“Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written: “Be glad, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have no labor pains; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.” Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. But what does the Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.” (Galatians 4:21–31)
What happens when you try to do something the wrong way?
That’s what Abraham did with Hagar, Sarah’s servant. God called him at 75, told him to go to a new land and that he would become a great nation. Ten years later he and Sarah still had no children. So he decided to do things his way. His union with the servant of his wife produced a child. It looked like it worked out. He didn’t have any children, but now he did. God said he would have descendants, and now he did. But this was not God’s plan or God’s way. God said he would have descendants with Sarah. Ishmael’s descendants would become the Islamic people, hostile to God’s people. Doing things the wrong way does not produce good results.
People are constantly trying to do things the wrong way. Couples decide to live together without marriage, justifying their actions by saying “but we love each other and are committed to each other.” Research shows that just over half of the couples who decide to move in together marry within five years. In that same amount of time, 40 percent of couples split up (which is as traumatic as a divorce). Roughly 10 percent of them continue to live together without being married. (Source) It used to be true that about 50% of the couples who lived together before marriage ended up divorcing. New research says that on average, couples who cohabited before marriage had a 33 percent higher chance of divorcing than couples who moved in together after the wedding ceremony. (Source) Doing things the wrong way does not produce good results.
Paul cautions against trying to do things the wrong way. People who think they have to earn God’s favor with their own efforts are doing things the wrong way. On the other hand, those who put their faith and confidence in Jesus for forgiveness are doing things the right way. Paul calls them “children of promise,” comparing them to Isaac who was the child of promise for Abraham and Sarah, and also the one through whom God would fulfill His promise of a Messiah.
Jesus was the one who did everything the right way. He never sinned. He kept all of God’s Laws. Even though the Jewish leaders tried to trap Him and trip Him, He remained steadfast. He fulfilled all righteousness for us. And He offered His perfection, His life, as the payment for the sins of the world. He did everything necessary to earn our salvation. All we have to do is trust Him. That is doing things the right way.