Rejoice, you who are barren!

 

Rejoice, you who are barren!

 

Galatians 4:27-30 “For it is written: ‘Rejoice, you who are barren; shout for joy, you who have not experienced labor pains! For the children of the solitary woman are more numerous than those of the woman who has a husband.’ Brothers, you are children of the promise, just as Isaac did. Yet, just as the one born according to the flesh persecuted the one born according to the Spirit at that time, so it is now. But what does Scripture say? ‘Drive out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.’”

The content for it is written is the word of Isaiah 54:1. Through this metaphorical passage, Paul intends to speak about legalism and the Holy Spirit. Those who have not conceived are legalists.

Isaiah 54:1 “Sing, you barren woman, you who have not given birth; shout for joy, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate woman will be more numerous than those of the woman who has a husband,” declares the LORD.

Isaiah likened the situation of the Israelite people to the pitiful plight of a woman unable to conceive or give birth. Jesus likened the leaders of Israel at the time to a barren woman. This woman's future was foregone conclusion, and her present was bleak in itself. To this woman in such a situation, the prophet proclaims that she should cry out and sing. In a situation where warm comfort seemed to be needed above all else, Isaiah, considered the foremost of the prophets, repeatedly proclaimed that she should cry out and sing. And he immediately explains the reason why he spoke in this way.

"For the children of the desolate woman will be more numerous than those of the woman who has a husband," declares the LORD. The prophet mentions the woman with a husband, contrasting her with this woman, and speaks of her bearing more children than he does. This defies common sense. By speaking of something utterly unthinkable for humans, he brings to mind the Messiah conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Through this, the prophet instilled hope for restoration in the people of Israel, likened to a wretched woman, and continued to speak about the specific aspects of future restoration. He stated that as the nation prospers, its boundaries will expand, and it will rule over the nations. Despite the reality being a situation and environment where they lacked even suitable land to dwell on, he clearly pointed them in the direction of how they should live. The message regarding the areas to be restored continued.

He stated that the shame of youth—namely, the suffering in Egypt and the disgrace of widowhood—served as a reminder of the suffering in Babylon, and that God would help ensure that the wounds caused by them would no longer be remembered. Furthermore, He said that they would never again suffer such shame and disgrace, and that they should neither be afraid nor surprised, explaining the reason as follows.

First, it proclaims that God Himself has become their husband. Furthermore, God repeatedly calls out to Israel, the bride in a wretched state. He speaks of the reason for their suffering, which has made them wretched and desolate. They repeatedly sinned while turning away from God's word. The moment God's gaze turned away, the people of Israel instantly fell into easy prey for the nations. Although they considered themselves the center of the nations, in reality, they were on the periphery, growing desolate day by day. God repeatedly mentions that this period was brief, emphasizing that, in contrast, His mercy (love) will be eternal and unbroken, citing the covenant of Noah's flood as an example. He then spoke about the future of Jerusalem, which will be restored.

Jesus tells the legalists to be joyful. Since they are not joyful because of legalism, He tells them to break free from legalism and become joyful through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This means that when the one who cannot conceive (legalism) realizes that righteousness cannot be achieved through legalism, enters into the gospel of Christ—the promise of the seed—and is born again by the Holy Spirit, he becomes joyful.

The promise God made to Abraham that his descendants would become as numerous as the stars signifies that the seed of promise is sown in abundance, resulting in many children of Christ. It means that the one who lives alone is a free person who is freed from the law—the husband—and receives the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Those who have a husband are those who regard the law as their husband. Therefore, legalists are described as being bound to a husband.

"Brothers, you are children of the promise, like Isaac. However, just as at that time the one born according to the flesh persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, so it is now." This means that those born again by the Spirit are not born of the law, but are children of the promise like Isaac, born of the promise of the seed (the gospel of Christ). In Abraham's time, Ishmael tormented Isaac. Even in Jesus' time, legalists persecuted those who preached the gospel of the Logos. What about today? Many church leaders are interested only in the flesh and have no interest in the spirit. They are interested only in the world and are ignorant of the Kingdom of God.

Just as Abraham expelled Hagar and Ishmael, Paul says to expel legalists who follow the flesh from the community of the Kingdom of God. This is because they will not inherit the Kingdom of God. The point is that the Gospel and legalists must not coexist within the church. Legalism is what kills Jesus.

Galatians states that a different gospel was preached. In chapter 1, verse 8, it says, "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be cursed." And in chapter 3, verses 1-3, it says, "O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, that Jesus Christ be crucified before your very eyes? I want to know only this from you: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing and believing? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now ending by the flesh?"

The gospel of truth lies in the death and resurrection of Jesus on the cross. Baptism accurately conveys the meaning of being born again of water and the Spirit. Water symbolizes the death of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit symbolizes the resurrection through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. If the death on the cross is omitted, the emphasis becomes on the Holy Spirit in a mystical way; if the resurrection is omitted, one falls into legalism. Since there are not many believers today who believe in the present resurrection, many believers are unwittingly trapped in legalism. I am referring to those who claim to have received the Holy Spirit but remain trapped in legalism. Strictly speaking, this means that such believers have not received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Baptism signifies that the old self (the death on the cross) dies in the water and rises out of the water (resurrected by the Holy Spirit) to become a new life; thus, water baptism and the baptism of the Holy Spirit do not exist separately but function together. However, as the significance of resurrection fades, baptism is perceived semantically as water baptism. Consequently, it comes to appear as though water baptism and the baptism of the Holy Spirit exist as distinct entities.