Day 269, September 26: Bible reading & prayer
Nehemiah 1-5 (chronological); Isaiah 7-9, Galatians 4 (OT/NT)
We finished the book of Ezra yesterday and we’ll start Nehemiah today. We have this book, the last of the Psalms, and Malachi to go before the end of the month and the end of the Old Testament.
Historical big picture: the kingdom of Israel was exiled to Assyria, which was conquered by Babylon, to which the kingdom of Judah was exiled. Babylon was conquered by the Medes and the Persians. The Persian kings were instrumental in the return of exiles to the land of Israel. I’m sympathetic that the whole timeline of these events regarding the exiles and their return to the land, and of the kings of Persia, can be confusing.
Daniel served the first king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, and his sons. Then he served the conquering king, Darius the Mede, and all who succeeded him until Cyrus King of Persia. It was Cyrus, in the first year of his reign, who issued a decree that exiles could return and build the temple in Jerusalem (Day 261). They were frustrated by their enemies in the land who, in the days of King Ahasuerus, wrote an accusation to the king against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem (Ezra 4:6, Day 262). King Artexerxes (Ezra 4:7, Day 262), after a letter was written to him, then issued a decree that the Jews stop their building on the temple. They did so until the words of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah inspired them to continue building, in the second year of King Darius (Day 263, Day 264, and Day 265). After a letter of accusation was written to him, King Darius searched the archives, found King Cyrus’ decree, and issued a decree that the Jews be allowed to rebuild the temple, with the expenses paid by the royal treasury. The temple was finished in the sixth year of his reign (Day 262). Kings Artexerxes and Ahasuerus are the most confusing, because both can be a title or a name. Esther (Day 266 and Day 267), the Jewish orphan, was queen to an Ahasuerus who seemed to have reigned later than the Ahasuerus mentioned in Ezra. Then there was another Artexerxes that we read about yesterday (Day 268). He also receives credit for the temple, in Ezra 6:14: “they finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.” Ezra recorded the story of the initial return of the exiles to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the temple, but he himself did not enter the story until the seventh year of Artaxerxes, when he went to Jerusalem under this decree of Artaxerxes, which we read yesterday.
We reflected yesterday on all the ways that God protected His people in the nations where He sent them, from Egypt to Assyria to Babylon. Joseph, of the sons of Israel, was second in command to Pharoah in Egypt. Daniel was second in command to kings of Babylon and Media-Persia. Esther was queen to a king of Persia, and her uncle Mordecai became second in command to that king. These testimonies are astounding when we stop to consider them.
It is amazing that our New Testament reading in Galatians 4, below, gives insight into God’s protection of the sons of Israel. We have to understand that they are truly His sons and He will no more give up on them than we would our own children. Those who are still under Law (not yet having faith in Jesus the Christ) are protected as we would protect a child who has not yet reached legal age. They are not protected for their own sake. They are protected for His sake, because He promised. There are particular individuals among His chosen people, however, who additionally earned His favor because of their desire to please Him. Ezra was such an individual: “the good hand of his God was upon him. For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel” (Ezra 7:9b-10). The king decreed to him, “any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who are willing to go to Jerusalem, may go with you,” and he decreed that his officials in the land of Judah provide protection and financial support. Before they traveled, Ezra proclaimed a three day fast for the many traveling with him, asking God for protection, rather than asking for troops and horsemen from the king for the journey. When they arrived in Jerusalem, Ezra testified, “the hand of our God was over us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the way.”
When Ezra arrived in Jerusalem, however, he was informed that the exiles who had previously returned had been disobedient to the Law of God in the intervening years by not separating themselves from the people of the land. Ezra publicly mourned before the house of God, and prayed, “After all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and our great guilt, since You our God have requited us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us an escaped remnant as this, shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit these abominations? Would You not be angry with us to the point of destruction, until there is no remnant nor any who escape?” People gathered to him, weeping bitterly, confessing their sin, and declaring, “So now let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.”
We pick up the story in Nehemiah, now in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, thirteen years after Ezra returned to Jerusalem.
An overview of our yearly Bible reading plan, with all summaries so far, can be found here. My appeal for the resolution to read your Bibles is here.
September 26 chronological reading: Nehemiah 1-5
Nehemiah 1
v1-3 “The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year [of King Artaxerxes; Ezra had gone up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of this king’s reign], while I was in Susa the capitol, that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem. They said to me, ‘The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.’
v4-11 “When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. I said, ‘I beseech You, O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, “If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.” They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. O Lord, I beseech You, may Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man.’
Now I was the cup bearer to the king.”
Nehemiah 2
v1-8 “And it came about in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, that wine was before him, and I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. So the king said to me, ‘Why is your face sad though you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.’ Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king, ‘Let the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?’ Then the king said to me, ‘What would you request?’ So I prayed to the God of heaven. I said to the king, ‘If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.’ Then the king said to me, the queen sitting beside him, ‘How long will your journey be, and when will you return?’ So it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a definite time. And I said to the king, ‘If it please the king, let letters be given me for the governors of the provinces beyond the River, that they may allow me to pass through until I come to Judah, and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress which is by the temple, for the wall of the city and for the house to which I will go.’ And the king granted them to me because the good hand of my God was on me.
v9-10 “Then I came to the governors of the provinces beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horse men. When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about it, it was very displeasing to them that someone had come to seek the welfare of the sons of Israel.
v11-16 “So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. And I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God was putting into my mind to do for Jerusalem and there was no animal with me except the animal on which I was riding. So I went out at night by the Valley Gate in the direction of the Dragon’s Well and on to the Refuse Gate, inspecting the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were consumed by fire. Then I passed on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was no place for my mount to pass. So I went up at night by the ravine and inspected the wall. Then I entered the Valley Gate again and returned. The officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; nor had I as yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials or the rest who did the work.
v17-20 “Then I said to them, ‘You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach.’ I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king’s words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, ‘Let us arise and build.’ So they put their hands to the good work. But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard it, they mocked us and despised us and said, ‘What is this thing you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?’ So I answered them and said to them, ‘The God of heaven will give us success; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no portion, right or memorial in Jerusalem.’”
Nehemiah 3
v1-2 “Then Eliashib the high priest arose with his brothers the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They consecrated the wall to the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel. Next to him the men of Jericho built, and next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.
v3-5 “Now the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and bars. Next to them Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz made repairs. And next to him Meshullam the son of Berechiah the son of Meshezabel made repairs. And next to him Zadok the son of Baana also made repairs. Moreover, next to him the Tekoites made repairs, but their nobles did not support the work of their masters.
v6-12 “Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars. Next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, also made repairs for the official seat of the governor of the province beyond the River. Next to him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah of the goldsmiths made repairs. And next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, made repairs, and they restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. Next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur, the official of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs. Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house. And next to him Hattush the son of Hashabneiah made repairs. Malchijah the son of Harim and Hasshub the son of Pahath-moab repaired another section and the Tower of Furnaces. Next to him Shallum the son of Hallohesh, the official of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs, he and his daughters.
v13 “Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They built it and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars, and a thousand cubits of the wall to the Refuse Gate.
v14 “Malchijah the son of Rechab, the official of the district of Beth-haccherem repaired the Refuse Gate. He built it and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars.
v15-27 “Shallum the son of Col-hozeh, the official of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate. He built it, covered it and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars, and the wall of the Pool of Shelah at the king’s garden as far as the steps that descend from the city of David. After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, official of half the district of Beth-zur, made repairs as far as a point opposite the tombs of David, and as far as the artificial pool and the house of the mighty men. After him the Levites carried out repairs under Rehum the son of Bani. Next to him Hashabiah, the official of half the district of Keilah, carried out repairs for his district. After him their brothers carried out repairs under Bavvai the son of Henadad, official of the other half of the district of Keilah. Next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, the official of Mizpah, repaired another section in front of the ascent of the armory at the Angle. After him Baruch the son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the Angle to the doorway of the house of Eliashib the high priest. After him Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz repaired another section, from the doorway of Eliashib’s house even as far as the end of his house. After him the priests, the men of the valley, carried out repairs. After them Benjamin and Hasshub carried out repairs in front of their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah, carried out repairs beside his house. After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah as far as the Angle and as far as the corner. Palal the son of Uzai made repairs in front of the Angle and the tower projecting from the upper house of the king, which is by the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh made repairs. The temple servants living in Ophel made repairs as far as the front of the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower. After them the Tekoites repaired another section in front of the great projecting tower and as far as the wall of Ophel.
v28-32 “Above the Horse Gate the priests carried out repairs, each in front of his house. After them Zadok the son of Immer carried out repairs in front of his house. And after him Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, carried out repairs. After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah carried out repairs in front of his own quarters. After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, carried out repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and of the merchants, in front of the Inspection Gate and as far as the upper room of the corner. Between the upper room of the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and the merchants carried out repairs.”
Nehemiah 4
v1-3 “Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews. He spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy men of Samaria and said, ‘What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?’ Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, ‘Even what they are building—if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!’
v4-5 “Hear, O our God, how we are despised! Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity. Do not forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have demoralized the builders.
v6 “So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
v7-8 “Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry. All of them conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it.
v9 “But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night.
v10 “Thus in Judah it was said,
‘The strength of the burden bearers is failing,
Yet there is much rubbish;
And we ourselves are unable
To rebuild the wall.’
v11-14 “Our enemies said, ‘They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them and put a stop to the work.’ When the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times, ‘They will come up against us from every place where you may turn,’ then I stationed men in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I stationed the people in families with their swords, spears and bows. When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people: ‘Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses.’
v15-20 “When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work. From that day on, half of my servants carried on the work while half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows and the breastplates; and the captains were behind the whole house of Judah. Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon. As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while the trumpeter stood near me. I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, ‘The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall far from one another. At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.’
v21-23 “So we carried on the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared. At that time I also said to the people, ‘Let each man with his servant spend the night within Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and a laborer by day.’ So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each took his weapon even to the water.”
Nehemiah 5
v1-5 “Now there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. For there were those who said, ‘We, our sons and our daughters are many; therefore let us get grain that we may eat and live.’ There were others who said, ‘We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our houses that we might get grain because of the famine.’ Also there were those who said, ‘We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. Now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children. Yet behold, we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are forced into bondage already, and we are helpless because our fields and vineyards belong to others.’
v6-13 “Then I was very angry when I had heard their outcry and these words. I consulted with myself and contended with the nobles and the rulers and said to them, ‘You are exacting usury, each from his brother!’ Therefore, I held a great assembly against them. I said to them, ‘We according to our ability have redeemed our Jewish brothers who were sold to the nations; now would you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us?’ Then they were silent and could not find a word to say. Again I said, ‘The thing which you are doing is not good; should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? And likewise I, my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Please, let us leave off this usury. Please, give back to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money and of the grain, the new wine and the oil that you are exacting from them.’ Then they said, ‘We will give it back and will require nothing from them; we will do exactly as you say.’ So I called the priests and took an oath from them that they would do according to this promise. I also shook out the front of my garment and said, ‘Thus may God shake out every man from his house and from his possessions who does not fulfill this promise; even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.’ And all the assembly said, ‘Amen!’ And they praised the LORD. Then the people did according to this promise.
v14-19 “Moreover, from the day that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, for twelve years, neither I nor my kinsmen have eaten the governor’s food allowance. But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty shekels of silver; even their servants domineered the people. But I did not do so because of the fear of God. I also applied myself to the work on this wall; we did not buy any land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. Moreover, there were at my table one hundred and fifty Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. Now that which was prepared for each day was one ox and six choice sheep, also birds were prepared for me; and once in ten days all sorts of wine were furnished in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the governor’s food allowance, because the servitude was heavy on this people. Remember me, O my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.”
September 26 OT/NT readings: Isaiah 7-9, Galatians 4
We are reading Isaiah in the Old Testament reading plan. We read Isaiah 7-8 on Day 191 of the chronological reading plan, and Isaiah 9 on Day 194, so you can find the text of these chapters there.
We are reading Galatians in the New Testament reading plan. It was the first letter written by the apostle Paul, after his first missionary journey, when he established the church in the region of Galatia, after he had returned to Antioch, from where he had been first sent out with Barnabas and John Mark (see the timeline of the book of Acts). The early Christian church, initially made up of Jewish believers, had to wrestle with the necessity of following the rituals of the Mosaic Law now that they were under the New Covenant in Christ, made possible by Jesus’ death and resurrection. This wrestling became all the more necessary as the Lord gave His Spirit to Gentile believers. What has come to be known as the “Council at Jerusalem” on this question took place after Paul’s first missionary journey (Acts 11:1-31, see Day 184). Paul’s letter to the Galatians deals with these new Christians being falsely taught that they must follow rituals of the Mosaic Law. Paul exposed the motivation for this false teaching in Galatians 6:12, “Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.”
Paul has so far asserted that those who want to distort the gospel, inserting requirements under the Law, should be accursed. He has made clear that he was taught the gospel by a revelation of Jesus Christ, not by men. He reviewed his history to show how long it was (3 years) after seeing Jesus on the road to Damascus before he met the leadership of the Christian church in Jerusalem, verifying that even they did not have an influence on the gospel Jesus taught him. It was another 14 years before Paul returned to Jerusalem, with Barnabas and Titus, meeting James and Peter and John. He submitted to them the gospel that he taught to the Gentiles and, seeing that the Lord worked effectually for him in his ministry to the Gentiles, they extended the right hand of fellowship, adding nothing to this gospel taught to him by Jesus himself. False brethren were secretly brought in to spy out their liberty in Christ Jesus, in order to bring them into bondage to requirements of the Law, but they did not yield to them, so the truth of the gospel would remain. Not even Titus, a Greek, was compelled by their influence to be circumcised. When Peter later came to Antioch, Paul had to oppose him to his face. He ate with Gentiles until Jewish men, who Paul called “the party of the circumcision,” came from Jerusalem. The rest of the Jews, even Barnabas, joined him in hypocrisy. Paul asked Peter, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?…knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified….I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”
In chapter 3 yesterday, Paul asked the Galatians to reflect, “did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?…Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?…does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.’ So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM.’ Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, ‘THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.’ However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, ‘HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM.’ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, ‘CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE’— in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith….Now the promises were spoken to Abraham….‘And to your seed,’ that is, Christ…..the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise…..Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made….Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”
Galatians 4
v1-7 “Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
v8-11 “However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.
v12-20 “I beg of you, brethren, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong; but you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time; and that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself. Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them. But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable manner, and not only when I am present with you. My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you— but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.
v21-27 “Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. For it is written,
‘REJOICE, BARREN WOMAN WHO DOES NOT BEAR; BREAK FORTH AND SHOUT, YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR; FOR MORE NUMEROUS ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE DESOLATE
THAN OF THE ONE WHO HAS A HUSBAND.’
v28-30 “And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. But what does the Scripture say?
‘CAST OUT THE BONDWOMAN AND HER SON, FOR THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN.’
v31 “So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman.”
Dear Lord,
When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people: “Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses.”
Help us not to fear, but remember You who are great and awesome, You who grants favor to those who love You, and fight for what is righteous in Your eyes.
as long as the heir is a child…he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
Thank You for this description of the purpose of Your Law for Your chosen people. The Law was like a guardian or manager of children who have an inheritance promised them but have not yet reached adulthood. You sent Your Son to redeem those who had been kept under Law so they might receive all the rights of inheritance as sons. Returning to the Law is like returning to the limitations and management of childhood rather than embracing one’s freedom as an adult heir. May we, with all the rights and privileges of Your adult children, desire to please and glorify You for Your goodness to us.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Amen - thank you for ending with this beautiful prayer
"Help us not to fear, but remember You who are great and awesome, You who grants favor to those who love You, and fight for what is righteous in Your eyes." Amen! Thank you Dr. Milhoan. Peace.