Galatians 4:24
“Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.”
Context:This verse is part of the larger passage in Galatians 4:21-31 where the Apostle Paul uses an allegory to explain the difference between the law and the promise, and between bondage and freedom.
To understand the verse better, it’s helpful to read the context leading up to it. In the previous verses, Paul contrasts the story of Abraham’s two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, and their mothers, Hagar and Sarah. He uses this historical account to illustrate the contrast between two different covenants and the two corresponding ways of relating to God.
In verse 24, Paul states that the events he just mentioned are an allegory. An allegory is a narrative or story in which the characters and events symbolically represent abstract ideas or principles. Here, Paul is using the story of Hagar and Sarah to symbolize two different covenants.
The first covenant he refers to is the one associated with Mount Sinai, which represents the Mosaic law given to the Israelites. The law was given to the people of Israel as a means of governing their conduct and pointing out their sin. However, it also brought a sense of bondage or slavery because no one could perfectly keep the law, and it highlighted humanity’s need for a Savior.
Hagar, who was the mother of Ishmael, represents this covenant of bondage. Ishmael was born through human effort, as Abraham and Sarah tried to fulfil God’s promise in their own way, outside of God’s timing and plan. Hagar and Ishmael are a picture of human striving, self-reliance, and the works of the flesh that cannot bring about salvation.
In contrast, Paul goes on to talk about the second covenant, represented by Sarah, the mother of Isaac. Sarah symbolizes the promise of God and the covenant of grace. Isaac was born miraculously through God’s intervention and promise, in accordance with His divine plan. This covenant is marked by faith and the grace of God, not by human effort.
By using this allegory, Paul is emphasising that believers are no longer under the bondage of the law but are now partakers of God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. He encourages the Galatians (and us) to embrace the freedom that comes with the new covenant and not to turn back to the bondage of the law.
