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Galatians 4:23-25

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

23. But he [who was] of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman [was] by promise. 24. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 25. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

Galatians 4:23-25 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Galatians 4:23

Theological / Devotional

After the flesh. Ishmael was the son of human devising, of human effort to bring the covenant promises to fruition. Actually, Ishmael was a living testimony to Abraham’s lack of faith.

By promise. Isaac was the son of promise, the son of faith (Gen. 12:3; 13:14-16; 15:4; 17:3-6, 19-21). The record of his birth is one of remarkable divine interposition (see Gen. 18:10; 21:1, 2; Heb. 11:11, 12). Every circumstance of Isaac’s birth emphasizes faith. The faith of Abraham is an example of Christian faith (see Rom 4:16-25). He believed God’s promises when their fulfillment seemed humanly impossible. Isaac was pre-eminently the son of God’s promise and Abraham’s faith. Paul here places emphasis on the fact that the son born into a state of inferiority and slavery, and the son of a freewoman, into a life of freedom.

By SdaBc