Hagar The Wonderful

Scripture: Genesis 16:1-15

Theme: Dealing with Pain/Suffering

Title: Hagar the Wonderful

INTRO:

Grace and peace today from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

I want to talk to you today about pain and suffering. Pain and suffering that can result from our own sins and pain and suffering that can result from the sins of other people.

It is easy for us to treat people well when they have in turn treated us well. The real test comes when we find ourselves being treated unfairly. The real test comes when we are the victims of injustice or when we are being bullied by someone.

For a moment, reflect on a time when you believe that you were wronged. It doesn’t matter if it was a big wrong or a small one. Maybe someone said something negative about you, made fun of you in a crowd or betrayed your confidence. Maybe someone stole something from you, lied about you or hurt you physically, emotionally or mentally.

If you are like most people, you felt mad, hurt, wounded, devastated and perhaps even depressed. You may have wanted to strike back at them verbally or physically. You might have wanted to give them and others around you a piece of your mind.

It’s natural to feel those things.

But what happens when you go off and say something twice as negative or do something even worse to that person(s). Perhaps for a moment or two you feel good. You feel a release and you feel a measure of satisfaction. You feel like you got them back. They might have hurt you but you landed an even harder blow on them. It feels good in the natural.

However, what usually follows is the beginning of an all out ground attack. The other person now feels wronged and is not about to let it go. Suddenly, battle lines are drawn. Your family and friends line up against their family and friends. Harsh words are slung around. Hurt feelings begin to pile up. Relationships are damaged to the point of no return.

As Dr. Rich Hanson writes

“Blasting another person with anger is like throwing hot coals with bare hands: Both people get burned.”1

This morning we see the young woman Hagar in a similar situation. Abraham’s first wife Sarah2 was unable to bear children and decided to give her slave woman, Hagar to Abraham to become his second wife. Sarah did this in the hopes the Hagar would have a male child and therefore fulfill God’s Promise to Abraham.

Hagar did become Abraham’s second wife and she did become pregnant. It should have been a happy time. Sarah had gracious promoted this former slave woman to the status of being the second wife of a very rich and powerful man. Hagar had chosen to remain serving Sarah and had been blessed by being able to carry a child.

It is at this point that the story takes a horrible downturn. Whether it was hormones or pettiness, Hagar began looking down on Sarah. Perhaps being younger and now carrying Abraham’s child she felt that she should now be queen of the home rather than second fiddle.

Hagar’s contempt for Sarah led to an out and out war between the two women. Sarah holding the status of first wife and former owner of Hagar began to lash out at the younger woman. The word translated “harshly” (anah) in verse 6 can also mean – “put down, afflicted, mishandled, humiliated and brow beaten”.

In other words, the two women began fighting. While Hagar’s looks made Sarah feel unworthy, Sarah returned those looks with her own harmful words and actions. She made fun of Hagar. She did her best to make her life miserable. No doubt, Sarah made Hagar do all her duties regardless of her morning sickness.

Finally, one day Hagar felt like she couldn’t take it anymore. She felt like her life with Abraham and Sarah was unbearable. Perhaps she was even afraid that she would lose the baby. Anyway, she gathered up her things and ran away. She decided she would go towards the land of Egypt and it was on the way to Shur when the Lord stopped her.

We would have never heard of Hagar or her child again had it not be for the Lord. For the Bible tells us that the angel of the Lord3 came to the spring of water near the area of Shur and talked to her, encouraged her and revealed His plan for her and her child.

It is there in their encounter that we see how the LORD teaches us how to deal with pain and suffering. Let’s see what the LORD did for Hagar and learn from their encounter.

I. The LORD provided Hagar a time out