Bond or Free
Author: Pastor Thomas G. Wilson
May 13, 2020
Galatians 4:21-23 KJV [21] Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? [22] For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. [23] But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
Galatians 4:21-23 TPT [21-22] Tell me, do you want to go back to living strictly by the law? Haven't you ever listened to what the law really says? Have you forgotten that Abraham had two sons; one by the slave girl, and the other by the freewoman? [23] Ishmael, the son of the slave girl, was a child of the natural realm. But Isaac, the son of the freewoman, was born supernaturally by the Spirit-a child of the promise of God!
The Judaizers, a group of zealots who contended that salvation, in order to be complete, must include circumcision, had harassed the Galatian Christians. Throughout his letter to the Galatians, Paul was advancing an argument that salvation was by faith alone and not the works of the law. Here in chapter 4 Paul uses the written history of Abraham to reveal some truth to the new believers.
The conception of Ishmael was of the flesh, natural, of human intervention. Isaac’s conception, on the other hand, was of the spirit, supernatural, of divine intervention. Ishmael is the son of a slave and Isaac is the son of the free woman. Ishmael was born "according to the flesh," which means that he was the product of self-reliance. Abraham ceased to rely on God's power to fulfill His Word and instead relied on his own power and ingenuity to get a son. Isaac was not born according to the flesh because his birth was the result of God's supernatural intervention in fulfillment of His own promise. Abraham had learned his lesson: the only acceptable response to God's merciful promise is trust in that promise, not works of the flesh that try to bring down from heaven God's blessing.
The truth illustrated by this story is that no matter what is produced by the slave, is under the exact same bondage and master. Human intervention, natural ability, and works can only ever produce the need for more effort and more frustration. It will try to replicate the blessings of God but the counterfeit never brings lasting fulfillment and tends to extremes. For example, God said He would give us the desire of our heart (Ps.37:4), human effort to satisfy desire (lust) ends in death. (Jas.1:14-15) However, that which is spiritual, of the promise of God, is brought forth through trust in the promise and makes you free of human effort. It also pleases God. It is supernatural in nature and cannot be taken from you nor defeated. When you trust in the promise of God then the integrity of God becomes your guarantee of fulfillment. So cast out the bondwoman, stop trying to accomplish things in your own ability and lay hold to freedom that comes from trusting God, and Him alone.
For further reading: Galatians 4:21-31; Genesis 16:1-12; 21:1-14
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