LISTEN TO THE LAW

Sunday Morning:  August 31, 2003

Text: Galatians 4:19-31  "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, 20. I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you. 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. 24. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 25. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 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. 28. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. 30. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? 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."

CHRIST IN YOU

Galatians 4:19  "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,"

HOPE OF GLORY

Colossians 1:27  "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:"

 

 

CANAAN LAND OF GLORY

Genesis 13:12  "Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan. "

LAND OF GLORY

Ezekiel 20:6  ". . . to bring them forth (out) of the land of Egypt into a land . . . flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands:"

IN THE DESERT

Deuteronomy 1:1  "These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness (desert) . . . "

UNDER MOSES

Numbers 32:19  "For we (Rueben, Gad, Manasseh)  will not inherit with them on yonder side (Canaan) Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward."

NO COMPARISON IN THE GLORY

2 Corinthians 3:7-12  "But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: 8. How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? 9. For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 10. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 11. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. 12. Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:"

I’M PERPLEXED

Galatians 4:20  "I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice [sound, tone]; for I stand in doubt [perplexed] of you."

 

DON’T YOU HEAR THE LAW?

Galatians 4:21-22  "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 (Old Testament) by a bondmaid, the other (New Testament) by a freewoman."

ABRAHAM’S TWO SONS

Genesis 22:17  "That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars (Isaac) of the heaven, and as the sand (Ishmael) which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;"

ISAAC AND ISHMAEL

Hebrews 11:12  "Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude (armful, Acts 28:3), and as the sand (innumerable) which is by the sea shore innumerable."

STARS ENTER CANAAN

Deuteronomy 1:10  "The LORD your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude."

THE OLD AND NEW COVENANTS

Galatians 4:23-24  "But he who was of the bondwoman (Old Testament) was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman (New Testament) was by promise. 24. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar."

ALLEGORY

A literary device in which characters and events help bring to light a deeper truth.

EARTHLY INHERITANCE

Galatians 4:25  "For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children."

 

HEAVENLY INHERITANCE

Galatians 4:26-27  "But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us (brethren) all. 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."

CHILDREN OF PROMISE

Galatians 4:28  "Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise."

THE PROMISED INHERITANCE

Galatians 3:18  "For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.”

THE PROMISE BY FAITH

Romans 4:13-14  "For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:"

LAW IS NOT OF FAITH

Galatians 3:12  "And the law is not of faith: "

THE LAW IS OF THE FLESH

Galatians 4:29  "But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now."

ISHMAEL MOCKED ISAAC

Genesis 21:9  "And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking."

NOT THE SAME INHERITANCE

Galatians 4:30  "Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman."

CAST OUT ISHMAEL

Genesis 21: 10  "Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac."

WILDERNESS INHERITANCE

Genesis 21:14  "And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child (Ishmael), and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness [desert] of Beersheba."

NOT OF MOSES

Galatians 4:31  "So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman (Old Testament), but of the free (New Testament)."

ISAAC’S INHERITANCE

Genesis 25:5  "And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac."

HEIRS OF THE PROMISE

Hebrews 11:9-10  "By faith he (Abraham) sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10. For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."

HEAVENLY CITY

Hebrews 11:16  "But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city."

INHERIT ALL THINGS

Revelation 21:7  "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."