Sunday, April 3, 2016

Paul's Epistles - Galatians Part 11 – Hagar and Sarah

Paul's Epistles - Galatians
Part 11 – Hagar and Sarah
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org


INTRODUCTION
Paul has spent the majority of his letter to the Galatians trying to open their eyes to their wandering from the Truth

Peter, having surrendered to the false teachings of the circumcised group, allowed false teachings in the Galatian church, such as adherence to the Law, legalism, keeping of days, months, years, festivals, as well as rituals such as circumcision, teaching that these things were needed WITH Jesus to actually be “saved”.

Paul corrected Peter on this matter, and has written much in the Galatian letter about the fact we are saved by Grace through our Faith, and adopted into the Promise of God, which was made to Abraham.

What made Abraham righteous to God? His faith, not works.

God gave Abraham a Promise, that he would have a son, and through that son, the Savior would come, the Messiah. And all who belonged to the Promise (Christ Jesus) would be Heirs to the Kingdom of God!

However, Abraham and Sarah intervened. Not sticking to their faith in what God promised them, they planned to “help” God’s promise become fulfilled.

Abraham fathered a child with one of their slaves, Hagar, making this a “Work of the flesh”).

This was not accomplished by the Spirit of God, but by the working of man.

Therefore the first born which was supposed to be Isaac, fulfilled through the Spirit, was now a work of the flesh, Ishmael.

Sarah later had the child God Promised, and Abraham now had two bloodlines.

The one made by works of the flesh, and later, the one by the Spirit of God and fulfillment of the Promise.


SCRIPTURE REFERENCE Galatians 4:21-31
21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. 23 His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.

24 These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written:

“Be glad, barren woman,
    you who never bore a child;
shout for joy and cry aloud,
    you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
    than of her who has a husband.”
28 Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.29 At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. 30 But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” 31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.


    I.      TWO WOMEN, TWO COVENANTS
a. The slave Hagar – represents the Law (Old Covenant)
                                                                                  i. Plans made by Sarah and Abraham
                                                                               ii. Woman chosen by Sarah
                                                                            iii. Abraham choosing to listen to Sarah, rather than believe the Promise of God.
1. Not the first time we see man getting in trouble for listening to his wife rather than sticking to what God told him.


b. The free woman Sarah – represents the Promise of God (New Covenant)
                                                                                  i. Plans made by God
                                                                               ii. Woman chosen by God (Sarah, although barren)
                                                                            iii. God fulfilled His promise, keeping His word, although Abraham and Sarah did not wait in faith.


c. These things are taken figuratively
                                                                                  i. Paul states these things are figurative, not literal.
                                                                               ii. Because children of Ishmaels line (Muslims) can still come to the Lord and be saved.



II.      TWO CHILDREN, TWO BLOODLINES
a. Hagar the slave gives birth to Ishmael the slave
                                                                                  i. If a slave has a child, it too is a slave.
                                                                               ii. Works of the flesh give birth to works of the flesh


b. Sarah the free woman gives birth to Isaac the Promise of God
                                                                                  i. If a free woman has a child, that child too is free.
                                                                               ii. Work of the Spirit of God gives birth to Spiritual things


c. The war that will never end
                                                                                  i. Ishmael, being the first born, should have received his father’s blessing and kingdom. However, he was illegitimate.
                                                                               ii. Isaac, being the fulfillment of God’s Promise, did receive the full blessing. The legitimate heir.
                                                                            iii. Ishmael’s descendants became Muslim.
                                                                              iv. Isaac’s decedents became Christian.
                                                                                 v. This is why the war rages on forever…Islam against Jews and Christians.
1. For the war to end, either Muslims have to surrender that Ishmael was first in line, and Isaac was legitimate, or all of Christianity would have to surrender that Christ was the fulfillment of God’s Promise, and Ishmael, being first born is the way to God, which means accept Islam.
2. Neither will happen. Therefore the war will rage on forever. 



III.      CHILDREN OF THE PROMISE
a. The son born by works of the flesh (Ishmael/Islam) will persecute the son born by the Power of the Spirit (Isaac/Christianity)
                                                                                  i. This is happening today.
                                                                               ii. Islam hates Jews because they believe Jews perverted the Old Covenant scriptures to reflect God blessing Isaac instead of the first born Ishmael.
                                                                            iii. Islam hates Christians, because they think we believe there are 3 Gods (Father, Son and Holy Spirit as different beings), and we say Jesus is God, which they believe is blasphemous.


b. What does the scripture say?
                                                                                  i. Paul recites scripture stating, “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slaves son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”


c. We (those who accept Jesus Christ, the Promise given to Abraham) are adopted as sons of the FREE woman and heirs to the Promise


CONCLUSIONnot by works or law, but by faith and the promise

Paul makes it clear to the Galatians that there are two covenants, represented by Abraham’s two sons.

One son (the first born) was born by works of the flesh, instead of waiting on God’s promise.

The second was born by the work of God’s Spirit, the fulfillment of His Promise by Faith.

The slave Hagar’s son, Ishmael, is a slave born under the Law.

The free woman Sarah’s son, Isaac, was born by the Spirit of God, and the Promise.

Islam comes from the line of Ishmael, a slave born by works of the flesh, and Christianity is the fulfillment of God’s Promise which began by the Spirit bringing forth the son Isaac that God promised.

The decedents of Ishmael will ALWAYS persecute the decedents of Isaac.

Scripture says we must “Get rid of the slave woman and her son for the sons of the slave will never share in the inheritance of the free woman’s son.”

 If you are militant, you may use this scripture to hunt down and kill Islamists…however, the only way to make someone NOT a slave, but FREE is to set them free.

Jesus said, “I did not come to condemn, for they are condemned already, I came to set free.”

Salvation allows ANYONE who accepts Jesus Christ (the Promise by God to Abraham) to be adopted IN as FULL sons and daughters to the Most High.

If a slave dies a slave, they are still a slave, but if a slave comes to the Lord, then they will truly be FREE.



Want to learn more about Salvation and Getting Saved?    CLICK HERE!

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