Galatians 4:25
25 For [gar] this Agar [Hagar] is [esti] mount [oros] Sinai [Sina] in [en] Arabia [Arabia], and [de] answereth [sustoicheo] to
Jerusalem [Hierousalem] which [ho] now is [nun], and [de] is in bondage [douleuo]
with [meta] her [autos] children [teknon]. KJV-Interlinear
25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai
in Arabia, and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with
her children. NASB
Paul draws a comparison between Sarah, the mother
of freedom and Hagar the mother of slavery.
Hagar is similar symbolically, to the covenant that
was given at Sinai, when Moses received the Law. The Law delineates the works of righteousness
from mans perspective and since man cannot attain to a level of righteousness
to free himself from slavery, then he remains in slavery to sin. Furthermore, even if man could live the
perfect life, that still would not free him from the bonds of death and thus he
is still in slavery to death.
Jesus Christ lived the perfect life, but He still
went to the Cross to pay the price of sin in order to defeat both sin and
death.
Arabia is outside of Jerusalem, and even outside of
Israel. Israel is the chosen people and
nation of God, while the Arabs are not the chosen people or nation.
But all people can become members of Gods family
through faith, because God did not choose genetics as the basis for His family,
but he chose faith or believing in the only Savior, as the basis for salvation.
Jerusalem of present, as described here in Pauls
day, is the adherence to Judaism, or to the Law, rather than to the new
covenant with Christ through faith.
And Paul points out that the old ways, Judaism or
the Law, is the way of slavery.
Therefore Hagar, representing slavery to works, is
the same as the Law which delineates works as not an option for mans freedom,
which is what the the Mosaic Law teaches, which is subscribed to by the Jewish
people even in Pauls day, and they are all still in the bondage of their own
false beliefs.
And the children, represent those who continue to
perpetuate that pursuit in the false belief that man can work his way out of
his bondage on his own, simply by keeping the Law, or by means of any other
form of works.
Anytime a person disregards Gods mandates, in lieu
of his own beliefs or efforts, then he has rejected faith and is pursuing
works. This is true whether you are
trying to formally follow the Mosaic Law, or trying to follow any religion that
is not Christianity, or trying to follow any philosophy that is not
Christianity, or whether you simply do not care for any theological approach to
life, or you are trying to do your own thing as you see fit.
God has defined a method for salvation. God has defined a method for spiritual
growth. God has defined a method for the
spiritual life. God has defined a method
for advancing in the spiritual life. God
has defined a method for gaining completion, meaning, and purpose for the
individual.
And any deviation from that method, is works and
not from God.
We are to believe in order to learn.
We are to study in order to grow up. And this is study by means of instruction
which is not a do-it-yourself method.
We are to confess in order to receive forgiveness
and restoration into fellowship.
In all of these, God does all of the work of
constructing the spiritual life within the soul, while we receive the gift of
His efforts.
To pretend or believe that you can do this on your
own by trying to impress others or even just impressing yourself, means that
you will never advance because you deceive yourself in preference for your own convenience,
in stubborn objection and resistance of Gods procedure.
