This is a subject of great interest for me. I tried to keep it as short as I can but it is somewhat long. Please read it so you can at the very least understand why I think the way I do.
The scriptures teach that Abraham had God's Laws. But we know Levi wasn't even born yet, so Abraham didn't have the Levitical Priesthood. Paul said these "Works of the law" for justification and atonement of sins was "ADDED" 430 years later. The Jews, many even to this day, continue to follow their version of this Levitical Priesthood having rejected the teaching that Jesus is the Messiah. Given they didn't believe Jesus was the Messiah, they continued to perform Sacrificial, Ceremonial Levitical Priesthood "Works of the Law" gave by God through Moses "till the Seed should come".
21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
22 For it is written, that
Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he
who was of the bondwoman
was born after the flesh; but he of the
freewoman was by promise.
24 Which things are an allegory:
for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
Two Covenants, one given to Abraham and his children, the children of Israel as He promised. One given to Moses for the atonement of sins. "till the Seed should Come".
Gen. 12:
1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee
out of thy country, and from
thy kindred, and from
thy father's house,
unto a land that I will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
4 So Abram departed,
as the LORD had spoken unto him;
This is God's Covent with Abraham which Jesus continued.
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any
man will come after me,
let him deny himself, (his country, his kindred, his fathers house) and take up his cross, and follow me. (into a land which I will show thee)
But the Covenant that God "ADDED" 430 years after Abraham was the Priesthood Abraham didn't have for the atonement of sins.
Because carnal man is an enemy of God, and is not subject to His Commandment, they refuse to accept that Abraham had God's Laws which the scripture says he obeyed, but didn't have the Levitical Priesthood. The Jews first, and now modern religious man.
As a result they combine God's Laws Abraham obeyed, with the Priesthood which was added to God's Laws Abraham obeyed, until the seed should come.
29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him
that was born after the Spirit, even so
it is now.
30 Nevertheless
what saith the scripture?
Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman,
but of the free.
Your preaching, or certainly the implication of your preaching, is that the Laws of God Abraham had and obeyed forced him into bondage, when the opposite happened.
And God hinted of the abolition of the Priesthood throughout the Bible for those interested in seeking the truth. But never His universal Law given to Abraham and all mankind.
1 Sam. 15:22 And Samuel said,
Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,(Levitical Priesthood "works of the Law for remission of sins)
as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold,
to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to hearken than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from
being king.
Ps. 40:
6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book
it is written of me,
8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea,
thy law is within my heart.
Psalms 51:
16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give
it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God
are a broken spirit:
a broken and a contrite heart, (Self denial) O God, thou wilt not despise.
"Cast out the Bondwomen"
Jer. 31:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD,
I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD:
for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
No more Levite Priests to administer God's Laws, not more Levitical Priesthood "works of the Law" for the atonement of sins.
You who desire to be under these "Works of the Law", do you not read the Law?