Galatians 4:10-12 - You observe special days!

4:10,11

While the Jews had special days and months, so did the pagan religions, with special days for various deities. In Judaism there were new moons and sabbatical years. The Galatians were returning to these things and seeing life as governed by them. So Paul fears that all his efforts had been in vain. So what was Paul seeking to do, what does the gospel seek to do? It seeks to set people free from bondage. Indeed, freedom will be a primary feature of the coming passages. We have a deep seated need to be subject to something. Even when we rebel against one thing, whatever we may claim, we usually end up becoming enthralled to something else. We want to dedicate ourselves to something. If that thing is godly then this dedication, this subjection, will result in freedom. If it is an ungodly subjection then it will result in enslavement. For instance, commitment in marriage actually results in freedom. Supremely, commitment to Christ results in true freedom.

4:12

Paul has had some very severe things to say to them, but in the next few verses a deep affection also comes out. Paul became like them, ie he acted like a Gentile in the sense of being perfectly happy to mix with them. This is again why the Peter-Paul eating argument was so important. Part of the reason for Paul reminding them of this was to remind them that he ate with them as equals. They had clear evidence that Paul regarded them as equal. Now he calls on them to become like him, to follow his example. “You have not injured me at all”. His opponents may have claimed that the Galatians had offended Paul in some way. He assures them that this is not the case.

Zechariah 11:9-11 - I will not be your shepherd

11:9

Very severe words are then uttered. “I will not be your shepherd. Let the dying die”. We focus a lot on the compassion of Jesus, but we also need to remember that Jesus is the judge. When here on earth Jesus also had severe words to say at times. It is clear from the whole of Scripture that there comes a point where chances run out and God says enough is enough, and people get what they want! If they want a world without God, then a world without God they shall have, along with all the consequences. We should note that absolutely terrible things did indeed happen during the siege of Jerusalem.

11:10,11

The judgement may start with Israel, the house of God, but extends to all the nations. Here God breaks the staff called favour, signifying the breaking of the covenant with the nations. However, it is possible that “all the peoples” or “all the nations” refers to the all the Jews scattered in many nations. Zechariah gave a dramatic illustration of the breaking of the covenant. “The sheep traders knew it was the word of the Lord” (ESV) is rather strange. NIV and NKJV have the “oppressed of the flock” or “poor of the flock”. If this latter translation is accepted then it is more understandable, and they knew that God recognised the injustice that they suffered and was taking action. “Sheep traders” is following the Greek version.

Galatians 4:7-9 - Why do you want to be a slave?

4:7

The Judaisers teaching encouraged the Galatians to see themselves as slaves, though they would probably not say that. Any teaching that does that is a wrong teaching. We are no longer slaves but sons. It is vital that we see ourselves aright. As since are sons, we are also heirs. And it is God who has made us heirs. This sonship is a result of God’s doing, not our doing, and He has decided that the route to sonship is faith in Jesus Christ. There is no other way.

4:8

“Formerly when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.” Man thinks that by rebelling against God, by rejecting God, that he sets himself free, when in reality he actually becomes a slave. it is only when we know God that we are truly free. We may reject God’s ways on sexual morality, but the outcome will be enslavement and misery. We may seek to be autonomous, but we are not. All the so-called freedom that atheism offers is illusory.

4:9

The Galatians did know God. Paul then immediately reverses the emphasis, saying we are known by God. Any view of anything which puts man first is mistaken, God is the source of all things. Do we need to believe in Christ? Of course we do, we must choose to follow Christ, but Jesus then reminds us that “we did not choose Him, but He chose us”. Everything begins with God. In choosing to be circumcised, or to otherwise follow the Law, the Galatians might have thought that they were choosing a good thing, a godly thing. In reality they were choosing to be enslaved all over again. What a foolish thing to do! Life without God, life enslaved to sin, is weak and miserable. Why on earth would anyone want to turn back to such a life?

Zechariah 11:6-8 - Shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter

11:6

This is a very severe verse, and see that it is directed at the people of the land. Everyone will be given into the hands of their neighbours and of the king, ie of the rulers. There is a large extent to which we see this coming true in the west. There is greater enmity between people groups, especially with identity politics. And rulers are becoming increasingly intrusive in our lives. In some other countries things are much, much worse, with violence between peoples, and violent oppression. We might think that God is being unfair here, but it is true to large degree that we get the leaders we deserve. We all need to take responsibility for ourselves.

11:7,8

This seems to demonstrate the problem with the people. Zechariah himself shepherded the flock, giving special attention to the oppressed of the flock. The two staffs signify what a good shepherd would do, favour and union. The Lord desires to bestow favour on His people and to bring unity. Zechariah even got rid of the “three shepherds”, presumably three bad rulers. So we see that Zechariah was not some other worldly mystic, he received the word of God and was involved in the practical running of the country. However, the flock detested him and Zechariah grew weary. There is an obvious parallel with Jesus here. He came and showed special care to the oppressed, but in the end the people detested Him and He was crucified. God does have a special concern for the poor and the oppressed, but we can often think that because someone is oppressed they are not sinners. All are sinners, the rich, the rulers, the poor and the oppressed. The only difference between the various groups is the extent to which they have had the power to demonstrate that sinfulness. If you don’t believe me just look at situations where there has been a revolution (violent or peaceful). Very soon you find exactly the same degree evil of appearing.

Galatians 4:5,6 - Abba! Father!

4:5

Paul has already shown that no one can be made righteous by the Law. Indeed we are under a curse because of it, for it demonstrates our sinfulness and therefore makes us subject to the due penalty. Jesus came to redeem us from the Law. Now He could only do this because He was fully human, because He lived under the Law, and because He fully kept the Law. And He did this so that we might receive the adoption to sonship. We are meant to have a much richer relationship with God, the relationship of a son to the Father.

4:6

All this was not purely theoretical, but was also experiential. The Galatians had experienced the Holy Spirit. The Father had given the Holy Spirit to them, the Spirit of His Son and been sent to them, to dwell in their hearts. And the Spirit then cries out “Abba, Father”. There is a relationship between us and the Father. All the “you must be circumcised” stuff was empty of relationship. Indeed, we should beware of any teaching that is devoid of relationship, for it will be nothing more than a method. Notice also the trinitarian aspects of this verse. The Father sent the Spirit, who is the Spirit of His Son (Christ). We see in this letter (as in all of the Bible) the linking of theology/understanding and experience. The two are not opposed to each other, but work together. There was a clear and real experience of the Holy Spirit, and this is understood within a clear theological framework that explains the Bible.

Zechariah 11:1-5 - Shepherds

11:1-3 

 This passage is quite difficult to interpret. It can be seen as a taunting of the nations, or it can be seen as a literal destruction of the Syro-Palestinian land, and this seems to be the favoured interpretation. The whole message of the chapters around this is that the leaders (the shepherds) of Israel have failed her, but that the Lord Himself would become her shepherd and then salvation would come. The supreme failure of Israel’s leaders was their rejection of the Messiah when He came. Soon after that Rome destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in AD70.

 11:4,5 

 We get a terrible picture here of the way that the shepherds had led Israel. They were supposed to lead the people in the ways of the Lord, but all they did was look after themselves, and seek their own well being. So the flock is marked for slaughter, and slaughter did indeed come. We should note that there is a twofold judgement here. The leaders are the primary guilty ones, but the people themselves will suffer as well. We all have responsibility. Many church leaders today should pay heed to these verses. We are there to lead the people in the way of the Lord, not in the way of the world.  

Galatians 4:3,4 - Enslaved to elementary principles

4:3

“elemental spiritual forces”. This phrase is problematic. It can be interpreted, as in the main text of many translations, as “elemental spiritual forces” (or something similar), or it can be interpreted, as in the margin of most translations, as “basic principles of the world”. Within the immediate context there are many ways in which “basic principles” makes more sense. The Judaisers were living as the world lives. Not in the sense of sinning away, but in the sense of how we deal with our sinfulness. The world’s way is to make rules and seek to live by them. From the world’s perspective this is sensible enough, and has some restraining value, but never deals with the core problem (our hearts). If we take the “elemental spiritual forces” line then it is saying that we were subject to spiritual forces, in slavery to sin.

4:4

The basic error of the Jews, and what was influencing the Judaisers, was to think that the Law was it. Now the Law was far from irrelevant, and is far from irrelevant. At the set time God sent His Son. Jesus coming was no minor event, the Son of God was here! Remember that the Jews considered it blasphemous for Jesus to claim to be the Son of God. They appreciated the enormity of His claim. God was acting decisively in Christ. Then we get two fundamental facts about Christ. One, He was born of a woman. He was fully human. Then He was born under the Law.