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Daily Devotions

Galatians

Galatians 
Day 
Day 79

"You who desire to be under the law..."

Text: Galatians 4:21

DESIROUS TO BE UNDER THE LAW

The Judaizers had done a deadly work in the hearts and minds of the Galatians. They managed to make the Galatians feel that that they must be desirous of keeping the law (for justification). Paul once again took the opportunity to raise questions about the place of the law.

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 freewoman through promise.

Galatians 4:21-23

1. “Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?”

a) The Judaizers had somehow convinced the Galatians that they must be “under the law”.
b) Did the Galatians realise what they were thinking when they desired to comply and be under the law?

2. “For it is written that Abraham had two sons”

a) Paul was going to attempt to retell the ancient story of Sarah and Hagar.
b) “It is written…”
This is the typical phrase that describes “the Scriptures”.

3. Telling it from a slightly different standpoint

a) Reading Genesis directly would yield important historical data.
b) However reading Genesis and interpreting it theologically offers a totally different perspective.

4. “He who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh”

a) The bondwoman was a reference to Hagar.
b) She was called “a bondwoman” because she was a slave serving Sarah.
c) The offspring was Ishmael.
d) The line of “The Seed” would not be through the line of Ishmael.

5. “And he of the freewoman through promise”

a) This is an obvious reference to Sarah.
b) She is called a “freewoman” in contrast to Hagar.
c) The Genesis text does not describe Sarah as “a freewoman”.
d) God gave a solemn promise to Abraham.
e) The offspring, Isaac was given to Sarah based upon God’s promise.