April 6th, 2018

Free Woman through Promise

“Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?  For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman.   But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the free woman through promise, which things are symbolic.  For these are the two covenants: the one from Mt. Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar – for this Hagar is Mt. Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children – but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.”  Gal. 4:21-26

Let’s track this carefully, returning back to the source text in Genesis 16:  Abraham was with Hagar, a servant to Sarah.  Hagar was not free, she was a servant!  They bore a son Ishmael, whose name means “whom God hears.”  Ishmael was born of disobedience to God’s promise to Abraham.  So we have a bondservant bearing a bondson and representing a people and a place in bondage: the natural Jerusalem.  

However, there was a second son!  Abraham was with his wife, Sarah.  She was a free woman.  She bore a son Isaac, whose name means “laughter.”  Isaac was born of obedience to God’s promise – HIS COVENANT PROMISE – HIS IRREVOCABLE COVENANT PROMISE – to Abraham!  So we have a free woman bearing a free son and representing a people and a place in freedom: the spiritual Jerusalem.  Those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior into their hearts reside in the spiritual Jerusalem – a place of grace!

As we return to the text in Gal. 4:28 – 31, we read:

“Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.  But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now.  Nevertheless, what does the Scripture say?  ‘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.”

We are beloved, the spiritual seed of Abraham.  We are just as Isaac was – children of promise.