Part CIV on Galatians Study

Galatians 4:27
"For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not; for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband."
Now the idea here is that this is speaking of Sarai, because she was the one who had never had childbirth. She was the one who was barren. Now in the last half of the verse we feel, is speaking of Ishmael as being spiritually desolate or totally earthy. That has to be a reference to Hagar. And then again, look at the real world. Who ended up with far more progeny. The offspring of Ishmael or the offspring of Isaac? Ishmael did! The Arab world outnumbers the Hebrews today 50 to 1. And so it's perfect. She that had a husband, which would have to refer to Sarai and Isaac, had far fewer in number than she who didn't. 


Galatians 4:28
"Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise."
What kind of a promise? Tell you what the promise was. That when Christ finished the work of redemption, what did God promise Him? That everyone who put their trust in what He had just accomplished would be His for all eternity (Psalm 2:8). God-Yehovah made the promise, that every believer would be His for all eternity. He didn't die in vain. He's not going to get near as many as we think He should, but the multitude or residue that have become true believers are His and no one can ever take them from Him. 


Galatians 4:29
"But as then he that was born after the flesh (Ishmael) persecuted him that was born after the Spirit (Isaac.) even so it is now."
Has anything changed? No. It's still the same. The unbelieving world outnumbers us, and we're not going to put a percentage on it, but it's by a tremendous amount. And what do they do? They are constantly trying to put us down. We've seen that in just the last few months. How that when a group will adhere to the Scriptures, what does the world do? They just scream and holler. It's always been that way. And it's not going to change.

 
Galatians 4:30-31
"Nevertheless (in spite of everything) what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son; (why?) for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free."
The part that we want you to remember as we go to bed tonight, "Cast out the bondwoman and her son because" what are they a picture of ? Religious Legalism!! If we're not known for anything else by now, it's that we hate, we detest religious legalism, and legalism for legalisms sake, because God does. And so the whole admonition of Scripture now is, that once we understand this Gospel of Grace, what do we do with legalism? You cast it out, just exactly like Abraham and Sarah sent Hagar and Ishmael into the desert. It is a beautiful picture. He didn't build them a tent next door. He didn't say, "Well let's have consort even though we may not be in the same building." No Sir! There had to be a total break between grace and legalism. And if we don't remember anything else, remember that. Cast out the bondwoman and her son for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. Then Paul puts the cap on it in verse 31.


Galatians 4:31
"So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free." Paul just kept right on writing and so after he makes his point with the allegory, what does he say next?