4. Christian Context
Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do
you not listen to the law? For it is written that
Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman
and one by a free woman. But the son of the
slave was born according to the flesh, while the
son of the free woman was born through
Galatians 4:21–31 (ESV) 4
5. Christian Context
promise. Now this may be interpreted
allegorically: these women are two covenants.
One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for
slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai
in Arabia; she corresponds to the present
Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.
Galatians 4:21–31 (ESV) 5
6. Christian Context
But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our
mother. For it is written, “Rejoice, O barren one
who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud,
you who are not in labor! For the children of the
desolate one will be more than those of the one
who has a husband.” Now you, brothers, like
Galatians 4:21–31 (ESV) 6
7. Christian Context
Isaac, are children of promise. But just as at that
time he who was born according to the flesh
persecuted him who was born according to the
Spirit, so also it is now. But what does the
Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and
her son, for the son of the slave woman shall
Galatians 4:21–31 (ESV) 7
8. Christian Context
not inherit with the son of the free woman.” So,
brothers, we are not children of the slave but of
the free woman.
Galatians 4:21–31 (ESV) 8
14. Who could have foreseen this?
So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of
Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the
Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her
husband as a wife. And he went in to Hagar, and she
conceived. And when she saw that she had
conceived, she looked with contempt on her
mistress.
Genesis 16:3–4 14
15. Not going as planned
Follow the flesh you get
certain results.
The Law would be given
to restrain the flesh.
The Promise was given
to set us free.
15
16. Our Promise
…so that in Christ Jesus the
blessing of Abraham might come
to the Gentiles, so that we might
receive the promised Spirit
through faith.
Galatians 3:14 16
17. What?
“May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave
my servant to your embrace, and when she saw
that she had conceived, she looked on me with
contempt. May the LORD judge between you
and me!”
Genesis 16:5 17
18. Whose Idea was this?
Our ways are not the Lord’s way. God has a plan.
Sari has a plan.
18
19. Pass the buck
But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your
servant is in your power; do to her as you
please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her,
and she fled from her.
Genesis 16:6 19
21. God intervenes
The angel of the LORD found her by a
spring of water in the wilderness, the
spring on the way to Shur.
Genesis 16:7 21
22. God cares
She wasn’t part of the plan
Nations were divorced
God is raising up a chosen race
Never stopped caring about the Gentiles
22
23. Submit!
The angel of the LORD said to her,
“Return to your mistress and
submit to her.”
Genesis 16:9 23
24. Still part of God’s solution to conflict
…submitting to
one another out
of reverence for
Christ.
Ephesians 5:21 24
25. Blessing
The angel of the LORD also said to her, “I
will surely multiply your offspring so that
they cannot be numbered for multitude.”
Genesis 16:10 25
26. Prophecy
Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son.
You shall call his name Ishmael, because the
LORD has listened to your affliction. He shall be
a wild donkey of a man, his hand against
everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and
he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.
Genesis 16:11–12 26
28. El Roi
Genesis 16:13
So she called the
name of the LORD
who spoke to her,
“You are a God of
seeing,” for she said,
“Truly here I have
seen him who looks
after me.”
28
29. End of the beginning
And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram
called the name of his son, whom Hagar
bore, Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years
old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.
Genesis 16:15–16 29
30. Our Take-Away
1. Begin and stay in the Spirit
2. Short cuts usually aren’t
3. Test solutions
4. Even if you mess up God still is faithful
30
1 Peter 2:11 abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
Story of Abram, Sari and Hagar
Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through
promise. Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.
But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written, “Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband.” Now you, brothers, like
Isaac, are children of promise. But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall
not inherit with the son of the free woman.” So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.
Old Covenant New Covenant
Hagar Sarah
Slave Free
Ishmael Isaac
Flesh Promise
Law Spirit
Genesis 16:1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar.
Sari- princess; Hagar- flight
Slave and free
Wife and servant
And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.”
Barren-seen as her fault. God favors with children, disfavor causes barrenness
Practice- take another wife also give another woman to your husband
Permission- sari as the head wife gave the servant and her permission to take a junior wife
This culture is an extension of the flesh.
And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
Genesis 16:3–4 So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress.
Follow the flesh you get certain results
The Law would be given to restrain the flesh.
The Promise was given to set us free.
Romans 4:13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.
Galatians 3:14 …so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
Genesis 16:5 And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!”
Our ways are not the Lord’s way. God has a plan. Sari has a plan.
Genesis 16:6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.
Abdicates
Scorned Woman
Bullied girl
Our first record of pink and blue thinking
Genesis 16:7 The angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur.
She wasn’t part of the plan
Nations were divorced
God is raising up a chosen race
Never stopped caring about the Gentiles
Genesis 16:9 The angel of the LORD said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.”
Ephesians 5:21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Better than Dr. Phil
Genesis 16:10 The angel of the LORD also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.” Part of the blessing of Abraham. Notice the Angel of the Lord. Position not being
Genesis 16:11–12 And the angel of the LORD said to her, “Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has listened to your affliction. He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.”
Ishmael hears.
Arabs see him as the progenitor of their race
Big part of the Qur’an
Tension today between Arabs and Jews. Muslim and Christians and Jews
Genesis 16:13 So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.”
Genesis 16:15–16 And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.
Begin and stay in the Spirit
Short cuts usually aren’t
Test solutions
Even if you mess up God still is faithful
