Example of Hagar and Sarah
Notes
Transcript
Reading
Reading
21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. 23 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. 24 Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar.
25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written, “Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband.”
28 Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” 31 So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.
Sermon
Sermon
Pre-Amble
Pre-Amble
False Teachers
Circumcision, Eating Food
Created division in the churches, exciling Gentiles from the Lord’s Table
Promoted that Christians must first become Jews
Paul saw this teaching and its acceptance as hypocrisy
Justification by Faith
Heirs and Sons by Promise
Paul uses an allegory
Hebrew use of opposing pairs
Sarai & Hagar - Genesis 16:1–15
Listen to the Law
Listen to the Law
21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law?
They want to be under the yoke of the law
but failed to listen to the law
deafness follows taking your eyes off God’s Word
chosing slavery over freedom
Paul reminds them that Genesis is as much part of the law as Leviticus & Deuteronomy.
God’s Law - first 5 books (Gen, Ex, Lev, Num, Deu)
Paul highlights the normal view of the Jews
Abraham provides the key to the Law, first convert
Sarai & Hagar
Sarai & Hagar
22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. 23 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. 24 Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar.
unbelief (natural) vs belief (spiritual)
the false teachers could not believe that Jesus had fulfilled the covenant
They prided themselves on being the seed of Abraham
Circumsion was the public symbol
Ishmael - Nature (Hagar, bond servant) vs Isacc - Promise (Sarah, free) belief
Hagar
Demonstration of God’s Grace
Outside of Marriage (mans cure)
Subject to curse of the moral law & bondage to the ceremonial law
Sarah (past menopause)
the greater dispensation of the covenant of Grace
free both from the curse of the moral law and the bondage to the ceremonial law
The Gospel (God’s Cure)
We are not the natural seed of Abraham
entitled to the promised inheritance through the special work of God
Spiritual Decendants
Spiritual Decendants
25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.
A poor resemblance of the real thing
The present Jerusalem is slavery
The future / heavenly Jerusalem is the glorious real version, of which is freedom
The false prophets boast in being Abrahams natural decendants, Paul likens them to Ishmael
Catholics call the earthly church/mary the mother of all, and Paul in similar fashion declares them decendants of Hagar
Muslims claim to be decendants of Hagar, without merit but bring themselves under rejection
John affirms this spiritual decendance of the Gentiles:
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
The Gentiles Conversion fortold
The Gentiles Conversion fortold
27 For it is written, “Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband.”
Isaiah 54:11
This quotation was not related to Hagar
Paul instead points to its meaning point to the:
Gentiles one day turning to God in multitudes
Stumbling block - this new Christian interpretation the Gentiles did not become jews first
Gentile Christians already out numbered Jewish Christians
eventually they would outnumber the jews as a whole
Children of Promise
Children of Promise
28 Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.
Paul places Christians as the children of promise, like Isaac
Paul shows that the Jews are like Ishmael in persecuting Isaac
Paul ‘s insight comes from his own personal experience and knowledge of scripture
Unbelievers disowned
Unbelievers disowned
30 But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.”
Are both joint heirs of God’s Grace?
They are not compatiable
Natural vs Spiritual
Persecution is inevitable
Unbelieving Jews and Gentiles are as Ishmael, non-heirs
Conclusion
Conclusion
31 So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman. 1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Paul provides the conclusion for us
Christ sets us free
We are to stand firm
We are to resist the yoke of slavery