Why could the law and legalism not free the Galatians from their bondage and paganism?
The law and legalism could not free the Galatians because they are weak and beggarly elements, utterly without power to lift anyone out of bondage or paganism. Legalism is a dust-groveling system that only grovels and begs for mercy; it cannot provide the solid standing, sonship, or Holy Spirit's direction that God's people now possess.
Les teaches that the text asks why, after they had known God, or rather were known of God, they would turn again to the weak and beggarly elements. These things were beggarly, weak, and had absolutely no power to lift the people out of their bondage and out of their paganism. Legalism is a dust-groveling system, a begging-for-mercy system. By contrast, they had been planted on something solid, were heirs with God, and had the Holy Spirit to direct them, so turning back to law and legalism made no sense.
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?
More Questions
What does it mean that the law's elements are "beggarly" in Galatians 4:9?
To be "beggarly" means to be groveling and begging for mercy, exactly what the word implies.