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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
Because history has a way of repeating itself, it can be a good thing to take a backward look every now and then, or as we have styled it in the title of this series, A Little Then and Now is OK Now and Then. Actually when we are inclined to look back, there are a couple of rules that we ought to check out, before we complete our journey into yesteryear. First, is there a potential for good to come from the trip? If not, stay in the present! Secondly, is it my intent to exact good even from what otherwise may have been a not so good past? If not, stay in the present!
Having given these warnings, we will proceed to look at another incident where an inspired writer found value in the “then” as he compared it to the “now”. Paul wrote, “But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now.” (Galatians 4.29; emphasis mine - jb). As we said in the outset, history has a way of repeating itself, and that is one of the points of Paul's exhortation, namely to point out that history is repeating itself and to point out a way to avoid the dire consequences that ensued previously.
This entire section of Galatians 4 (at least verses 21 through 31) is symbolic in nature. The KJV refers to the things addressed here as an allegory, while the NKJV simply says they are symbolic (see Galatians 4.24). It is significant perhaps that the underlying Greek word that is translated allegory by the KJV scholars is, in reality, allegoreo. It takes virtually no imagination to see the similarity between our word allegory and the word that Paul and the Holy Spirit chose here in their book to the Galatian Christians.
In the “Then” portion of the story, Paul tells of the conflict between Ishmael and Isaac some two thousand years or so before this account was written. He broadens the story to include Abraham, Sarah, Hagar and Ishmael. In the original events of the Old Testament, the son of promise (Isaac) was taunted by the son of the flesh, Ishmael. Paul carefully pointed out that the events of which he wrote were real events that had symbolic application in the events of his day. The “Then” was like the “Now” in certain ways, and Paul's allegory expands on those similarities. The persecution of the true children of God by those who merely made claims to be such was at the heart of the historical events of the past (the then). However, that type of treatment for God's did not stop with the deaths of the principles of the story. Rather, the confrontation between good and evil continued even to the very day that Paul wrote his epistle.
Every generation thinks that it is in some ways superior to the last. Because of that phenomenon, the persecution Isaac felt only grew more intense with time. That same persecution was “transferred” to each successive generation. Rather than subside, false pride and elitism simply entrenched itself in the hearts of the Jews as they attempted to show their superiority by their mal-treatment of others.
Lesson two – Never delude yourself by thinking that you can get ahead by hurting someone else! Only men of tiny minds operate in that manner. The pages of history are strewn with such men, and they all justified their actions – just like Ishmael. Trust God to provide your every need and do not stoop to inhumane or ungodly deeds – no matter what reward is promised!
Questions:
1. Who was the son of promise? Who was the son of the flesh?
2. Who were their counterparts?
3. In what was the Then (Abraham's day) similar to the Now of Paul's day?
4. When we use the past to steer us,what filters must we apply to ensure that our actions are holy?
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