God’s Word for You
Galatians 4:28-31 Children of the free woman
by Pastor Timothy Smith on Tuesday, July 30, 2024
28 Now, brothers, you are children of promise like Isaac. 29 The one who was born according to the flesh persecuted the one who was born according to the Spirit, and just as it was then, so also it is now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not receive an inheritance along with the son of the free woman.” 31 Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman but of the free woman.
Even the historical fact of Ishmael’s sin is applied to the Christian church. The incident happened during the celebration Abraham gave when the young Isaac was weaned. Ishmael, who was by this time sixteen or so, made a mockery of the day and also of Sarah and Isaac (Genesis 21:9). “As it was then,” Paul says, “so also it is now.” He means that the children of the slave woman (that is, the Judaizers) were persecuting the children of the free woman, who are the Christians of Galatia.
Does this ever stop happening? One thing that modern Christians must be careful with is the habit of seeking out trouble, of claiming that they are being persecuted. When persecution comes, we are told to be faithful and bear it (Revelation 2:10), not to point fingers. We are not here in the world to judge or to stand in the place of God, but to bring souls to Christ. We can point out that modern Jews no longer have a godly doctrine, and that they have wandered off the path to eternal life, just as Muslims and Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses and many others have, but to say more than this is unnecessary, unhelpful, and unchristian. The medieval habit of blaming the Jews for all the troubles faced by Gentiles is not the way of the believer.
We must especially see that Paul isn’t singling out one nation or group as the children of the sinful flesh, but he means everyone who is not a child of the promise. This means that the whole unbelieving world will persecute believers. Pharaoh oppressed the Israelites in Egypt when Moses was a baby. As then, so now. Aram, Assyria, and Babylon oppressed God’s people. As then, so now. The Romans and many others oppressed Christ and his people. As then, so now. Listen to any politician, and sooner or later, they will attack your faith. Listen to any musician and the same will happen, even if they’re trying not to. Listen to any comedian, and it will happen again and again. This is why the Christian who cuts himself off from other Christians, from worshiping together and going to Bible study together, runs the very real danger of surrounding himself in his own private world with nothing but opponents. “Nobody believes as I do!” he will think, when the truth is, he just doesn’t do as the Spirit would have him do, which is to come together often, week upon week, to hear the word of God, to pray together, and to praise God together. It is a dangerous, lonely prison, this business of keeping away from worship; of not going to church. It doesn’t strengthen faith. It makes faith crumble.
When Paul quotes Sarah’s command, “Throw out the slave woman and her son,” he quotes words that surely broke Abraham’s heart. He loved both his sons. He didn’t want Ishmael to leave. He didn’t want Hagar to go, either. But the Lord told him to listen to Sarah, and they were driven out into the desert. Now: How can we apply this to our own faith? By recognizing that those who do not put their faith in Christ alone have bound themselves to the slavery of the law, and we are not to bind ourselves to them. Have nothing to do with them! Do not worship with them. Do not teach shoulder-to-shoulder with them. Do not pretend that their teaching about the way to heaven is no different than ours. It is the path to damnation. The children of the slave woman will, like Ishmael, have no part of the promise, nor of the inheritance of Christ. “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ (that is, ours) in Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:20).
We will not persecute other faiths. Instead, we will speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). We will proclaim nothing but Christ crucified for our sins (1 Corinthians 2:2). We will watch and guard our faith and doctrine closely (1 Timothy 4:16; Deuteronomy 4:9). We will make it our ambition to lead a quiet life (1 Thessalonians 4:11). We will live such good lives among the pagans that they will see our good deeds and glorify God on the day when he comes (1 Peter 2:12). “For,” Peter says, “it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men” (1 Peter 2:15). Put away what is subject to the slavery of deeds and law, and cherish the promise and the eternal gift of grace.
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith
Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm, Minnesota. To receive God’s Word for You via e-mail, please visit the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church website.