Galatians 4:24-27 — Figuratively speaking...it's analogy time!!!

READ THIS: Galatians 4:24-27

24 These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written: “Be glad, barren woman, you who never bore a child; shout for joy and cry aloud, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.”
 
WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?

This section won't make any sense unless you understand yesterday's reading, so make sure you got that on lock so you can get how Hagar and Sarah from yesterday are being used as an analogy here! Hagar represents the Old Covenant while Sarah represents the new one. The Old Covenant is basically the deal between God and Israel that was solidified on Mount Sinai, the mountain where Moses got the Ten Commandments. Hagar had a rough life and was kind of trapped in her situation, just like the Israelites (since they were/are under the Old Covenant/Law, and followed it in Jerusalem, specifically). Sarah is like the New Covenant, which we will discuss tomorrow. For now, though, let's talk about verse 27. 

Verse 27 quotes Isaiah 54:1, which is right after this huge prophecy about Jesus in Isaiah 53. Basically, what Paul does by quoting Isaiah 54:1 is showing that because Jesus came and died, the people who were struggling under the Old Covenant can now be free and happy, not burdened by the shame of continually breaking the Law, AND the verse shows that there are actually going to be a whole lot more people who follow Jesus than who follow the Law (which, statistically, is already true today!)

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. Why does Paul quote the Old Testament/Law/Old Covenant so much if he believes in the New Covenant? 

2. So Paul thinks analogies are super helpful for making things clear. What is a tool that makes things clear to you (in the Bible/math class/the world/etc)? (For Dan, he works best with pictures or physical demonstrations. For Liz, she works best with analogies/comparisons/metaphors). 
 
TRY THIS:

Paul says Hagar and Sarah are like analogies for the Old Covenant vs New Covenant. Try to come up with your OWN analogy for the Old Covenant vs New Covenant!

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