Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
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.
Summary: The writer of Hebrews reminds us that faith is “assurance about what we do not see.” Sometimes we need to be reminded of what it is that we don’t see. Paul is here to help us!
Continue reading “Galatians 4:24c – The Unseen Connection”The women represent two covenants.
Summary: Paul begins to explain what he said would be figurative.
Continue reading “Galatians 4:24b – Choosing to Live”These things are being taken figuratively:
Summary: Figuring out what history means is best done with the guidance of God.
Continue reading “Galatians 4:24a – Something Bigger”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 according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.
Summary: Abraham’s first two sons represent much more than two births. They are part of a story of impatience and second-guessing God.
Continue reading “Galatians 4:22-23 – Impatience”Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?
Summary: The Galatians did not know that by agreeing to live by the law they were binding themselves to an agreement they could never keep.
Continue reading “Galatians 4:21 – The Weight of the Law”… how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!
Summary: Paul takes a break from explaining the true gospel to the Galatians and for a moment, shares how he is feeling.
Continue reading “Galatians 4:20 – Break Time”… until Christ is formed in you …
Summary: Paul has a clear vision of what it means for a person to have Christ “fully formed” in them. We continue to meditate on Paul’s words so we can better understand what he means.
Continue reading “Galatians 4:19b – Christ in Me”My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth …
Summary: Childbirth is a powerful illustration of what is involved in developing a new Christian.
Continue reading “Galatians 4:19a – The Birthing Process”It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you.
Summary: In this passage, Paul points us to a truth that is helpful to understand.
Continue reading “Galatians 4:18 – Zeal of Approval”In today’s post, “Satan’s Sights,” I made a statement that could be misread to mean something I did not intend, nor do I endorse in any way. Satan has not succeeded in his goal to separate us from God. He has succeeded partially, but not completely. To that end I made the following correction to the second paragraph. The correction is in italics and underlined below.
Continue reading “Correction”