Unshackled #9
Ishmael or Isaac
Galatians 5:21-31 (NKJV)
The Question
Galatians 4:21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?
Matthew 5:21-22 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his
brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.
Closing Argument
Galatians 4:22-23 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise,
Matthew 3:9 and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
They believed that their physical heritage put them in relationship with God
Abraham’s Timeline:
75 – God appeared to Abraham in Ur and promised descendants and a new home (Gen. 12)
Early 80’s – God appeared again and repeated His promise (Gen. 15)
85 – Sarah had an idea to have a child through her servant Hagar (Gen. 16)
86 – Ishmael was born (Gen. 16)
100 – Isaac was born (Gen. 21)
103 – Hagar and Ishmael depart (Gen. 21)
Galatians 4:24-27 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— 25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— 26 but
the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written:
“Rejoice, O barren,
You who do not bear!
Break forth and shout,
You who are not in labor!
For the desolate has many more children
Than she who has a husband.”
Contrast: Two moms – two sons – two locations – two covenants – two endings
Bondwoman / Free woman
Ishmael / Isaac
Old Covenant / New Covenant
Earthly Jerusalem / Heavenly Jerusalem
Slavery to the law / Freedom in Christ
Judaism / Christianity
Galatians 4:28-31 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. 29 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. 30 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.” 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.
Persecution will come
Genesis 21:9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing.
II Timothy 3:12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
Adoption as children of God will bring an inheritance, following the law will not
Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
