Galatians 4:30
“But what do the Scriptures say about that? “Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”
God's message of redemption is the most beautiful message; it's the greatest of songs and the best of stories. God knew the great price, even before creation. Even so, He proceeded with making our first parents. No doubt, there was great sorrow when the apple was eaten. That's when the redemption story began.
Adam and Eve felt their fallenness and were ashamed. God covered their nakedness and sin by slaughtering an animal and provided firs to wear. They were ejected from the garden and had a much more difficult life and a distant relationship with the Lord.
God furthered His plan by calling Abraham and promising a child. He and Sarah knew they were barren, so they brought Haggar. The Lord wanted it to be clear that it was going to be a miracle by His hand through their limited reproductive systems. They weren't capable of it. Even though a son was born through their efforts, there was to be no redemption through Him.
This is the point of today's passage. It was to be fully of God. Sometimes in scripture the Lord uses our efforts and wants us to join in. One time was after the resurrection and Jesus wanted to feed His disciples. He could have done it all by himself. However, He wanted their contributions, so He told them to bring some of the fish they had caught. But not with redemption.
There was to be no blurring of lines. Salvation was to be all God. Peter sought to intervene at the betrayal with a sword, but it wasn't to be so. The cross had to happen. Jesus had just submitted to the process hours earlier with the words, "not My will, but Thine be done". So He healed the ear that Peter's sword had just removed.
The wheels of redemption had started in the first garden, they weren't to be thwarted in the second garden. Jesus was going through with it. The throngs of heaven watched with suspense. They hoped that Jesus could be spared. He was the creator and along with the rest of the Trinity, were of the Heros of heaven. They may have known the grisly events that were to happen only hours away. The angels had glimpses of the story and were greatly afraid for Him (things into which angels long to look, I Peter 1:12). Their warrior efforts were part of the great history of redemption. Now it was time for the King to do the difficult thing. So, He accepted Judas' deceptive kiss and surrendered to the guards.
The King of glory, the Lord of hosts, the creator of the universe was taken away in chains. All of His choice; He was willingly walking towards the corrupt court, in which false witnesses were ready to speak. They botched it, so Jesus offered what they were hoping for, evidence that He was God. They dramatically tore their robes and acted offended as they gave the sentence of death. A rigged process that was lining up with one of Jesus' parables, "But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance’, (Matthew 21:38). Not only did man not have a part in earning redemption, he made it worse.
The last hours were ahead of Him. He was lead off to the politicians and they cowardly became part of history by proclaming the innocent, guilty and sentencing Him to death. All the while they knew it was wrong. He was led to the most unjust and violent of punishments. When done, He fulfilled many more prophecies, one of which was Isaiah 52:14, "Just as many were appalled at Him—His appearance was disfigured beyond that of any man, and His form was marred beyond human likeness".
Once finished with the guards beatings, He was given a cross to carry and led off to the completion of the most horrific treatment ever given. There was so much harshness that it wouldn't be equalled. All of this was the payment for our redemption. Only God could make this payment. If we paid for our own sins, we would be doing so for eternity. This is why the punishment was so brutal, all of ours was heaped on Him.
This redemption was the greatest act of love possible. All of that suffering was for us. We couldn't add to it if we tried. Attempts were made to help. Today's passage was one of them. But the slave was not to be part of story, it was for free. No human effort could be part. The error that the Galatians were falling for was massive. It wasn't to be tolerated. Only Jesus' part was necessary for earning this salvation.
This great gift opened up so much blessing that we can't really grasp it (I Cor 2:9). It's as if we've been transported back to the Garden of Eden and we resume life as if the fall never happened. We get to walk with our great God, our Father. He leads, He comforts, He fills with joy... We will still encounter difficulties, but they won't be for our hurt. We'll learn that if we trust Him, He will bring about a blessed resolution. He gives us full hearts. His redemption has purchased tickets for any for a wonderful life.
Lord, thank You for Your work. Thank You for this great act of love. Thank You for the door You've opened up to spend life with You. Thank You for Your adoption, comfort and guidance. It's all You.