Children of the Free

Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.

These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written:

“Be glad, barren woman,
you who never bore a child;
shout for joy and cry aloud,
you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband.”

Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. Galatians 4:21-31

Be careful what you wish for. You Galatians want to be under the law? You don’t know what you ask. These people were already saved, by grace. The issue here is not salvation, but the christian way of life. The Jews were promoting a system to the Galatian believers about which the Galatians, themselves, had no first-hand knowledge. The giving of the law was a terrifying experience (Exodus 19-20). The effort to keep the law was full-time, fruitless work for weak, sinful humans. Paul’s historical example of the two systems is the story of the sons of Hagar and Sarah in Genesis 16.

Hagar was Sarah’s handmaiden, an Egyptian slave, and the instrument Sarah used in her “help God” project to hasten the birth of the son God had promised to Abraham. Conniving woman + easily manipulated husband + helpless slave = wrong decision, wrong action, eternally adverse consequences.

Sarah couldn’t wait for God to fulfill His promise, so she came up with the scheme to impregnate Hagar. Abraham didn’t seem to mind. They should've waited. This human interference did nothing to further God’s plan, and it brought sorrow to Abraham after the son of promise was born and the two women and their two sons were in conflict. No good came of it. Hagar was abused in the process, she and her son were cast out because of his jealous harassment of Isaac, and the descendants of both sons have been in conflict ever since. Serious, violent conflict.

In all references, Hagar the slave represents law. Earthly Jerusalem.The son of the bondwoman, Ishmael is a slave. Sarah represents God’s grace provision; faith in Christ. Heavenly Jerusalem. The son of the free woman, Isaac is free. Abraham couldn’t keep both. He had to make a choice. The order was: send away the slave woman and her son. The slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free. It is a matter of God's authority to fulfill His promise to those who believe. What God has promised, He will do. He graciously provided for Hagar and her son, but they could never have the position of Sarah and Isaac.

The Judaizers are identified with Hagar, Sinai and the law and did not have the blessing of God. God’s blessing is on His grace provision: faith in His plan of redemption through Jesus Christ. The son of the slave woman hated and persecuted the son of the free then, continued through the time of the early Church and continues today. Legalists hate grace. Under grace, one cannot boast about what one did to be saved, or what one does to stay saved. Under grace, the religious leaders have nothing with which to control the believers. We did nothing to achieve or maintain salvation, because it is entirely God’s work for us.

Works systems just increase our indebtedness. “Help God” projects do not help God, or us. If salvation is not freely received by faith, we are not saved. Anything the believer does which is not of faith is sin. Human good is no good and it clutters up and confuses our relationship with our Lord.

We are children of the free.