Warren Wiersbe wrote, "We parents never seem to outgrow our children. 'When they're little they're a handful; but when they're grown, they're a heartful.'" He remembered his mother say, "When they're little, they step on your toes; but when they're grown, they step on your heart."

In verse 19 Paul addressed the Galatians as his spiritual children. He had first brought the Gospel to them and was a messenger God used to bring many of them to be born again, born spiritually. Read v. 19. Now he continues to travail among them lest they fall into a second childhood experience spiritually, Paul longed to see their children grow and mature in the Christian faith. This makes more sense when we realize that the Christians in Galatia were being influenced by the Judaizers who wanted to place them under bondage to the law. Therefore Paul used the law to prove that Christians are not under the law. When a Jew refers to the law he is thinking of Genesis as well as Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Read v. 21, 22.

I. The Story of Two Mothers

The mothers of whom Paul wrote were of course Hagar and Sarah, true historical characters that Moses told us about in the book of Genesis. Abraham is the Father involves and the sons were Ishmael and Isaac. Paul and the Jews were probably more familiar with this story than were the Galatians. How well do you recall the details about Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar? Let's review some of them.

In Genesis 12 we read about Abraham and Sarah being called by God to go to Canaan. God promised Abraham many descendents, but he and Sarah had not been able to have any children. At this time Abraham was about 75 years old and Sarah was about 65. Ten years later the promised children had not yet come and Sarah was impatient. If we were in their place we might have been impatient, too. Since she had not been able to bear any children she suggested that her husband Abraham also marry Hagar, Sarah's, maid so that they could try to have children through Hagar. This was a legal practice in that society, but I certainly do not believe it was God's best for them. Regardless, Abraham took Sarah's advice and had sexual relations with Hagar. A short time later Hagar became pregnant. Even though Hagar's pregnancy was the reason for Sarah giving this advice to her husband, Sarah became jealous and threw Hagar out of her house. The Lord intervened and sent Hagar back. When Abraham was 86, Hagar gave birth to a son and Abraham named him Ishmael.

Thirteen years later when Abraham was 99 and Sarah was 89, God promised that they would have a son born of Sarah. Read Genesis 17:16-21. In God's perfect timing, the next year as God promised, Sarah gave birth to a son whom they named Isaac. At last, Abraham and Sarah have their long awaited son, but he is not the only child in their home. Hagar and her 14-year-old son to whom Abraham had grown close also lived in their household.

When Isaac was weaned, probably about three years later, Ishmael started to mock him. God instructed Abraham to send Ishmael and Hagar away and told him that his descendents would be named through Isaac. This was a difficult assignment for Abraham, but he obeyed. So this is a summary of the story of two mothers, actual historical events. Referring to this Paul wrote, "This contains an allegory." I do not believe this authorizes us to find hidden meanings in all historical accounts, but the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to draw upon the story of two mothers to see the symbolism of two mothers.

II. The Symbolism

Paul told us that these two women symbolize two covenants. Hagar symbolizes the Old Covenant of the Law given at Mount Sinai. She was a slave and symbolized earthly Jerusalem in slavery with her children. Ishmael was conceived and born according to the flesh, a natural physical birth.

On the other hand, Sarah symbolizes the New Covenant of Grace. God's Riches at Christ's expense. Jesus Christ has come to fulfill the law so that we can receive His grace. Sarah was free and symbolizes Heavenly Jerusalem, which is free. With Abraham and Sarah as physical parents Isaac was conceived miraculously. Isaac was born into the world through Abraham representing faith and through Sarah representing grace. He was the child of promise and brought joy to his aged parents. The name Isaac means laughter. While this name gores back to the laughter of Sarah when she heard the new of her coming pregnancy, I assumed many were laughing at a Sr. Citizen giving birth to a child.

Hagar and Sarah symbolize the contrast between law and grace. The Christian, born of the Sprit is no longer under bondage to the Law, but is under the loving freedom that comes through God's grace. This does not mean that laws are not important, but that laws were not intended as the means of redemption. Instead God gave a promise to believe, the promise of a victorious redeemer. The Law, like Hagar was added as a servant, a mirror to reveal sin, a monitor to lead people to Christ. The Law was not intended to be a mother. Only because of unbelief and impatience did Hagar become a mother. However, the Law cannot give life, righteousness, and the gift of the Spirit or a spiritual inheritance. Hagar's son Ishmael would not share in the inheritance. They had to be cast out. The inheritance of God is for those born of the Spirit by the miraculous power of God.

This Mother's Day we have examined the story of two mothers and the symbolism of two mothers. As we close we should consider the significance of two mothers.

III. The Significance

Which mother, Hagar or Sarah is symbolic of your relationship with God? Who is your mother, spiritually speaking?

Hagar is your spiritual mother if you are trying to earn your salvation by keeping a list of rules, by refraining from bad habits, or by doing good works. Some persons worship their rules or standards and think that they are spiritual because they obey them. Hagar is not supposed to be our mother. Law cannot give life or fruitfulness.

Sarah is symbolic of your mother if your faith depends on your relationship with Jesus Christ, the child of promise, the gift of God's grace. This does not mean that we do not live in obedience to God. But we are free to obey God because we love Him. For our salvation we trust Jesus Christ and not the Law.

Abraham and Sarah generally represent faith and grace. They were looking forward to God's promise of their son and look much further ahead to God's Son. Of course, Abraham and Sarah were not perfect. They sinned and made some mistakes. We see that in this passage. God had promised them a son. But when Sarah was about 75 - 10 years after the promise they became impatient. They did what was permissible in their society, but they missed God's best and they brought problems upon themselves.

Have you ever become impatient, and as a result acted in unbelief rather than faith and missed God's best? I guess some of us have. However, as I close today I'd like to share a time when I waited patiently for God's promise, for God's best. I had been a single schoolteacher and then a single pastor for eight years. Some in my churches had tried to play matchmaker. Most of my friends close to my age had been married for several years. God promised me that He was preparing a wife for me. I waited and received God's best.

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