Gal 4:26-27 | TNotes | STEP | 4:26 Just as Hagar represents slavery to human effort based on Mount Sinai (4:24-25 ), Sarah represents freedom in the heavenly Jerusalem , the ideal city of God. Abraham’s true children by faith (3:29 ) now live in the reality of God’s reign in Christ. • she is our mother: Sarah’s child, Isaac, was the freeborn recipient of all of God’s promises apart from the law. Similarly, Jews and Gentiles who live by faith in Christ are Sarah’s true children—they receive God’s promises to Abraham freely apart from the law (3:26-29 ; 4:4-7 ).

a4:26►

b4:24-25►

c3:29►

d3:26-29►

e4:4-7►

f4:27►

gIsa 54:1►

hGal 4:26►

i2 Cor 11:2►

jEph 5:31-33►

‏ Galatians 4:26-27

4:26 ^a Just as Hagar represents slavery to human effort based on Mount Sinai (4:24-25 ^b), Sarah represents freedom in the heavenly Jerusalem, the ideal city of God. Abraham’s true children by faith (3:29 ^c) now live in the reality of God’s reign in Christ.

• she is our mother: Sarah’s child, Isaac, was the freeborn recipient of all of God’s promises apart from the law. Similarly, Jews and Gentiles who live by faith in Christ are Sarah’s true children—they receive God’s promises to Abraham freely apart from the law (3:26-29 ^d; 4:4-7 ^e).
4:27 ^f The quoted passage, Isa 54:1 ^g, promised Israel that they would be fruitful after the Exile. Because those who have faith in Christ are Sarah’s children (Gal 4:26 ^h), they fulfill the promise that Sarah (the childless woman) would be more abundantly fruitful than the slave-wife Hagar. To the Judaizers, those who don’t follow the law may have been considered “barren,” but through faith they are abundantly fruitful as the bride of Christ (2 Cor 11:2 ⁱ; Eph 5:31-33 ^j).