ISRAEL'S RESPONSE TO GOD'S KING, "WE HAVE NO KING
BUT CAESAR" (John 19:15)
THE RESPONSE OF GOD'S KING TO ISRAEL, "I WILL GO
AND RETURN TO MY PLACE, TILL THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR OFFENCE" (Hosea 5:15 cf.Acts 3:14-15,19-21)
AT "THE TIME APPOINTED OF THE FATHER" (Galatians 4:2 cf. Matthew 24:36-37)
- ISRAEL SHALL "LOOK UPON ME WHOM THEY HAVE PIERCED, AND THEY SHALL MOURN FOR HIM, AS ONE MOURNETH FOR HIS
ONLY SON" (Zechariah 12:10):
"Even so WE" (Galatians 4:3), "IN TIME PAST GENTILES ... ALIENS FROM the COMMONWEALTH of ISRAEL
,,, STRANGERS FROM the COVENANTS of PROMISE" (Ephesians 2:11-12 cf.Romans 9:4-5)
- "WHEN we were CHILDREN, were IN BONDAGE UNDER the ELEMENTS of the WORLD" (Galatians 4:3):
The BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE of CHILDREN being UNDER PARENTAL
AUTHORITY UNTIL their BECOMING OF AGE to start their own families was DIVINELY ESTABLISHED with our FIRST PARENTS
(Matthew 19:5-6 cf.Genesis 2:23-24)
"But WHEN the FULLNESS of the TIME was COME"
(Galatians 4:4):
"The MAN CHRIST JESUS" (I Timothy 2:5)
BECAME "the WORD of GOD ... MADE FLESH" (John 1:1,14) as the DIVINELY PROMISED "SEED" of the "WOMAN"
(Genesis 3:15)
"GOD"S SON was "MADE UNDER the LAW"
(Galatians 4:4):
He was PRESENTED TO the LORD AFTER His MOTHER'S FORTY
DAYS of PURIFICATION (Luke 2:22-24), ACCORDING TO the LAW (Leviticus 12:2-7)
He was EXAMINED BY the "DOCTORS" of the LAW
(Luke 2:46) AT AGE TWELVE (Luke 2:42) - ACCORDING TO TRADITION, a JEWISH MALE BECOMES a "SON OF the
LAW" BY AGE THIRTEEN
In accordance with being a "PRIEST UPON HIS THRONE"
(Zechariah 6:13) - He is BAPTIZED (as a PRIEST) and ANOINTED (as a KING) "TO FULFILL
ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Matthew 3:13-17), ACCORDING TO the LAW (Exodus 29:4-7)
Thus, MESSIAH - "THROUGH SUFFERINGS" - "BEING
MADE PERFECT (COMPLETE) - "BECAME THE AUTHOR OF ETERNAL SALVATION unto all that obey Him" and was "MADE
CAPTAIN OF THEIR SALVATION" - "BRINGING MANY SONS UNTO GLORY" (Hebrews 2:10;Hebrews 5:9)
"HE CAME UNTO HIS OWN, and HIS OWN RECEIVED HIM NOT"
(John 1:11) and so it is that "WE (GENTILES)" who NOW "RECEIVE
THE ADOPTION OF SONS" (Galatians 4:5):
It is "THROUGH THEIR (ISRAEL'S) FALL (STUMBLE)"
that "SALVATIONION IS COME UNTO THE GENTILES" (Romans 11:11)
ISRAEL DID NOT RECEIVE IT, because THEY SOUGHT IT BY WORKS
(of the Law) and NOT BY FAITH (in the Redeemer) - for it was the GENTILES who BELIEVED and, thereby, RECEIVED (Romans 9:30-33):
ISRAEL had "a ZEAL of God, BUT NOT ACCORDING TO KNOWLEDGE"
(Romans 10:2)
Thus, "BEING IGNORANT OF GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS"
- they went "about to ESTABLISH THEIR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS" and, thereby, "HAVE NOT SUBMITTED THEMSELVES
UNTO THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD" (Romans 10:3)
It was through Paul's "TO THE JEW FIRST" MINISTRY
(Romans 1:16) that God "ALL DAY LONG" DEMONSTRATED ISRAEL TO BE "a
DISOBEDIENT and GAINSAYING people" (Romans 10:21):
The POSITION of "ADOPTION", i.e. "DIVINE
SONSHIP" (Galatians 4:5):
For "the CHURCH, which is His BODY" (Ephesians 1:22-23)
- God has "PREDESTINATED (PREDETERMINED)" EACH MEMBER to the "ADOPTION", i.e. "DIVINE
SONSHIP" (Ephesians 1:5), i.e. "to be CONFORMED to the IMAGE of His SON" (Romans 8:29)
BEFORE the FALL:
"And God said, let us make MAN IN OUR IMAGE, AFTER
OUR LIKENESS" (Genesis 1:26):
The DIVINE LIKENESS is associated with the VISIBLE BRIGHTNESS
(Psalms 104:1-2) that is REFLECTIVE of the DIVINE GLORY (Isaiah 60:19)
Adam and Eve POSSESSED BOTH the DIVINE IMAGE and the DIVINE
LIKENESS (Genesis 5:1-2) and, thus, they "were NAKED and NOT ASHAMED" (Genesis 2:25)
AFTER the FALL:
They "HID themselves FROM the PRESENCE of the LORD
GOD" (Genesis 3:8) - for they had LOST BOTH the DIVINE IMAGE and the DIVINE LIKENESS
(Genesis 5:1-2 cp.Genesis 3:7,21)
THEN, "Adam ... begat a son IN HIS OWN LIKENESS,
AFTER HIS IMAGE" (Genesis 5:3)
The EXPERIENCE of "ADOPTION", i.e. "SONSHIP"
(Galatians 4:6-7):
Paul declares that as "SONS", God as "sent
forth the SPIRIT of His SON" into believers' hearts, "crying, ABBA, Father" (Galatians 4:6)
This is in MARKED CONTRAST to ISRAEL, who UNDER the LAW,
was "given the SPIRIT of BONDAGE to FEAR" (Romans 8:15 cf.Deuteronomy 28:58)
ALL who BELONG TO His SON HAVE His SPIRIT (Romans 8:9)
and are, thus, "CALLED UNTO LIBERTY" (Galatians 5:13) - for "WHERE the SPIRIT of the Lord is, THERE is LIBERTY"
(II Corinthians 3:17)
Therefore, the believer has this PROMISE - IF ye "WALK
in the SPIRIT ... ye shall NOT FULFILL the LUST of the FLESH" (Galatians 5:16)
This "WALK" is a "WALK BY FAITH" (II Corinthians 5:7)
concerning the believer's IDENTIFICATION WITH CHRIST:
A BAD WALK will surely GRIEVE the HOLY SPIRIT within the
believer (Ephesians 4:30), BUT YET BY that "HOLY SPIRIT of PROMISE" (Ephesians 1:13)
is EVERY BELIEVER "SEALED UNTO the DAY of REDEMPTION" (Ephesians 4:30)
The "DAY of REDEMPTION" (Ephesians 4:30)
is in reference to the "REDEMPTION of the PURCHASED POSSESSION" (Ephesians 1:14), i.e. the "REDEMPTION of the BODY" (Romans 8:22-23)
THEN ISRAEL will FULLY EXPERIENCE "the PERFECT LAW
of LIBERTY" (James 1:25), i.e. the "NEW COVENANT" (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
THEN ISRAEL will NO LONGER have a "STONY HEART"
as like unto the LAW WRITTEN in "TABLES OF STONE" (II Corinthians 3:3 cf.Exodus 24:12),
BUT she will have a "HEART OF FLESH" possessing the SOFTNESS OF her Lord's SPIRIT (Ezekiel 36:26-27)
Paul declared to his GENTILE IDOLATROUS audience in Athens
(Acts 17:16-18):
"And the TIMES of this IGNORANCE God winked at: BUT
NOW COMMANDETH ALL men EVERYWHERE to REPENT (Acts 17:30), i.e. "to TURN FROM IDOLS" and "to SERVE the TRUE and
LIVING GOD" (I Thessalonians 1:9 cf.I Corinthians 12:2)
The RESURRECTION of CHRIST ASSURES the BELIEVER of JUSTIFICATION
(Romans 4:25)
The RESURRECTION of CHRIST ASSURES the UNBELIEVER of JUDGMENT
(Acts 17:31)
"... BUT NOW, THAT AFTER YE HAVE KNOWN GOD ..."
(Galatians 4:9):
"BUT NOW in CHRIST JESUS ... by the BLOOD of CHRIST"
(Ephesians 2:13), BELIEVING GENTILES & JEWS:
Paul describes the Galatian believers' OBSERVANCE of "DAYS,
and MONTHS, and TIMES, and YEARS" (Galatians 4:10) as their TURNING AGAIN "to the WEAK and BEGGARLY ELEMENTS"
(Galatians 4:9)
The Greek word ("STOICHEION") rendered "ELEMENTS"
(Galatians 4:9) occurs three other times in Paul's epistles:
It is LITTLE WONDER concerning the POINTED RESPONSE from
GOD'S DISPENSER of GRACE for the GENTILES (Ephesians 3:1-2) to BOTH these LEGALISTIC CHURCHES:
"I AM AFRAID ... LEST I ... LABOR IN VAIN" on
your behalf (Galatians 4:11)
"BEWARE LEST ANY MAN SPOIL YOU ... AFTER the RUDIMENTS
of the WORLD, and NOT AFTER CHRIST" (Colossians 2:8)
Paul declared to the Galatian believers that he has NOT
been "INJURED" BY THEIR DEPARTURE from him, BUT rather "BESEE$CHES" THEM to "BE AS I AM"
(Galatians 4:12):
The Greek word "ADIKEO" rendered "INJURED"
literally means being "WRONGED" in the sense of being the VICTIM of an INJUSTICE (Acts 7:24)
Paul was NOT OFFENDED BY THEIR DEPARTURE from him, BUT
rather MEEKLY SOUGHT THEIR RESTORATION (Galatians 6:1):
This is the MARK of a TRUE "SERVANT of the Lord"
- MINISTERING in "GENTLENESS", i.e. in "MEEKNESS" (II Timothy 2:24-26)
Paul reminds the Galatian believers of HOW he "PREACHED
THE GOSPEL" to them - it was "THROUGH INFIRMITY OF THE FLESH" (Galatians 4:13)
The CHURCHES in "the REGION of GALATIA" (Acts 16:6),
which were FOUNDED DURING Paul's FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY (Acts 13:1-2) - were ESTABLISHED AMIDST "MUCH TRIBULATION" (Acts 14:21-22):
He was PERSECUTED and EXPELLED from Pisidian Antioach
BY CONTRADICTORY BLASPHEMERS (Acts 13:14-16,44-45,50)
BESIDES ENDURING PHYSICAL PERSECUTION from without - Paul
ALSO reminds the Galatian believers of his SUFFERING PERSONAL PHYSICAL AFFLICTION - which THEY DID NOT DESPISE,
BUT rather "RECEIVED" him "AS AN ANGEL OF GOD" (Galatians 4:14) and, thus, WOULD HAVE "PLUCKED OUT" THEIR "OWN EYES"
for him (Galatians 4:15):
Paul's EYE PROBLEM was FROM THE LORD (Act 9:8-9)
and it was with him THROUGHOUT HIS WHOLE MINISTRY as a TESTIMONY of GRACE in SHOWING FORTH the RESURRECTION POWER
of CHRIST (II Corinthians 12:7-10)
Paul's QUESTION to the Galatian believers, "WHERE
is then the BLESSEDNESS ye spake of?" (Galatians 4:15) - finds its ANSWER in the "THEY" WHO "ZEALOUSLY AFFECT
YOU" (Galatians 4:17)
Thus, Paul's next question to them, "Am I therefore
become YOUR ENEMY because I tell you THE TRUTH?" (Galatians 4:16)
"THE TRUTH" (Galatians 4:16) was that the Galatian believers had become "so soon REMOVED FROM
... the GRACE of God UNTO ANOTHER GOSPEL" (Galatians 1:6) - AFTER PAUL LEFT them having fulfilled his God-given ministry to
them (Acts 14:26-27 cf. Acts 13:1-2)
They were SEDUCED AWAY FROM "THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL"
(Galatians 2:5) - BY "FALSE BRETHREN ... INTO BONDAGE" (Galatians 2:4)
These "FALSE BRETHREN" (Galatians 2:4)
FROM the JERUSALEM CHURCH (Acts 15:1-2) - who "TROUBLED" and "SUBVERTED" Paul's GENTILE
CHURCHES (Acts 15:24) - DID SO WITH NO AUTHORITY FROM the "APOSTLES AND ELDERS"
OF the JERUSALEM CHURCH (Acts 15:22-24)
They did "ZEALOUSLY AFFECT (MADE JEALOUS)" the
Galatian believers of their fellowship BY THREATENING them with EXLUSION FROM their FELLOWSHIP (Galatians 4:17)
Paul ADMONISHED the Galatian believers that it is GOOD
TO BE "ZEALOUSLY AFFECTED (MADE JEALOUS) ,,, IN a GOOD THING" (Galatians 4:18) - and THEN ADDS by way of REBUKE, "AND NOT ONLY WHEN I AM PRESENT
WITH YOU" (Galatians 4:18)
Paul was "JEALOUS" OVER the BRETHREN IN their
REMAINING FAITHFUL to his God-given message (II Corinthians 11:2-4)
With INTIMATE LOVING CONCERN, Paul expresses his BURDEN
for them, "MY LITTLE CHILDREN, of whom I TRAVAIL in birth again until Christ be formed in you" (Galatians 4:19)
- and THREATENS a CHANGE OF "VOICE" ("TONE") toward them BECAUSE of being IN DOUBT OF THEM
(Galatians 4:20)
Paul's DESIRE TO THE VERY END was that the believers would
be "STRONG IN the GRACE that is IN CHRIST JESUS" (II Timothy 2:1) by their being COMMITTED TO "the WORD OF His GRACE, which is
ABLE TO BUILD you UP" (Acts 20:32)