Discussion #5 – A Puzzling Allegory

Introduction

A Puzzling Allegory

Welcome to Torah Today Ministries and our continuing series Grappling with Galatians. I hope you’ve been enjoying this series so far, but this episode number five gets into the deep end of the pool, so to speak, as we discuss that really difficult passage of scripture at the end of chapter 4 where Paul gives the allegory of the two sons, the two wives, the two covenants. And this passage has been so difficult because it’s been read for 2,000 years through the paradigm of Christianity rather than through the original clear lens of Paul’s discussion about the Gentile believers’ relationship to the Torah.

Now last week we talked a little bit about the phrase “under the law” or “under the Torah,” and if you recall — and I want to emphasize this again — “under the law” or “under the Torah” does not mean obedience to the Torah. Though I do not consider myself under the law, I still have committed my life to obeying what the Torah says, because I love the Torah, I love its author — God my redeemer and my Creator. So “under the law” is a descriptor of a relationship to the Torah that is not necessarily the most healthy one. And though I am not under the law, I love it and I want to obey it, and my relationship to the Torah is something a bit different.

Now let me give you a quote here from the Talmud — and again, the Talmud is not inspired, but it certainly does give us a picture into the mind of the Jewish people over the many centuries. And tractate Shabbat — this is a Babylonian Talmud, that’s why we have the little “b” there — on page 88a. Now you may wonder why there’s 88a and then there’ll be an 88b: well, in the Talmud one side of the page is “a” and the other side is “b,” so you have page 88a and you flip the page and it’s 88b, then it’s 89a, 89b and so on. And this comes from Shabbat 88a.

At the end of the teaching we’re going to flip the page — I’m going to share something with you from 88b. But listen to what it says here. It’s quoting Exodus 19:17 — “where they stood at the foot of the mountain” — and the word for “foot” is the word tachat (תַּחַת). And tachat does not mean “at the foot” — that would be a different phrase. Tachat means “underneath.” They took their places underneath the mountain. And then the commentator goes on to say — Rabbi Avdimi bar Chama bar Chasa — this is what he said:

It teaches that the Holy One, Blessed Be He—get ready for this—turned the mountain over them like a hub, and said to them: if you accept the Torah, well and good; and if not, there will be your burial— I will drop the mountain on your heads.

So you could say this is literally “under the Torah” — in other words, God was commanding them to obey his Torah whether they liked it or not, whether they loved him or not, whether they appreciated his redemption of them from Egypt or not. They are covenant people, and it’s like: you’re going to obey the Torah — obey it or die.

The Piano Lesson: From Law to Love

You know what, I was thinking about this week — I don’t often share personal stories and experiences, but this reminded me of one that I really think will help illustrate what’s going on.

I grew up in a musical family. My dad’s side of the family is very musical. My grandfather was very musical, and his brother was musical. My brother is extremely musical, and my brother became an excellent — and still is an excellent — pianist. He also composes and arranges and is just very, very gifted at the piano. He’s five years older than me.

So when I turned about seven years old, it was my turn to start taking piano lessons, and I was so excited — I’m going to become a piano player like my older brother. And I went into it with great enthusiasm, which quickly died. And then I was like Israel in the wilderness. And after six months or a year of taking piano lessons from my old piano teacher Mrs. Thomas, who always had a brand-new yellow number two pencil to whack my knuckles with when I would hit the wrong note too many times — I swear that pencil never got shorter — I wanted to quit piano so badly. I would cry and whine and beg, made my parents miserable, made myself even more miserable. And so my mom and dad conferred with each other over a few days, and then they came back with their decision. Their decision was: no. You are going to learn to play the piano. That’s that.

So I was like Israel in the wilderness — I wanted to go back to the fleshpots of Egypt where I could just play outside with my friends instead of having to go inside, go down the basement, and play my scales. But they made me play the piano. They held this over my head: you’re going to learn to play, or we’ll start subtracting things from your life. And I realized they could make my life even more miserable if I did not comply. So you could say I was under the law of mom and dad. And they had my best interest at heart — but I did not want the direction that they were leading me.

Well then, fast forward a couple of years. I think I was about nine years old, and there was a talent show at the grade school that I attended. And so I thought, well, I have enough piano skills here, I’ll sign up for something. I was so ignorant and oblivious to what’s involved. But I picked out a piece I liked — I remember it’s “Londonderry Air,” I can still see the sheet music when I close my eyes. And so kids are all doing their different things — dancing, singing, whatever. Then I’m called in front of the whole school, and I go down to the piano and I experience something I’d never ever experienced before: raw terror. My heart started beating out of my chest. I’d never experienced that before. My hands started shaking. They just wouldn’t calm down — I’d never experienced that before.

And so I sat down and I started playing, and I played through the thing at the speed of light, because whenever you’re nervous you speed up. And I’m surprised the piano didn’t catch fire. And before I blinked, I was done with the piece. And I went back and sat down, just relieved it was over, but embarrassed it didn’t go better than it did.

But then after me came down my friend Ronnie Owens — same age — and I had no idea Ronnie even played the piano. He had never mentioned it. And he came down to the piano, sat there like a pro, and he played Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C Minor. Now if you’re familiar with that piece, you know it is not an easy piece to play. And he played it perfectly, flawlessly. He was a bit of a savant at the piano. So he’s nine years old and he’s playing through this thing from memory, just perfectly. And I could not believe what I was hearing. It’s a fantastic piece of music — an awesome piece of music.

So at the next piano lesson I asked Mrs. Thomas: I’m going to learn how to play Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C Minor, because now I’m inspired. Now I want to learn how to play that piece of music. And it wasn’t so much that I wanted to show off and say “look, I can play as well as Ron can” — the music itself captured me. It was a powerful piece of music. So she was delighted, she got it for me. And when she opened up the sheet music there were more black notes than there was white space on the music. It was just jam-packed with huge chord clusters, complications, a whole fistful of sharps.

But I was determined. So she walked me through it measure by measure, and I practiced it, and I learned it. And I found out I could play it. Suddenly I had a whole new attitude about playing the piano. I had accomplished something. Because I had heard the music from a friend of mine, from someone who was a master at it — it inspired me that I wanted to do it as well. And I didn’t practice piano because I was afraid of mom and dad anymore — because of the external discipline they would bring if I didn’t practice. But now there was an internal desire, an internal drive to learn to play. Suddenly doing the scales, taking time away from playing outside to practice down in the basement, took on a whole new glow. And as I began to play this, I heard the music coming out. And ever since — and I’ve never looked back — I’m 71 years old now and still love playing the piano.

But I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t heard Ron Owens play that piece of music at that particular point in my life.

God wanted to do the same thing with Israel. He was holding the mountain over them, so to speak — or at least that’s what the legend says — saying: if you don’t obey my Torah, I’m going to drop it. But he wanted to bring them to a place where they weren’t under the law anymore, but the law was inside of them, and they wanted to do God’s will because they loved him and they saw the beauty of his desire for them.

Galatians 4:21–31 — The Two Sons

So with that in mind, let’s go ahead and just read through this rather sticky piece of scripture in Galatians chapter 4, verses 21–31. I’m just going to read through it, and you’ll probably hear it with whatever paradigm you were raised with. Then we’re going to go back a verse at a time and take a look at what’s being said.

So Paul writes:

Tell me, you who want to be under Torah, do you not listen to the Torah? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman — 

and her name was Hagar 

— and one by the free woman—

that was Abraham’s wife Sarah. 

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— 

a little bit further down I have the Greek word for allegory in Greek is allegoria so obviously this is where we get the word and what it means is that this the story is about that, it’s about something else. 

This is allegorically speaking for these are two covenants: 

These women are two convents

one 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 are the children of the desolate than the one who has a husband.” And you, brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh — 

that’s Ishmael,

— persecuted him who is born according to the spirit — 

that’s Isaac,

— 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.” So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman but of the free woman. — Galatians 4:21–31

Now when I used to read this a few decades ago, I would think: oh, this is proof that the New Covenant replaces the Old Covenant, that Christianity replaces Judaism, and grace replaces the law, and Gentiles replace Jews. This is called replacement theology — and it’s actually heresy. Though it is taught in most of our seminaries today, that is not at all what Paul is teaching here. Though it seems like it. But if we go through this slowly and just look at it from what it’s saying, I think we’ll see what he actually is trying to express.

And there’s our word allegoria (ἀλληγορία) — which is the Greek word for “allegory.” So let’s look at these verses again, one verse at a time.

Verse 21 — “You Who Want to Be Under Torah”

Verse 21: Tell me, you who want to be under Torah — do you not listen to the Torah?

So the first thing he asks is: you Gentiles who want to take on the religion of Judaism — don’t you understand that the Torah discourages this? We see here that Paul is still looking to the Torah for his authority. And though we may not be “under the Torah” as Paul describes it, the Torah is still our authority. The Torah is still God’s word. It still expresses his will for how we live out this redeemed life. And he’s telling these Gentile believers in Galatia who want to go through ritual conversion — so they become Jews, they’re no longer Gentiles — Paul says: that’s a violation of the Torah. You’re not doing what the Torah says. You are disobeying the Torah if you do this.

And then he goes on to explain how this is the case.

Verse 22 — Two Sons of Abraham

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman Hagar and one by the free woman who is Sarah.

Now something we have to realize is this — what we’re talking about are the two sons of Abraham. And the context for this is the following: if you go to a synagogue to view a Torah service, they will call up men to read from the Torah, and when they call up men from the congregation they’ll use their Hebrew names. So it might be something like Yosef ben Mordi — Joseph son of Mordi. So if you’re a Jewish man whose name is Joseph and your father’s name is Mordi, you are Yosef ben Mordi.

But what if you were a Gentile named Joseph and you have converted to Judaism and your father was not Jewish — your father did not have a Hebrew name? Then what do they call you? What they call you is Yosef ben Avraham — Joseph son of Abraham. A convert to Judaism is always called a ben Avraham (בֶּן אַבְרָהָם). Why? Because Abraham was a Gentile who crossed over — he became an Ivri (עִבְרִי), he crossed over, became a Hebrew. And any Gentile who converts to Judaism is considered as walking in the steps of Abraham. You’ve crossed over to follow God. So you are walking in the steps of Abraham; therefore you are a ben Avraham — a son of Abraham.

Now this was the case in Paul’s day, it’s still the case today. But Paul brings out something very interesting. In Romans 4 we find a parallel to Galatians chapter 4. Because after Paul wrote Galatians — and I think he was a little tiffed when he wrote Galatians; it’s short, it’s a bit angry, you can hear his irritation under the surface — but later he wrote the letter to the Romans. And in Romans he covers pretty much all the same material as in Galatians but does it a little more slowly, a little more thoroughly, a little more calmly. So if you want to understand Galatians better, find the counterpart in Romans of what’s under discussion, and it will explain things better.

So as we read about these two sons of Abraham, we want to go to Romans chapter 4. I’m going to read verses 11–12, and then skip on to 16–17.

He — Abraham — received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. — Romans 4:11

In other words, Abraham the Gentile exercised faith and trust in God. Then as a sign of that faith and trust, of that connection and relationship with God — after all, God did establish a blood covenant with Abraham — as a result of that, Abraham was then circumcised. He wasn’t circumcised first and then put faith in God. He put faith in God first, and then was circumcised.

The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well. — Romans 4:11

In other words, those who haven’t converted to Judaism, those who have not gotten circumcised — because whenever Paul talks about circumcision, he’s talking about conversion to Judaism.

And to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. — Romans 4:12

So he says that Abraham, who exercised faith first and then was circumcised — because he is, after all, the literal physical father of the Jewish people — he’s saying that those who walk in the faith of Abraham are sons of Abraham. But he’s also the father of those who are circumcised, who are Jewish by birth, who walk in the steps of Abraham. He’s the father of both groups.

And going on to verse 16–17:

That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring — not only to the adherent of the law, but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written: “I have made you the father of many nations.” — Romans 4:16–17

So this allegory that Paul is giving us is an allegory about two sons of Abraham — two kinds of sons. One kind of son was the son physically — that’s the son through Hagar. But the other, Isaac — yeah, he was a physical son of Abraham — but Isaac’s birth came about in a very supernatural way. When Isaac was born, his mother Sarah was 90 years old, his father Abraham was 100 years old. This is a miraculous birth. And it was a birth that came because God made a promise and Abraham and Sarah believed his promise.

So what we see here is that there are two kinds of ben Avraham — just as there are two different types of Gentiles. You can be a Gentile who goes through a physical ritual conversion ceremony so you can become Jewish. Or you’re the one who becomes a child of Abraham — a ben Avraham — because you have faith like his before he was circumcised, and you’re walking in faith and relationship with God without having to go through a physical ritual.

Verse 23 — Flesh vs. Promise

Going on to verse 23, Paul elaborates on this more:

But the son of the bondwoman, the slave woman Hagar, was born according to the flesh; and the son by the free woman Sarah, through the promise.

So in other words, you can become a ben Avraham either through physical means — conversion — or spiritual means — faith.

And you know, later in Corinthians Paul says: the one who’s circumcised should not seek to be uncircumcised, and the one who is uncircumcised should not seek to be circumcised. In other words: if you’re born Jewish, don’t become a Gentile; if you’re born a Gentile, don’t become Jewish. Because he says circumcision, uncircumcision — they’re nothing. What matters is obedience to the commandments of God.

So it’s not this physical thing. People today are looking for an identity, and people who are not spiritual just can’t seem to grasp an identity with God who is spirit. So they have to seek some kind of physical identity, some kind of a group they can become a groupie with — and it might be some cult, it might be some denomination, or it might be converting to Judaism. But these externalities are not what God is calling us to. Of course he wants us to live out the Torah — that goes without saying. But to change my identity physically in some way is not the way to go about changing my character and becoming the man or the woman God wants us to be.

Verses 24–25 — Two Covenants

Verses 24 and 25:

This is allegorically speaking, for these two women are two covenants.

Now of course when we see this, we think: oh, that’s the Old Covenant made at Sinai and the New Covenant through Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ). It’s not what it is. Surprise, surprise — those are not the two covenants Paul is talking about here.

Now he keeps using the word “promise” in here — he used it just back in verse 23, talking about how Isaac was the son born according to promise. Paul uses the word “promise” I think eight times, and seven of those times are right in chapter 3. He keeps talking about the promise: God spoke, Abraham believed, he made a promise, Abraham believed it — and because of that Abraham became this man of God.

So he’s been talking about the promise all through chapter 3. Let’s look at one short section, Galatians 3:17–18, and we understand what the two covenants are:

This is what I mean: the Torah, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God. — Galatians 3:17

What are the two covenants in view here? It’s not the covenant at Sinai and the New Covenant through Yeshua. It’s the covenant at Sinai and a previous covenant made 430 years earlier — when God made a promise to Abraham. The Abrahamic covenant. The covenant with Abraham — a covenant of grace, a covenant of love and relationship — came first. 430 years later, God makes a covenant with Abraham’s kids at Mount Sinai. But that covenant does not annul the original. That’s what Paul says here.

And let’s read it again:

The Torah, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. For if the inheritance comes by the Torah, it no longer comes by promise — but God gave it to Abraham by a promise. — Galatians 3:17–18

It’s the Abrahamic covenant that is the eternal covenant — the covenant of grace, of relationship, a covenant built on love and friendship between God and man. That is the covenant that does not change. But 430 years later, God made a covenant at Sinai with his children: that you are going to obey these rules.

And we know that one of the reasons God established his covenant with Abraham — he tells us in Genesis — is because Abraham kept his Torah. You might say: well, the Torah wasn’t given yet. Well, the spirit of the Torah sure was. Abraham had the spirit of Torah, and he loved God, he loved God’s instruction, he loved God’s commandments, and he lived his life in unity and in step with God in loving obedience. And how God so much wanted Abraham’s children to love him the same way.

So what we see here: the covenant at Sinai does not replace the covenant with Abraham any more than Hagar can replace Sarah. Let me read that again: the covenant at Sinai does not replace the covenant with Abraham any more than Hagar can replace Sarah.

Now as we continue with the passage: one from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves — Hagar is the picture of the one at Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves.

You know, when God redeemed the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, he took them out of Egypt himself. And basically in essence what he speaks to them is: you were slaves to Pharaoh, and that was miserable. But now you’re servants — you’re my slaves. But I’m also your Father. You obeyed Pharaoh’s commandments. But now I want you to obey mine. Pharaoh’s commandments were made for you because they were all about Pharaoh — building treasure cities and storehouses for him. I give you commandments because they’re good for you, because I love you, I want you to flourish, I want you to live.

And on the last day of Moses’ life, Moses tells Israel — he speaks God’s word:

I set before you today life and death, blessing and curse — choose life, that you may live. — Deuteronomy 30:19

And he emphasizes with them: obey the Torah. It’s the pathway to life and all the good things it leads you to, all the blessings God has for you.

The covenant God made with Abraham was a covenant entirely of grace. And the covenant that God made with Israel at Sinai was a covenant of blessing based on your works: if you keep these commandments, these are the blessings you get; you violate these commandments, this is how rough it’s going to be. And there’s nothing wrong with that. That does not replace the covenant God made with Abraham.

The covenant at Sinai is necessary for all of us — just like any parent would give their life for their infant child in a heartbeat because they love them so much, yet they’re going to do things in their child’s life that may bring pain, bring discipline, because they want the child to grow up to have the heart of mom and dad. So there are difficulties and rules and things they must go through. And those rules are all good — they’re all good. But until the rules are internalized, become part of our character, we sometimes can’t see the goodness.

So one from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves — this is the kind of legalism that Paul was trapped in, that he describes in Philippians.

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. They’re keeping the Torah because they believe God’s holding the mountain over their heads — if they don’t keep it, they’re all going to perish. They’re not obeying God so much out of love for him — though some are. They’re not obeying God because there’s a feeling of deep relationship with him — though there were many Jews at the time who did feel that. But most of them — like Paul before he met Messiah on the road to Damascus — they were keeping the Torah out of a legalistic religious spirit. They were keeping the externalities of the Torah. And Paul tells us he kept them flawlessly. Yet at the same time he called himself the chief of sinners — because his heart was far from God.

What did Yeshua say about the Pharisees and the scribes of his day? He quoted Isaiah and said:

These people obey me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. — Isaiah 29:13

God wants our heart. And if we obey God with our hearts, then we will obey God with our lips, and we will honor him with our lips and with our actions.

So Hagar’s children are a picture of Gentile believers who have taken on the religion of Judaism.

Verse 26 — The Jerusalem Above

Verse 26:

But the Jerusalem above is free — for she is our mother.

Now when he uses the term “our,” he’s not talking about just the Jews. He’s talking about Jews and Gentiles — all those who’ve placed their faith in God, in his Messiah Yeshua, and are trusting in Messiah’s faithfulness to bring them into their inheritance. The Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. There’s no slavery. Sarah’s children is a picture of Jewish and Gentile believers who have placed their faith in Yeshua.

Now the reason we know that “our” is applying to Jews and Gentiles alike is because Paul has previously referred to the Gentiles as his brothers — so “our” gives them the same spiritual mother.

Verse 27 — Isaiah 54 and the Suffering Servant

Verse 27:

For it is written: Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear; break forth and shout, you who are not in labor; for more are the children of the desolate than of the one who has a husband.

That is Isaiah 54, verse 1. What comes right before Isaiah 54? Isaiah 53. And when you think of Isaiah chapter 53, what do you think of? Take a moment and read it — the entire chapter is about the suffering Savior, the man who bore our transgressions, bore our sins in his own body. It talks about how he was despised and rejected of men, it goes through and describes the crucifixion — it’s just an incredible, incredible chapter.

And if we read the last verse of chapter 53, the verse that comes right before 54:1, this is what it says:

Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many — that means all — and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many and makes intercession for the transgressors. — Isaiah 53:12

And then: Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear — break forth and shout! 

In other words, the promise is fulfilled. And because of his death and his resurrection, because of the sacrifice of himself, the fruitfulness now we can enjoy knows no bounds.

Verses 28–29 — Children of Promise

So here we go. Paul’s referring to these Gentiles as brothers:

You, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise — you’re miracle babies, he’s saying. But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh — that’s Ishmael — persecuted him who was born according to the spirit — that’s Isaac — so it is now also. — Galatians 4:28–29

In other words, people who are legalistic persecute people who are spiritual. That’s always been the pattern. Paul himself is proof of this. When we first meet Paul in Acts, he is persecuting people who are members of the Way — people who are following Yeshua — and he’s there as a witness at the stoning of Stephen, our first martyr.

But then something happens to Paul later on. His heart is transformed. His heart of stone is replaced with a heart of flesh. And now the essence of the Torah becomes the essence of Paul, the essence of Messiah. The spirit of Messiah invades Paul’s spirit, and then the way he used to persecute, he now serves. What a transformation.

But people who are legalistic persecute people who are spiritual — always been the pattern. So if you kind of want to know if there’s a contentious thing going on in your congregation, your community, and persecution is coming from one party to another — the party that’s doing the persecuting is the party that’s legalistic and fleshly, and the party suffering the persecution is probably going to be the spiritual one.

Now there are exceptions, don’t get me wrong, and I don’t want you taking this information and pointing fingers. But the general rule is you’re going to see the persecution flow from the legalistic. But here’s something to keep in mind: legalistic people also persecute other legalistic people. So just because you’re persecuted doesn’t mean you’re spiritual — it might just be that you’re of a different legalistic party. So there [laughs]

Verse 30 — Cast Out the Bondwoman

Verse 30 — just about our last verse:

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. — Galatians 4:30 / Genesis 21:10

Those who do not live by faith in God’s promise will be judged according to their conduct. So if you are choosing to ignore God’s promise. So if you’re setting aside your faith in the finished work of Messiah and you don’t believe that what Yeshua did is sufficient enough for your salvation, your deliverance, and your inheritance — then God says: okay, well, all right, you’re on your own. Let’s see how good you can do.

Verse 31 — Children of the Free Woman

Verse 31:

So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman but of the free woman.

In other words, our source is God’s faithfulness — not our own.

You know, so many times in the New Testament scriptures it talks about “faith in Yeshua.” But almost all of those are mistranslated. And I’m very grateful that some of the newer translations are correcting this — because it’s not “faith in Yeshua” as often as it is “the faithfulness of Yeshua.” I’m saved by grace through faith — not my own faith. It’s his faithfulness. It’s the faithfulness of Yeshua that brings salvation. Because my faith is pretty weak — it’s not enough to save. We’re saved by grace through his faithfulness to God, to us. It’s a new way of looking at it, but it’s true — because that is what it actually says in the scriptures.

Talmud Shabbat 88b — Right Hand and Left Hand

I want to read a little section from the Midrash Rabbah again. This is not inspired scripture. But we just read the quote from Genesis about Sarah wanting the bondwoman thrown out — and her son — because he was persecuting Isaac. And if you recall the story, it was a big festival that Abraham was throwing for Isaac when he was weaned. And so Ishmael, who’s many years older — he’s probably in his teens by this time, Ishmael was 13 when Isaac was born — so figure that Ishmael’s 15 or 16 years old or so.

And according to Midrash Rabbah, this is what it says — what were they arguing about? What was the persecution? It says Ishmael was mocking Isaac. And this is what it says — it’s a very fanciful story, but this is part of Paul’s mental furniture, and of the memories and the lore that was in the minds of the people who originally heard the letter to the Galatians:

Isaac and Ishmael were debating with each other. Ishmael said: “I am more beloved before God than you, for I was circumcised at the age of 13.” And the other — Isaac — said: “I am more beloved than you, for I was circumcised at the age of 8 days” — the prescribed time for circumcision. Ishmael elaborated to him: “I am nevertheless more beloved than you. Why do I say this? Because I had the ability to resist when told to submit to circumcision, yet I did not resist. Whereas you were too young to resist.”

This is a fascinating passage. Because you think — well, Ishmael had the winning argument. Ishmael was old enough — being 13 years old — old enough to resist being circumcised. Whereas Isaac was only 8 days old. He had no way of resisting. He didn’t know what was going on — he was too young to even remember it.

But do you see how this is a picture of this entire argument? Because we see people today, as there were in Galatia, who wanted to go through a physical conversion ritual so they could physically become Jews. And they don’t resist that — they actually follow through with it. But Isaac is a child who is a son of the promise, whose birth was supernatural. So his circumcision — you could almost say it was from birth, from the time he was an infant — it was something that was done for him by another. Just as our being set apart to God has been done for us through Messiah. All we have to do is accept what he has done. We don’t have to go through it and do it again ourselves. Do you see the picture?

So Paul is saying — if we’re considering this midrash as part of Paul’s thinking — that you Gentiles who want to go through a physical conversion process: you’re like Ishmael. You’re not resisting the pressure that’s being put on you. But Isaac is one who is circumcised almost from birth, because he’s a miracle baby. His birth is supernatural. His circumcision is as well.

Well, I told you we’re going to turn the page on the Talmud from Shabbat 88a to page 88b, and this is a good way to close out this discussion of Galatians. And this is what Rava said:

To those who are right-handed in their approach to Torah and engage in its study with strength, good will, and sanctity — Torah is a drug of life. To those who are left-handed in their approach to Torah, it is a drug of death.

What is this man saying? Well, he’s saying this — throughout scripture, you’ve heard me talk about this before: every time you see the right hand mentioned, it’s spiritual. Every time you see the left hand mentioned, it’s physical. And this rabbi is saying: when we engage with the Torah spiritually, it’s a medicine for life. It brings blessing, it brings goodness, it’s a blessing for life. But if we engage it only physically, then it becomes a drug of death.

And again, Paul is living proof of this. Because he engaged with the Torah from childhood. And what did it do? He became a merchant of death. And those who crucified Yeshua did it — in their minds — according to the Torah. And what were they crucifying? The Torah made flesh. The very heart and soul of the Torah. The walking, talking Torah — they crucified him. Because they approached the Torah merely physically. They only saw the external crust of the commandments. They never saw the heart and soul of the commandments. They knew the letter of the Torah but they didn’t know its author. Therefore they did not know the spirit and the heart of the one who gave the Torah.

Which way do you handle the Torah — with the left hand or with the right?

I’m going to read one more quote, then close. If you want a good book on Galatians, I highly recommend The Holy Epistle to the Galatians: Sermons on a Messianic Jewish Approach by D. Thomas Lancaster. And you can get the information about this book in the notes — go to the website and print out the notes.

But I want to close with this quote from the book:

Paul compared those converts to Judaism to Ishmael, the son of Hagar, because there was nothing miraculous about the way that they entered the family of Abraham. They became sons of Abraham by physical means. Ishmael’s status, even as a son of Abraham, was that of a slave, so to speak — he was the son of a slave girl, second behind Isaac. He is second-class status.

Resist that temptation to convert to Judaism. Because what you’re saying is: Yeshua is not enough. And Yeshua is more than enough. In him is all our sufficiency. And we’re saved by his faithfulness, not by us going through a physical ritual.

This is the heart of what Paul is trying to impress upon the Galatians, and I hope you pick it up as my heart as well. So with that I wish you shalom (שָׁלוֹם), and may God bless.

Teaching Material

Hebrew Word Studies

Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) — “Salvation”; the Hebrew name of Jesus. Used throughout this teaching as the Messianic Jewish rendering of the name of the Messiah whose faithfulness, Paul argues, is the ground of salvation — not physical ritual or legal performance. — Strong’s H3442

Tachat (תַּחַת) — “Under, beneath, underneath”; the word used in Exodus 19:17 — vayityaztzevu betachat hahar — “they stood underneath the mountain.” The Talmud (Shabbat 88a) picks up on this word to teach that God held the mountain over Israel like a hub, coercing them to accept the Torah. The difference between being under the Torah and having the Torah written on the heart is the difference between compulsion and love. — Strong’s H8478

Ben Avraham (בֶּן אַבְרָהָם) — “Son of Abraham”; the traditional title given to a Gentile convert to Judaism in synagogue practice — Yosef ben Avraham — because Abraham was the first Gentile to “cross over” (avar, עָבַר) and become a Hebrew. Paul’s argument in Galatians 4 and Romans 4 turns on the question of which kind of son of Abraham a Gentile becomes — one born of physical ritual (like Ishmael) or one born of faith (like Isaac). — Strong’s H1121 · Sefaria: Genesis 17

Ivri (עִבְרִי) — “Hebrew”; from the root avar (עָבַר) — “to cross over.” Abraham was the first Ivri — the one who crossed over. This is why a Gentile convert is called ben Avraham: they are walking in the footsteps of the one who first crossed over to follow God. — Strong’s H5680

Shalom (שָׁלוֹם) — “Peace, wholeness, completeness, well-being.” The closing greeting of this episode. — Strong’s H7965

Greek Word Studies

Allegoria (ἀλληγορία) — “Allegory”; the Greek word Paul uses in Galatians 4:24 — hatina estin allegoroumena — “which things are allegorically speaking.” This is the direct etymological origin of the English word “allegory.” Paul is signaling to his readers that the story of Hagar and Sarah is meant to convey a deeper meaning: the two covenants, two kinds of sons, two ways of relating to God. — Strong’s G238

Scripture References

Open All Scripture in Bible Gateway

• Galatians 4:21–31 — The central passage of this episode: Paul’s allegory of the two sons, two wives, and two covenants; the two ways of being a ben Avraham
• Galatians 3:17–18 — The key to identifying Paul’s two covenants: the Abrahamic covenant of promise came 430 years before Sinai, and Sinai does not annul it
• Romans 4:11–12 — The parallel passage in Romans: Abraham was circumcised after exercising faith, making him the father of both circumcised and uncircumcised who walk in his faith
• Romans 4:16–17 — The promise rests on grace and is guaranteed to all offspring — both Jews and Gentiles — as “I have made you the father of many nations”
• Exodus 19:17 — “They stood tachat (underneath) the mountain” — the verse whose word tachat gives rise to the Talmudic teaching about God holding the mountain over Israel
• Genesis 21:10 — “Cast out the bondwoman and her son” — Sarah’s demand that Paul quotes in Galatians 4:30; this week’s Torah portion during the episode’s recording
• Isaiah 54:1 — “Rejoice, barren woman” — quoted by Paul in Galatians 4:27; immediately follows the Suffering Servant passage of Isaiah 53
• Isaiah 53:12 — The final verse of the Suffering Servant chapter, describing the Messiah’s death and intercession — the verse that precedes the burst of fruitfulness in Isaiah 54:1
• Isaiah 29:13 — “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” — quoted by Yeshua about the Pharisees; cited here to show the danger of external Torah observance without the heart
• Deuteronomy 30:19 — Moses’ final words: “I set before you today life and death, blessing and curse — choose life” — the Torah as the pathway to life, not bondage
• Philippians 3:4–6 — Paul describes his own pre-Damascus life of flawless external Torah observance yet calls himself the chief of sinners — legalism’s spiritual bankruptcy
• Acts 7:58 — Paul (Saul) as a witness at the stoning of Stephen — his life as the legalistic persecutor before his transformation

External References & Further Study

• Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 88a–88b — Sefaria — The source for both Talmudic passages cited in this episode: Rabbi Avdimi’s teaching that God held the mountain over Israel (88a), and Rava’s teaching that Torah is a drug of life to the right-handed and a drug of death to the left-handed (88b)
• Midrash Rabbah on Genesis — Sefaria — Source for the midrash about Isaac and Ishmael debating the merit of their circumcisions at Abraham’s weaning feast; part of the “mental furniture” Paul brings to his allegory
• Romans 4 (Parallel to Galatians 4) — Bible Gateway — Paul’s fuller, calmer treatment of the same Abraham/circumcision/faith argument; the recommended companion text to Galatians 4 for understanding Paul’s intent
• Replacement Theology — Overview of supersessionism (replacement theology) — the heresy Paul’s passage has been used to support, and which this episode directly refutes
• Abrahamic Covenant — Chabad — Background on the covenant God made with Abraham (the Brit Bein HaBetarim) — the eternal covenant of grace that preceded and supersedes the conditional covenant at Sinai
• Sergei Rachmaninoff, Prelude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 3, No. 2  — The piece Ronnie Owens played at the talent show; the musical turning point of the piano story illustrating transformation from external compulsion to internal love
• Torah Today Ministries — Home of Grappling with Galatians and all Torah Today Ministries teachings