Galatians 4:21-31

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“Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which engenders to bondage, which is Hagar. For this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, you barren that bears not; break forth and cry, you that travails not; for the desolate has many more children than she which has a husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what says 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. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.”

I have chosen to include the entire passage for aid in studying it. What do these 11 verses refer to—and mean? The context is somewhat difficult to understand, so a verse-by-verse approach is best:

Gal 4:21—The reference to law means the “book of law,” and “hear” means to “fully understand.”

Gal 4:22—The bondmaid (Hagar) bore Ishmael (a type of the world). Notice Gal 4:24 to see this.

Gal 4:23—Isaac was a son promised by God and truly a “miracle baby” (Rom. 4:16-21; Gen. 17:1-6). Ishmael was born entirely of human effort, by Abraham and Hagar, without involvement of faith.

Gal 4:24—The two covenants mentioned here represent the Old Covenant and the New Testament, respectively. The Old Covenant was a study in human effort alone, which always leads to a continuing in bondage to sin. The New Testament included promises that were given requiring belief through the faith of Christ found in His followers. It is this kind of belief that leads to freedom from the penalty of sin.

Gal 4:25—The world is in bondage to: (1) sin, (2) the frustration of doing things by human effort alone, and (3) the ways, customs, and traditions of society.

Gal 4:26—The reference to Jerusalem is to the New Testament Church (which is our mother—see Hebrews 12:22-23 and Revelation 12:1-17).

Gal 4:27—More people are in bondage in today’s world than are spiritually free, so Christians ought to rejoice that our mother—the Church—is not barren and does have children. The “desolate” are the world, and it has “many more children” than does the Church, the “she which has an husband [God].”

Gal 4:28—Self-explanatory.

Gal 4:29—The world hates true Christians today, just as the Arabs (Ishmael) hate Jews (born of Sarah and Isaac).

Gal 4:30—Ultimately, the Church will be saved in advance of the world, which now hates and persecutes it.

Gal 4:31—The New Testament Church.