THE AUDITORIUM SUNDAY
SCHOOL CLASS
MAY 29TH, 2005
TWO MOTHERS AND TWO
SONS
I. The Apostle Paul presents his case with
another story of Abraham.
A.
Paul want s the Galatians to counter, from the Law, the following
example from Genesis 16-21. (21)
B.
Abraham was 75 years old when God made a covenant with him in Genesis
12:4, and his wife (Sarah) was 10 years younger (Genesis 17:17).
1.
God promised that he would have PHYSICAL descendents (Genesis 13:16).
2.
Ten years passed and no child had come.
3.
Sarah, doubting God, encouraged her husband to have a child by her
handmaid, Hagar.
4.
Abraham agreed, and a son was born to Hagar whose name was Ishmael
(Genesis 16:1-16). Abraham was 86 years
old at this time.
5.
Fourteen years later, Sarah had a son named Isaac.
- Abraham was 100 years old at this time
(Genesis 21:1-5).
C.
Sarah was the genuine wife of Abraham (“freewoman”), while Hagar was a
slave (“bondmaid”) - verse 22.
D.
These two sons represent works (Ishmael) and faith (Isaac) - verse 23.
1.
Ishamael was born by a COMBINATION of faith
and works.
2.
Isaac was born “by promise.” (Faith Alone)
II. The story of Isaac and Ishmael is an “Allegory”
for us today (24-27).
- An Allegory is a story that symbolizes
something else.
A.
Hagar (the bondmaid), represented the Law given to Moses on Mount Sanai (24-25).
1.
Just as Ishmael came before Isaac, so also the Law came before Christ.
2.
Those under the Law are in bondage (25).
3.
Ishmael represented the attempt to receive the blessings by the works of
the Law.
B.
The earthly Jerusalem (in Paul’s day) answered to the Law of Moses (25);
but Abraham looked for the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 11:10 and 16).
1.
Paul refers to the Heavenly Jerusalem as “the mother of us all” in verse
26 because it is the city of God.
2.
Only free people, who have trusted Christ, live
in the heavenly Jerusalem; while followers of the Law look to the earthly
Jerusalem.
C.
Verse 27 is an allegory in itself, taken from Isaiah 54:1.
1.
“The barren” are the Gentiles (including the Galatians).
2.
“She which hath an husband” is Israel.
3.
Paul is saying to the Galatian Christians: You
should rejoice in your freedom from the Law because the Gentiles “hath many
more children” than Israel.
-
These are children who accept Christ.
III. Paul’s application of the allegory
(28-31).
A.
Paul equates himself, and the Galatian
believers, with Isaac as “the children of promise.” (28)
B.
Those who live by faith are persecuted by those who live by flesh (and
works), just as Ishmael persecuted Isaac (Genesis 21:9).
C.
Sarah wanted Abraham to cast out Ishmael when Ishmael began mocking
Isaac (Genesis 21:9); so also, Paul wants the Galatian
Christians to cast out the Ishmaels (works salvation) from the Galatian churches.
-
Sarah did not tolerate Ishmael, and the Church should not tolerate
promoters of a false gospel, mocking the truth in their midst.
D.
It’s impossible to be the children of Sarah and Hagar at the same time
(31).
1.
The false teachers were saying that you had to accept Christ plus keep
the Law.
- The equivalent of saying that you must be
children of both Hagar and Sarah.
2.
If you have trusted Christ (the Promised Seed of Abraham) then you are
free from the Law.
Next Sunday: Since we are
free, what does it mean to be free? (Galatians 5:1)