishmael versus Isaac = flesh versus Spirit
It is important to note that you cannot separate these four factors. The Judaizers taught that law made the believer more spiritual, but Paul made it clear that law only releases the opposition of the flesh and a conflict within the believer ensues (see Rom. 7:19). There was no law strong enough either to change or to control Ishmael, but Isaac never needed any law. It has well been said, “The old nature knows no law and the new nature needs no law.”
Having explained the significance of the two sons, Paul turned to an explanation of the two wives, Sarah and Hagar. He was illustrating the contrasts between law and grace and was proving that the believer is not under law but is under the loving freedom that comes through God’s grace. Notice, then, the facts about Hagar that prove that the law no longer has power over the Christian.
Hagar was Abraham’s second wife. God did not begin with Hagar; He began with Sarah.
As far as God’s dealings with men are concerned, God began with grace. In Eden, God provided for Adam and Eve by grace. Even after they sinned, in His grace He provided them with coats of skins for a covering (Gen. 3:21). He did not give them laws to obey as a way of redemption; instead, He gave them a gracious promise to believe: the promise of a victorious Redeemer (v. 15).
In His relationship with Israel also, God first operated on the basis of grace, not law. His covenant with Abraham (Gen. 15) was all of grace, because Abraham was in a deep sleep when the covenant was established. When God delivered Israel from Egypt, it was on the basis of grace and not law, for the law had not yet been given. Like Hagar, Abraham’s second wife, the law was “added” (Gal. 3:19). Hagar performed a function temporarily, and then moved off the scene, just as the law performed a special function and then was taken away (vv. 24–25).
Hagar was a slave. Five times in this section she is called a “bondmaid” or “bondwoman” (Gal. 4:22–23, 30–31). Sarah was a freewoman, and therefore her position was one of liberty; but Hagar, even though married to Abraham, was still a servant. Likewise, the law was given as a servant. “Wherefore then serveth the law?” (Gal. 3:19). It served as a mirror to reveal men’s sins (Rom. 3:20) and as a monitor to control men and ultimately lead them to Christ (Gal. 3:23–25), but the law was never meant to be a mother!
Hagar was not meant to bear a child. Abraham’s marriage to Hagar was out of the will of God; it was the result of Sarah’s and Abraham’s unbelief and impatience. Hagar was trying to do what only Sarah could do, and it failed. The law cannot give life (Gal. 3:21) or righteousness (2:21) or the gift of the Spirit (3:2) or a spiritual inheritance (v. 18). Isaac was born Abraham’s heir (Gen. 21:10), but Ishmael could not share in this inheritance. The Judaizers were trying to make Hagar a mother again, while Paul was in spiritual travail for his converts that they might become more like Christ. No amount of religion or legislation can give the dead sinner life. Only Christ can do that through the gospel.
Hagar gave birth to a slave. Ishmael was “a wild man” (Gen. 16:12), and even though he was a slave, nobody could control him, including his mother. Like Ishmael, the old nature (the flesh) is at war with God, and the law cannot change or control it. By nature, the Spirit and the flesh are “contrary the one to the other” (Gal. 5:17), and no amount of religious activity is going to change the picture. Whoever chooses Hagar (law) for his mother is going to experience bondage (4:8–11, 22–25, 30–31; 5:1). But whoever chooses Sarah (grace) for his mother is going to enjoy liberty in Christ. God wants His children to be free (5:1).
Hagar was cast out. It was Sarah who gave the order: “Cast out this bondwoman and her son” (Gen. 21:9–10), and God subsequently approved it (v. 12). Ishmael had been in the home for at least seventeen years, but his stay was not to be permanent; eventually he had to be cast out. There was not room in the household for Hagar and Ishmael with Sarah and Isaac; one pair had to go.
It is impossible for law and grace, the flesh and the Spirit, to compromise and stay together. God did not ask Hagar and Ishmael to make occasional visits to the home; the break was permanent. The Judaizers in Paul’s day—and in our own day—were trying to reconcile Sarah and Hagar, and Isaac and Ishmael; such reconciliation is contrary to the Word of God. It is impossible to mix law and grace, faith and works, God’s gift of righteousness and man’s attempts to earn righteousness.
Hagar was not married again. God never gave the law to any other nation or people, including His church. For the Judaizers to impose the law on the Galatian Christians was to oppose the very plan of God. In Paul’s day, the nation of Israel was under bondage to the law, while the church was enjoying liberty under the gracious rule of the “Jerusalem which is above” (Gal. 4:26). The Judaizers wanted to “wed” Mount Sinai and the heavenly Mount Zion (Heb. 12:22 NIV), but to do this would be to deny what Jesus did on Mount Calvary (Gal. 2:21). Hagar is not to be married again.
From the human point of view, it might seem cruel that God should command Abraham to send away his own son Ishmael, whom he loved very much. But it was the only solution to the problem, for the “wild man” could never live with the child of promise. In a deeper sense, however, think of what it cost God when He gave His Son to bear the curse of the law to set us free. Abraham’s broken heart meant Isaac’s liberty; God’s giving of His Son means our liberty in Christ.
THE PRACTICAL BLESSINGS (4:30–31)
We Christians, like Isaac, are the children of promise by grace. The covenant of grace, pictured by Sarah, is our spiritual mother. The law and the old nature (Hagar and Ishmael) want to persecute us and bring us into bondage. How are we to solve this problem?
We can try to change them. This must fail, for we cannot change either the law or the old nature. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh” (John 3:6), and we might add, it always will be flesh. God did not try to change Ishmael and Hagar, either by force or by education; neither can you and I change the old nature and the law.
We can try to compromise with them. This did not work in Abraham’s home, and neither will it work in our lives. The Galatians were trying to effect such a compromise, but it was only leading them gradually into bondage. False teachers today tell us, “Don’t abandon Christ; simply move into a deeper Christian life by practicing the law along with your faith in Christ.” Invite Hagar and Ishmael back home again. But this is a path back into slavery: “How turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?” (Gal. 4:9).
We can cast them out. This is what we are supposed to do. First, Paul applied this to the nation of Israel (Gal. 4:25–27); then he applied it to the individual Christian. The nation of Israel had been in bondage under the law, but this was a temporary thing, preparing them for the coming of Christ. Now that Christ had come, law had to go. Jesus Christ, like Isaac, was a child of promise, born by the miraculous power of God. Once He had come and died for the people, the law had to go. Paul quoted Isaiah 54:1, not only applying his words to Sarah, who was barren before the birth of Isaac, but also applying it to the church (Gal. 4:27). Note the contrasts.
Sarah had been barren, and she tried to become fruitful by having Abraham marry Hagar. This failed and brought only trouble. The law cannot give life or fruitfulness; legalism is barren. For the early church to go back into bondage would mean barrenness and disobedience to the Word of God. Because it held fast to grace, the church spread across the world in fruitfulness.
But individual churches and Christians can make the same mistake the Galatians were making: They can fail to cast out Hagar and Ishmael. Legalism is one of the major problems among Christians today. We must keep in mind that legalism does not mean the setting of spiritual standards; it means worshipping these standards and thinking that we are spiritual because we obey them. It also means judging other believers on the basis of these standards. A person can refrain from smoking, drinking, and gambling, for example, and still not be spiritual. The Pharisees had high standards, yet they crucified Jesus.
The old nature loves legalism because it gives the old nature a chance to “look good.” It costs very little for Ishmael not to do certain bad things, or to do certain religious deeds, just so long as he can remain Ishmael. For seventeen years Ishmael caused no trouble in the home; then Isaac came along, and there was conflict. Legalism caters to Ishmael. The Christian who claims to be spiritual because of what he doesn’t do is only fooling himself. It takes more than negations to make a positive, fruitful spiritual life.
No doubt the Judaizers were attractive people. They carried credentials from religious authorities (2 Cor. 3:1). They had high standards and were careful in what they ate and drank. They were effective in making converts and liked to advertise their accomplishments (Gal. 4:17–18; 6:12–14). They had rules and standards to cover every area of life, making it easy for their followers to know who was “spiritual” and who was not. But the Judaizers were leading the people into bondage and defeat, not liberty and victory, and the people did not know the difference.
In the closing chapters of this letter, Paul will point out the greatest tragedy of legalism: It gives opportunity for the flesh to work. The old nature cannot be controlled by law; eventually it has to break out—and when it does, watch out! This explains why legalistic religious groups often have fights and divisions (“ye bite and devour one another,” Gal. 5:15), and often are plagued with the defiling sins of the flesh (v. 19ff.). While every church has its share of these problems, it is especially prominent in those groups where there is an atmosphere of legalism. When you invite Hagar and Ishmael to live with Sarah and Isaac, you are inviting trouble.
Thank God, the Christian is set free from the curse of the law and the control of the law. “Cast out the bondwoman and her son.” It may pain us deeply, as it did Abraham, but it must be done. To attempt to mix law and grace is to attempt the impossible. It makes for a frustrated, barren Christian life. But to live by grace through faith gives one a free and fulfilling Christian life.
What is the secret? The Holy Spirit. And it is this secret that Paul will share in the closing “practical” chapters of the letter. Meanwhile, you and I need to beware lest Ishmael and Hagar have crept back into our lives. If they have—let us cast them out.
QUESTIONS FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION OR GROUP DISCUSSION
1. Why should we be careful not to always look for “hidden meanings” in the Old Testament?
2. How is Isaac symbolic of believers?
3. “Salvation is the beginning, not the ending.” What does that mean to you?
4. How is Hagar symbolic of the law?
5. Why can’t we change our old natures?
6. What happens if believers try to compromise with the old nature or the law?
7. “Legalism does not mean the setting of spiritual standards; it means worshipping these standards and thinking that we are spiritual because we obey them.” Describe some examples of this statement.
8. Why does the old nature love legalism?
9. What is the difference between obeying God’s rules (laws) under the control of the Spirit and under the control of legalism?