—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!
Summary: In this passage we gain greater insight into the threat to the Galatians’ faith that had Paul so worried.
In some ways, Paul’s letter to the Galatians is like the beach. The force of Paul’s argument rises up and marches forward like a wave upon the shore. Then, like a wave receding, Paul’s mood changes, and he returns to the topic of his fear.
He has been explaining his reasons for having faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Now, he seems to stop and take a breath. Then he asks, “How is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces?”
It is almost as if, after reviewing the facts in his letter, he is even more astounded that anyone who has once known the true gospel message could wander away from it!
So, what are these “weak and miserable forces” he mentions? What is it that might enslave us all over again?
Paul gives us a clue: It has something to do with the calendar. This is a different topic than circumcision … or is it?
For the Hebrews, circumcision goes back to Abraham (Genesis 17:9-14). When God led the Hebrews out of Egypt, he gave Moses the Law and a series of dates and times that the Hebrews were to honor. The Mosaic laws included:
- The Sabbath (special days, Genesis 2:2-3, Exodus 20:8-11),
- New Moons (Months, Numbers 10:10),
- The Festival of Weeks/Firstfruits (harvest season, Leviticus 23: 10-21),
- and the Year of Jubilee (years, Leviticus 25:8-13).
If the Galatians had deserted the gospel of Christ for a “different gospel” (Galatians 1:6), then we are left with the question, “What is this ‘different gospel?’”
The answer becomes clearer as we continue through Paul’s letter.
The Galatians were being told that to truly honor Christ they had to also honor the Jewish laws and calendar. They were being “enslaved” to a religion Jesus describes as an “old garment” or an “old wineskin” (Mark 2:21-22). To put it another way, if God were a new chick, the Jews were worshipping the broken shell.
Application: Keep it simple. Trust Jesus.
Food for Thought: How is being enslaved by a religion different than being free in Christ?
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Continue reading “Galatians 4:9b-10 – The Broken Shell”