Oxford Bible Church - Living in the Last Days

Paul compares the Old Covenant and its children to Hagar and Ishmael, pointing out that by its nature the Old Covenant (Hagar, the bond-slave) gives birth to children of bondage (Ishmael). He strengthens this identification by pointing out that the origin of the Old Covenant, Mount Sinai, is in Arabia, where Hagar and Ishmael settled after being cast out, from whom came the Arabs. Thus it is clear that the real Mount Sinai must be in Saudi Arabia, rather than in the Sinai Peninsula (a late tradition established during the Byzantine Empire). This agrees with earlier Jewish writings, and with other Scriptures, especially those that locate Mount Sinai in the region of Midian. We discuss the location and discovery of the real Mount Sinai and the split Rock, as well as the place of the Red Sea Crossing, pointing out that scriptures that speak of Yam Suph (translated as Red Sea) point to the Gulf of Aqaba, not the Gulf of Suez or its shallow marshy lakes, which means the parting of the waters was indeed a mighty miracle, just as the Bible describes.

Although, the New Jerusalem (like Sarah) had been desolate of children (no one was born again before the New Covenant was established), now she is giving birth to an ever-increasing number of children, as Galatians 4:26-27 points out, by quoting a prophecy from Isaiah 54:1. Thus immediately after the classic prophecy of Christ's sacrificial death and resurrection to establish the New Covenant in Isaiah 53, Isaiah 54 describes the wonderful results of His Sacrifice, including the new birth of multitudes of spiritual children in Christ. Finally, we see that, as always, those who are just born according to the flesh (like Ishmael) persecute those who are born according to the Spirit (like Isaac).

We continue our study of Paul's analogy of Ishmael and Isaac. We take a more in-depth look as how God made it possible for us to receive a supernatural birth like Isaac, through receiving the promise of God in the Gospel, causing us to become the seed of Abraham and heirs of eternal life in Christ. God accomplished this through Christ, the greater than Isaac, the ultimate Seed of Abraham, who, like Isaac, had a supernatural birth, and who, through His perfect life, death and resurrection purchased and received the full blessing of Abraham on our behalf.

We look at how God revealed this through the typology in Genesis 22, when Abraham offered up Isaac on Mount Moriah, and received him back from the dead (Hebrews 11:17-19), resulting in the promise of Abraham's blessing coming upon all peoples in Christ, the Seed of Abraham, who would ultimately fulfil the type (Genesis 22:18).

When we believe and receive the promise of God through the Gospel, we are put into (union with) Christ and become the spiritual Seed of Abraham, and thereby inherit the blessing by grace (3:26-29). In this way, Isaac, the initial seed of Abraham, is firstly a type of Christ, the greater Seed of Abraham, and secondly of all of us who are in Christ, and who are heirs of the covenant blessing. So when we are born again, we are no longer like unto Ishmael, but new creations made like unto Isaac, children of grace (promise) and inheritors of eternal life.

We also discuss how Genesis 22:14 makes it clear that the location of Christ's death and resurrection must have been on Mount Moriah: "Abraham called the name of the place, 'the-Lord-will-Provide'; as it is said to this day: “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” or better: “In the Mount, the Lord shall be provided.” This is a prophecy that God will provide the ultimate Sacrifice of His Son to fulfil the type, on the same Mount (Mount Moriah - see v2) where Abraham offered up Isaac. We see how this confirms the truth of Gordon's Calvary and the Garden Tomb.

Although Jesus died and rose again in the earthly Jerusalem, the origin and centre of operation of the New Covenant, is now the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22-24),

especially since the risen Jesus took His Blood there to establish the New Covenant (Hebrews 9:11-15). Thus the New Covenant operating from the heavenly New Jerusalem is our Mother, who is free - corresponding to Sarah in Paul's allegory (see also Psalm 87).

By contrast, the origin of the Old Covenant was the earthy Mount Sinai in Arabia, and its centre of operation (at the time Paul wrote Galatians) was the earthly Jerusalem, who was in bondage - corresponding to Hagar.

In these verses, Paul illustrates his message with a symbolic allegory, based Abraham's 2 sons, (1) Ishmael and (2) Isaac, born from 2 different mothers, (1) Hagar (the slave) and (2) Sarah (the free woman). The 2 sons derived their nature and status from their mothers, either (1) slavery (bondage) or (2) freedom. These 2 mothers represent (1) the Old Covenant (Law) associated with Mount Sinai, and (2) the New Covenant (Grace), associated with Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem. (1) Just as Ishmael's birth was according to the flesh, by human initiative and effort (Genesis 16), so the children of the law are the product of their own effort and works. (2) Just as Isaac's birth was supernatural, through receiving God's promise (Genesis 17), so the children of the promise (Gospel) are born of the Spirit, the product of God's grace.

We make a special study of God's supernatural work of grace by God's Spirit in bringing Isaac to birth, when Abram and Sarai believed His Word (promise), a picture of our supernatural New Birth by God's Spirit, when we believed His promise through the Gospel. Whereas (1) Ishmael, the man of the flesh, was cast out, (2) Isaac, the man born of the Spirit by grace, inherited the covenant, including the blessing of eternal life.

Every person is either (1) an Ishmael, or (2) an Isaac. Who is your Mother?

What exactly is Halloween, where does it come from and should Christians have anything to do with it?

The roots of modern Halloween can be traced back to the pagan Celts of Britain, 2000 years ago. One of their main festivals was Samhain on 31st October marking the transition into the ‘dark half’ of the year. They believed that the veil between this world and the 'otherworld' was at its thinnest, allowing both demons and the spirits of the dead to pass into our world and mingle with the living, harassing those who don’t placate them. So sacrifices were offered to them, along with sweet foods (treats), to avoid their malevolent tricks. The Celts disguised themselves in strange costumes and macabre masks, hoping their ghastly appearance would fool the demons into counting them among their number and so leave them alone.

Later, Christians replaced this pagan holiday with a celebration of believers in glory. So 1st November became All Saints (Hallows) Day and the night before, All Hallows Eve or Halloween. But the pagan roots were not fully cut off and have increasingly grown into the commercial, death-focused event of today. So modern Halloween is the direct offspring of ancient Samhain, and those who enjoy the present-day festivities are eating the fruit of an ungodly tree.

Christians should have nothing to do with Halloween. In the Old Testament, all such occult practice was strictly forbidden (Deuteronomy 18:9-13, Leviticus 20:27). Likewise, Paul tells us to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” (Ephesians 5:11). Why? “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (v8). “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you” (2Corinthians 6:17). How can we honour the Lord while embracing a festival of death?

Christian parents must have courage to say ‘no’ to children when it comes to Halloween. If necessary, parents and Churches could offer uplifting alternatives, with games and activities, and teaching emphasising God as the Source of light and life, in contrast to the darkness and evil in the world, and the victory of Christ over all darkness. He has liberated us from evil, darkness and death in all its forms. How much better to celebrate the Lord of life than the power of darkness!

In contrast to the false teachers who were love-bombing the Galatians for their own selfish purposes, Paul's love for them was genuine, both in their presence and when they were separated from them. His motive was not to possess them for himself, but that Christ would be formed in them. He loved them as a mother loves her children. He had originally brought them to birth through his prayers and through the Gospel, and now he was labouring again for them in intercession and in the Word, earnestly desiring to be with them again, reunited in sweet fellowship. Meanwhile he is at his wits end trying to get through to them.

Having described how God had saved them from bondage to external law and ceremonial religion, and evil spirits, and given them the liberty and inheritance of sonship (v7-8), Paul points out how foolish is it for them to desire to return to being in bondage again to external ceremonial laws, such as observing days, months, seasons and years (v9-10), which he describes as weak and beggarly elements (v3,9) – that is, they are impotent to save, and have no intrinsic value. They are not reality, but only shadows of reality, whose purpose is to point to the substance (Christ). But now we are in Christ, our faith connects us directly to His realities, so these outward observances are no longer necessary. In fact, if we believe that we must focus our lives on obeying them, the danger is that it will cause us to focus on externals, rather than on the reality in Christ.

Then Paul makes a series of personal appeals to the Galatians, reminding them how much he had sacrificed and laboured among them, so they would know the truth (v11), how much he had identified with them and come alongside them, which should cause them to stop distancing themselves from him, but instead be loyal to him (v12). He then reminds them how they received him with love and honour as God’s messenger, when he came to them with the Gospel, even though he came in weakness, and with much bruising around his eyes, having just been stoned to death (v13-14, see Acts 14:19-25). He reminds them of the blessedness of their time together, when God’s love flowed freely between them, when they would have been willing to give up their own eyes for his sake (v15). Then he shames them by saying: “have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?” (v16). Finally, he points out that the false teachers are making a fuss of them for selfish reasons, so that they would be able to possess the Galatians for themselves, and so control them, and cut them off from Paul and everyone else (v17), which is exactly the way that cults operate.

These wonderful verses describe how God the Father has saved us by His grace in (1) sending forth His Son into the world to redeem us (v4-5), and (2) sending forth His Spirit into our hearts to regenerate and indwell us and lead us into our full inheritance (v6-7). We discuss what ‘the fullness of time’ means (v4), and how these verses claim that Jesus is the God-man, born of a virgin (Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 7:14), who lived a sinless life, fulfilling the Law perfectly (v4), in order to redeem us from the curse of the law, that we might be set free from bondage to external law, by being placed (adopted) as sons (‘huios’) of God. Upon this legal basis, God then also immediately sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, regenerating our spirits in the New Birth, making us actual sons of God, who cry out from our spirit: “Abba, Father!” (v6). Therefore, we are no longer slaves, but sons, and heirs of God and His full blessing of salvation through Christ (v7).

In this study, we see what God did for us, when we received Christ as Lord and Saviour. The key phrase is ‘in Christ.’ God made the promise of salvation to Abraham and His SEED, who is CHRIST (v16). Christ received the full Blessing of Abraham on our behalf, and when we trusted in Christ, we were baptised into Christ (v27, Romans 6:3-7). In Christ (through our union with Him) we became sons of God (v26), clothed with His righteousness (v27). Moreover, all believers in Christ, whatever our race, status or sex, are ONE (literally, one entity), for if we are in Christ (v26,27,28), we are Christ’s (under His headship), forming part of Abraham’s SEED (v29), who is CHRIST (He is the head and we are the body). This agrees with 1Corinthians 12:12-13: “By one Spirit we were all baptised into one body (Christ), whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” Since in Christ, we are now the Seed of Abraham, we inherit the Blessing of Abraham, which includes our full salvation, as a free-gift of His grace (v14,29).

In Galatians 4:1-7, Paul restates his previous argument from 3:23-25, proving that when we trust in Christ, we are no longer slaves (under the law), but sons, who are free. He points out that any potential heir, while still a child, is under external restraint (law), like a slave, until the time appointed by the father (4:1-2), for him to be raised into the position of mature sonship (as a ‘huios’), when he is set free from bondage to the external law, and is able to enter into and enjoy his inheritance (v5,7). Likewise, before our salvation, we were in bondage to the Law, described as the elementary principles of religion, that is, the Ceremonial Law (v3), but now through Christ we have been redeemed, set free from slavery to the Law, adopted as sons and heirs of God, and given His Holy Spirit to dwell within us (v5-7).

In these verses, Paul continues to describe how the Law serves the purpose of preparing man to receive salvation through faith in Christ. The Law of Moses consists of (1) the Moral Law, which revealed His absolute righteousness, (2) the Ceremonial Law, which revealed what Christ would do to save us, and (3) the Civic Law, which revealed that God’s justice demanded punishment when laws were broken.

The Moral Law proved all men are guilty, under sin, so that our only hope of salvation is through faith in Christ (v22). The Ceremonial Law acted like a tutor, governing the life of Israel and keeping her separate from the nations, preserving her from corruption, as well as the truth with which she had been entrusted by God (v23). For Messiah to come and perfectly fulfil the Law, He needed to be born into a nation where the Law was honoured as God’s Word. The Ceremonial Law, as a tutor, also pointed to the way of salvation through Christ, so that men would be justified by faith in the coming Messiah (v24).

But now that Christ has come, and we have put our faith in Him for salvation, we are no longer under the Law (v25), for it has now fulfilled its preparatory role in our life. Just as a child is kept under external supervision, until he becomes a mature grown-up son (‘huios’), able to choose for himself, so likewise we lived under law, until we became a son (huios’) of God, which took place when we put our trust in Christ (v26). Just as a child is set free from external supervision when he becomes a ‘huios’, so we were set free from the Law, when we became sons of God through faith in Christ, for we no longer need an external tutor to control our behaviour, because we are now constrained by the love of Christ within us (2Corinthians 5:14).

Previously we saw that God established His way of salvation by grace through Abraham, so that when He introduced the Law through Moses, He never intended it to be a means of salvation. So, the question naturally arises: What then is the purpose of the Law? We see that one of its main purposes is to reveal the fact that we are sinners, who cannot save ourselves, so that we will welcome the Gospel of salvation by grace. The Law lifts the lid off man’s respectability, revealing what he is like underneath, by turning our sin into transgression, making us law-breakers. Thus, it exposes our sin and reveals its nature and sinfulness, that it is rebellion against the will and authority of God. The Law also imprisons us, and restrains and modifies our behaviour, but it has no power to forgive us, change us from within or save us. But the Law does PREPARE us for salvation through Christ, (1) by revealing our need for salvation, and (2) by pointing beyond itself to Christ, through the types and shadows (especially the sacrificial system), the true source of forgiveness and salvation. So, the Law also illuminates and confirms the Gospel.

Paul also points out the inferiority of the Law to the Gospel, by pointing out that the Covenant of Moses between God and man was mediated through angels and Moses (a fallen man), creating an imperfect connection between God and man (so that there was still a separation between them), and was therefore temporary and preparatory by nature. On the other hand, the New Covenant of grace is perfect and everlasting, having been made between God the Father and God the Son, and God is One (2 perfect Persons, who are One), so that when we are put in Christ (through His human nature), we come into a perfect, unbreakable union with God on the basis of an everlasting Covenant, established in the precious Blood of the God-man Jesus Christ, our eternal Mediator. Thus, in Christ, we are one with God, all separation between us and God having been removed forever, in fulfilment of Christ’s high priestly prayer for us in John 17:20-23.