A Picture is worth

 

Galatians 4:21-31

It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words; I found that to be true as a salesperson that sold technology.  Often words seemed to be so empty but being able to see or touch the item answered many of the engineer’s questions.  The apostle Paul used the example of two women; Hagar the slave women and Sarah the free woman to paint the picture of slave versus free, or grace versus law.  “Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law?  For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a free woman.  But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise.  Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants.”

Often, I’ve asked this question, why would anyone put themselves in that situation or why would anyone with a free will submit to that type of life?  It seems that what is familiar is always easier than the unknown, it maybe the woman who is married to a drunk that beats her and her children, but there is great uncertainty in leaving, so she chooses the life of being beaten, rather than the freedom of uncertainty.   These Jews were familiar with the law, and this grace through faith seemed so free, in fact, it seemed to be without structure.   So it was easy to come to that understanding, the law had rules, rules they did not keep, in fact if they could have kept them; they would have been pure before God.  And that is why they, as well as we need the woman of promise, the free woman, she represents, hope, peace and a personal relationship with God the Father, through Jesus Christ.

The analogy of the woman who lives with the drunk is so clear to us, but how blind we are to our own religious rules.  Often the unity of a fellowship of believers is destroyed by a slight change in the order of worship, the changing from hymns to what is called praise or worship music.  Earlier in chapter four Paul states; “But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years!”  (Galatians 9-10) Yes, many live the life of the slave woman, who represent the flesh, they observe days and rules, rules not by God but by men, and never cross over to the free woman who lives according to the promise, and walks by the Spirit.  Freedom brings us to obligation, but not to structure or rules, but to thirst for fellowship with the Father.  When we walk by the Spirit, we have freedom in Christ, read Galatians 5:16-17.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice