Dust of the Rabbi

As we continue and finish up our look at Paul’s seemingly unfathomable theology in Galatians 4:21-31, let me remind you of the entire passage.

He writes, “21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? 22 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, 24 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.”

28 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.“

In the first section, Paul uses the story from Genesis about Ishmael being born from the slavegirl Hagar and Isaac being born from Abraham’s wife as an allegory for living under the law versus living under God’s promise.

In the second section, in vs 27-31, Paul starts out with a quote from the prophet Isaiah 54:1 which at the beginning seems to have nothing to do with Paul’s argument. Even reading it right now it seems out of context and kinda shoehorned in…what is the point that Paul is trying to make with this quote?

Israel’s exile into Babylon forms the context of this verse. This idea of a barren one giving birth is prevalent throughout the Bible. In Babylon, the Jews were barren and unfruitful, but this text articulates God’s promise of restoration, a promise that was partially fulfilled when Israel was restored and she reentered the land of Canaan. This image of barrenness is saying that God will act out of promise, that man is completely impotent. God’s actions count for everything because God must act supernaturally so that what is physically impossible can come to pass. The exhortation then is to break forth and shout for joy. God has promised and God has fulfilled. Praise be to God!

And then comes the point that Paul is trying to make…the story from Genesis that this comes from in chapter 21. Isaac the son of promise has been born and when he is weaned Abraham throws a great party…fatted calf (or two…that sort of thing). But the other son, Ishmael, who is about thirteen years older, starts making fun of Isaac at this party. We are not sure what exactly was going on here…maybe Ishmael was weaned at a much younger age and Isaac took at little longer? Could that possibly be the basis for his mocking?

Anyway, Sarah either sees this happening or gets wind of it and she will have none of it. She makes an immediate decision and tells Abraham to kick out Ishmael and his mother Hagar. Not tomorrow…right now.

And this is what Paul jumps on. He tells the Galatians that ‘we’ (he is including himself with the Galatians) are like Isaac…children of God’s promise. But just as Ishmael had mocked Isaac then, so those of the law are even now mocking those of promise.

He quotes from Sarah…”Cast out the bondwoman and her son for the son of the bondwoman shall be heir with the son of the freewoman…” The point of this is that just as Ishamel had mocked Isaac and had gotten the boot, so these false teachers, even though they are trying to convince the Galatians to come over to their theological side, are still in some sense mocking this idea of living by faith.

So Paul, without directly saying it, is telling the Galatians to give these Judaizers the boot as well.

He closes the whole theological section of Galatians 3-4 with the thought that we are like Isaac and are to have nothing to do with Ishmael. He and the Galatians are Sarah’s children and therefore free from works of the laws such as circumcision.