and the Old (Testament) is in the New revealed.
Let me explain. The Old Testament is filled with hidden pictures of Jesus as well as new covenant truths. The King of glory appears in the Old Testament as types, symbols and shadows. And the more your eyes are opened to see Jesus in His glory in the Old Testament, the more you will understand the New Testament.
Paul Used Old Testament Types And Shadows To Teach New Testament Truths Let me explain further by showing you how the Apostle Paul used Old Testament types to teach New Testament truths.
Galatians 4:21–31
21Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? 22For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. 23But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, 24which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar — 25for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children — 26but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren, you who do not bear! Break forth and shout, you who are not in labour! For the desolate has many more children than she who has a husband.” 28Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. 29But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. 30Nevertheless what does the Scripture say?
“Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” 31So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.
Here, Paul said that these two women symbolize two mountains, which represent the two covenants.
Hagar represents the old covenant, which is the law or the Ten Commandments. And Sarah represents the new covenant, which is grace.
Now, the law is from Mount Sinai. And what does Paul say that the law or the Ten Commandments produces? Freedom? No, he says that the law produces bondage! On the other hand, grace is from the heavenly Jerusalem and grace brings freedom.
It was not Abraham but Sarah who could not produce children. And both of them tried to help God keep His promise to them that they would bear a son.
When Sarah gave her bondmaid Hagar to Abraham, Ishmael was born. Hagar, who represents the law, produced Ishmael who “was born according to the flesh”. (Galatians 4:23)
If you want to inherit the promises of God,
don’t trust in your human performance.
Instead, look to His promises.
Can you see from this passage what the flesh represents? The flesh represents self-effort or human strength. Ishmael was born according to the flesh. In other words, he was born out of human effort. Now, note what Paul said about human effort — “… those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:8) What Paul means is that God is not pleased when we trust in our human strength.
Sarah, on the other hand, gave birth to Isaac, not through the flesh, not through human effort, but through the Spirit. By that time, Abraham was very old and his body was as good as dead. And Sarah, who was barren, had become doubly barren. No amount of human effort could have produced a child for Abraham and Sarah. It was in that moment when no amount of self-effort or human strength could achieve results that Isaac was born. He was born through the Spirit, through God’s promise. It pleases God when we trust in His promises.
If you want to inherit the promises of God, don’t play around with the law, don’t trust in your human performance. Instead, look to His promises. Under grace, the barren can rejoice for the desolate will have many more children than she who has a husband. (Galatians 4:27) That’s why Paul concluded in Galatians 4:30 that we are to cast out the bondwoman.
Let me explain. The Old Testament is filled with hidden pictures of Jesus as well as new covenant truths. The King of glory appears in the Old Testament as types, symbols and shadows. And the more your eyes are opened to see Jesus in His glory in the Old Testament, the more you will understand the New Testament.
Paul Used Old Testament Types And Shadows To Teach New Testament Truths Let me explain further by showing you how the Apostle Paul used Old Testament types to teach New Testament truths.
Galatians 4:21–31
21Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? 22For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. 23But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, 24which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar — 25for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children — 26but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren, you who do not bear! Break forth and shout, you who are not in labour! For the desolate has many more children than she who has a husband.” 28Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. 29But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. 30Nevertheless what does the Scripture say?
“Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” 31So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.
Here, Paul said that these two women symbolize two mountains, which represent the two covenants.
Hagar represents the old covenant, which is the law or the Ten Commandments. And Sarah represents the new covenant, which is grace.
Now, the law is from Mount Sinai. And what does Paul say that the law or the Ten Commandments produces? Freedom? No, he says that the law produces bondage! On the other hand, grace is from the heavenly Jerusalem and grace brings freedom.
It was not Abraham but Sarah who could not produce children. And both of them tried to help God keep His promise to them that they would bear a son.
When Sarah gave her bondmaid Hagar to Abraham, Ishmael was born. Hagar, who represents the law, produced Ishmael who “was born according to the flesh”. (Galatians 4:23)
If you want to inherit the promises of God,
don’t trust in your human performance.
Instead, look to His promises.
Can you see from this passage what the flesh represents? The flesh represents self-effort or human strength. Ishmael was born according to the flesh. In other words, he was born out of human effort. Now, note what Paul said about human effort — “… those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:8) What Paul means is that God is not pleased when we trust in our human strength.
Sarah, on the other hand, gave birth to Isaac, not through the flesh, not through human effort, but through the Spirit. By that time, Abraham was very old and his body was as good as dead. And Sarah, who was barren, had become doubly barren. No amount of human effort could have produced a child for Abraham and Sarah. It was in that moment when no amount of self-effort or human strength could achieve results that Isaac was born. He was born through the Spirit, through God’s promise. It pleases God when we trust in His promises.
If you want to inherit the promises of God, don’t play around with the law, don’t trust in your human performance. Instead, look to His promises. Under grace, the barren can rejoice for the desolate will have many more children than she who has a husband. (Galatians 4:27) That’s why Paul concluded in Galatians 4:30 that we are to cast out the bondwoman.
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