Book of Galatians
Day 28
READ Galatians 4:24-27
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. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. 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.”
COMMENTARY:
In these verses, Paul continues the allegory of Abraham’s two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, using Hagar and Sarah as symbols of the two covenants—the old covenant of law and the new covenant of grace. He emphasizes that those who are children of the promise, like Isaac, are free, while those who are children of the slave woman, like Ishmael, are in bondage.
Questions to ponder:
- Reflect on the symbolism of Hagar and Sarah as representing the two covenants. How does this imagery help you understand the difference between the old and new covenants?
- Reflect on any areas of bondage or legalism in your own life. How can you embrace the freedom and grace of the new covenant?
