Poetry by the Book – Galatians 4:21-31

Poetry: Literary work in which special intensity is given to the expression of feelings and ideas by the use of distinctive style, rhythm and structure.^a

This is an allegory.
These women are two covenants.

For it is written…
Abraham had two sons;
one by a slave,
born according to the flesh
and one by a free woman,
through promise.
At that time he who was born according to the flesh
persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit,

Hagar,
is Mount Sinai,
she corresponds to the present Jerusalem.
She is in slavery with her children,
bearing children for slavery.
The children of the desolate one are many more
than the children of her that is married. 

It is written…
“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
break forth and shout, you who are not in travail.
We are not children of the slave but of the free woman.
She is our mother!
The Jerusalem
above
is free.

Tell me
do you not hear the law,
you who desire to be under law?
The son of the slave shall not inherit
with the son of the free woman.
We, brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise.
So it is now. 

^a My poetry structure was created from the RSV Bible using sentences and phrases verbatim.