Galatians 4:8-11 (WEL) How is it, then? When you didn’t know God, you served as a slave to those which by nature are not gods. 9 But now, since you have known God, or rather are known by God, how can you return to those weak and destitute principles to which you want again to be in bondage? 10 You observe days, months, times, and years. 11 I am afraid for you, lest I have worked so hard among you, so hard for nothing.
V8 How is it, then? When you didn’t know God, you served as a slave to those which by nature are not gods.
False gods (demons behind a mask) are demanding of duties and actions to please the “deity.” See 1 Corinthians 10:19-20.
Often cuttings of flesh, sexual rituals, bathing rituals, whipping, etc., were required. Compare Numbers 25:1-3. Some required human sacrifices (2 Kings 17:17 and Psalm 106:37-38).
They were slaves believing they had to appease the deity, so they would have blessings.
All people sometime and somewhere knew the true God. They were not saved; they did not have faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation; their names were and are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. But for some reason, they suppressed this truth and exchanged it for a lie. This is from the sin nature that exalts ourselves as the authority and rejects God’s and His ways. Some excuses for rejection are love of sin, believing lies, and their personal standard of reason, right and wrong, truth, etc.
V9 But now, since you have known God, or rather are known by God, how can you return to those weak and destitute principles to which you want again to be in bondage?
The first use of the word known is aorist active that is something we did, that is, God initiated salvation by revealing to us that Jesus is the only savior; We are able to understand God in what and by what He reveals in the Bible. The second use is passive, that is, God knows us; it is His knowing about us.
Paul is giving a reason for continuous rejection of the world’s standard, worship, gods, etc. Since they have seen and experienced the greatness of God, why return to evil practices?
V10 You observe days, months, times, and years.
This is astrology, ritualistic dates, and other things. Compare the warning in Colossians 2:8 and Titus 1:13-14.
V11 I am afraid for you, lest I have worked so hard among you, so hard for nothing.
Paul and his team have taught the basics and beyond of the Christian faith, but often what happens is that believers turn to human logic, satisfaction of fleshly and mental desires, etc., by which we corrupt or turn from the faith. This danger is particularly prevalent today: 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (EHV) “For there will come a time when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, because they have itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in line with their own desires. 4 They will also turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”
We learn:
- Some dangers of deviating from the faith taught by the Apostles.
- The pastoral fear of people drifting from the faith.
Questions:
- Have you ever drifted from the faith?
- How did God chasten and bring you back to truth?