Hagar and Sarai: A lesson in the supremacy of the Spirit over the flesh (Genesis 16; Galatians 4)

The account of Hagar and Sarah, recorded in Genesis 16, illustrates the timeless conflict between the flesh and the Spirit of God. As reflected on in Galatians 4, Hagar, the slave woman, represents bondage that the unspiritual can create from God’s Law, while Sarah, the free woman, symbolizes the liberty of the Spirit. This comparison teaches that the Law is meant to serve the Spirit, not the other way around. True freedom comes not from self-effort, but from submitting to God’s sovereign plan — preserved in the Law — and trusting in His promises, namely the Promised One, the Messiah. The flesh must be subordinate to the leading of the Spirit.

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Key spiritual lessons from Hagar & Sarah

1. The importance of humility and submission to God’s ordained authority, even when it goes against our natural fleshly desires. Hagar struggled with pride and tried to elevate herself above her rightful position as Sarah’s servant, but God instructed her to humble herself and submit to Sarah.

2. The superiority of the spirit over the flesh. Sarah’s motives were spiritually-driven, while Hagar’s were more fleshly. Paul uses this comparison in Galatians to illustrate how the fleshly approach to the Law of God (represented by Hagar) is meant to serve the Spirit (represented by Sarah), not the other way around.

3. The need to rely on God’s promises rather than our own human efforts. Sarah tried to help fulfill God’s promise to Abraham through her own scheme with Hagar, but this led to conflict. We must trust in God’s timing and methods, not our own.

The key relationship between the law and the spirit is that the law is meant to serve the spirit, not the other way around. The Law is a guide and tool to help us grow spiritually, but it should never become an end in itself or something we try to earn salvation through. Our spirits should remain free and sovereign over the Law, using it as a servant to grow closer to God.

Summary: Tammy