But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Galatians 4:9
There is an old saying that you will never miss the filet mignon if all you ever had for meat is bologna. People who live in impoverished areas who have never even see anything that resembles luxury never know how poor and disadvantaged they are. But if you take a person out of posh and plenty and place them in penury, they feel the difference deeply. A millionaire is painfully out of place in a beggar’s hut, and a wealthy businessman will rather dine on t-bone steaks than on spam and greasy fries. In our text, the apostle Paul is using this imagery to criticize the Christians in Galatia for wanting to return to the spiritual poverty from which their salvation lifted them.
What were the weak and beggarly elements that Paul speaks of? One of them was the law, and Judaism’s requirement that its adherents follow all of the rules and regulations that their religion laid down. But the keeping of the law was weak, because nobody could keep it perfectly. And it was beggarly because it did nothing to give a person peace and assurance of salvation. Those who followed that path were in bondage, never able to be satisfied and never able to rest. You and I are not tempted by Judaism today, but there is a world awash in religion all around us, religion that has its rituals, its demands, its promises that are based on how much you can pay and pray and suffer. Our salvation frees us from all of that bondage and grants us liberty to appreciate the promises of God to those who have trusted in His Son for salvation.
Another of the weak and beggarly elements is the world. The world offers pleasures that are but for a season, opportunities that vanish in a moment, wealth that disappears without warning, friends who flee when you have nothing more than they can take, and power that is as fleeting as the health of a frail body. The world is so temporary, so fragile, so empty of anything that truly satisfies. Compare that to the blessings enjoyed by a child of God. We have the presence of the Holy Spirit to empower and encourage us, the comfort of knowing that our God will never leave us nor forsake us, and the sure and certain hope that when we have ended our days on earth, we will enter into eternity. And that is barely scratching the surface.
If all the world can offer is weak and beggarly elements, why should those who have tasted of the graciousness of God ever want to go back to that pathetic table?. -Jim MacIntosh