The Amish Voice 3
When the bed was finished, the baby was brought to the kitchen
and placed in it while his parents gazed admiringly. Suddenly the
father had a disquieting thought. Suppose the bed would not go
through the door! Quickly he measured bed and door and found
the bed one inch too wide to pass through.
There are many people who spend their time building their lives
according to the plan of this world. They take great pride in their
work...the day will come when they suddenly realize the
measurements will not allow [them] to pass Heaven’s door.”
3.
LEGALISM EMPHASIZES THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
TWO COVENANTS, TWO MOTHERS (vv.24-28).
Note: Paul says that these things are an allegory, that is, an
illustration of truth can be seen and drawn from the event. When
looking closely at the story, we can see how the mothers, Hagar and
Sarah, represent the two covenants—the covenant of law and the
covenant of God’s grace or promise.
1.
Hagar was a type of the old covenant between God and man—the
law. Two things are said about the law.
a. Hagar, that is, the law, bears children to slavery. The law says
do this and do not do that. It demands and insists on
obedience. It enslaves a person to do exactly what it says.
Therefore, if a person hopes to approach God in his own
goodness, merit, virtue, morality, and righteousness, he is in
bondage to the law. He must keep it in order to be good and
moral and righteous and to earn the favor of God. The law,
the rules and regulations of goodness and righteousness,
enslaves him. (Keep in mind, Paul is not saying the law is not
good. We are to live righteously and morally, but we are not
acceptable to God because of our goodness and self-efforts.
We do not save ourselves; we are not to be praised because of
our works and goodness. Praise belongs to God. God is the
One who saves us. This is what is being discussed.)
b. Hagar, the law, represents the very center of a religion of law
and works which was Jerusalem of that day (v.25). Note that
Paul makes two connections to stress the point:
Hagar stands for Mt. Sinai, the Mount in Arabia where
the law was given.
Hagar and Mt. Sinai both picture the very center of a
religion of law and works, the Jerusalem of that day. Of
course, Hagar also pictures any religion, church, people,
or person who seeks to be righteous and acceptable to
God and heaven through works and law.
2.
Sarah was a type of the new covenant between God and man, the
covenant of grace or of promise. Two things are said about the grace
and promise of God to man.
a. Sarah, that is, grace, is seen in the Jerusalem which is above,
the heavenly Jerusalem. Heavenly Jerusalem is the spiritual
and eternal city which God has promised to those who
approach Him through faith.
b. Sarah and grace and the promise of a heavenly city are all
free. Any person who accepts God’s promise of a heavenly
city which is eternal—who accepts His promise enough to
believe it with all his heart, basing all he is and has upon that
promise—is acceptable to God. God takes the man’s sheer
faith—the faith that has cast itself totally upon the promise of
God—and counts it as the man’s righteousness. Therefore,
the man becomes acceptable to God: he is given the promise
of God freely—without price—without having to work for it
by keeping rules and laws.
c. Note a second result as well: the covenant of grace ends up
with more children than the Jewish legalist. This is a
prophecy which simply predicted that more Gentiles would
believe the grace of God than Jews (Is.55:1).
3.
The point is forcefully stated: “Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, are
the children of promise.” Believers—all those who have believed in
Jesus Christ—have been given birth by God—a spiritual birth. We
receive the promise of God. God freely takes our faith and counts it as
righteousness.
Our faith is credited, imputed, counted as the righteousness
which we lack within ourselves.
This is the glorious promise of God’s grace, the covenant of grace
which God has now made with man. Man can now inherit the
promised land (Canaan, the heavenly Jerusalem or city of God) and
live eternally with God.
“
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. For if they which are of
the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made
of none effect” (Ro.4:13-14).
4.
LEGALISM PERSECUTES AND ENSLAVES BELIEVERS
(
v.29).
Ishmael ridiculed, mocked, and persecuted Isaac. Paul draws upon
this fact to show why believers are persecuted. It is because men try
to approach God in the flesh, that is, by their own energy and effort in
trying to be good and righteous.
QUESTIONS:
1.
Do you believe God is going to accept you because of your
own ingenuity? Your own energy and effort? Your own
goodness. Because you keep the commandments of God and
do the best you can? Why or why not?
2.
Was there a time when you made a choice between being like
Ishmael (man’s way) or being like Isaac (God’s way)? Which
one did you choose and why?
QUESTIONS
:
1.
What are the two covenants that Paul is referring to in these
Scriptures?
2.
Give some examples of how some people seek God through
the law. What are some of the natural results of this choice?
3.
Who are the children of promise? How does this affect your
day-to-day life?
