We read in Genesis 21:17, “God heard the boy crying, and from heaven the angel of God spoke to Hagar, "What are you troubled about, Hagar? Don't be afraid. God has heard the boy crying.”(GNB)
Hagar and her son wandered through the wilderness, and when the little water she carried got over, Hagar was in desperation. Not wanting to see her young son die, she left him beneath a bush, and began to cry. When the boy began to cry too, God heard the cry of the boy and the angel of the Lord called out to Hagar in her distress. As Hagar went through those lonely and desperate times, the Lord was mindful and asked her, what the matter was. The angel of the Lord encouraged Hagar to not be afraid, for the Lord was mindful of her state, and that of her son.
In order to understand what brought Hagar to this place in her life, we will study all that transpired earlier on in her life.
Sarai was without child
We read in Genesis 16:1, “Abram's wife Sarai had not borne him any children. But she had an Egyptian slave woman named Hagar,” (GNB)
Abram’s wife Sarai had no children. Hagar was an Egyptian slave, who served Sarai, who was a Jewish mistress. The fact that Hagar was a slave from Egypt meant that she did not have the support or security from her own countrymen or her king. She was either sold away as a slave or had been forced into slavery, which would have made things really hard for Hagar. Generally when someone from one nation is captured by another nation, then their home country will do their best to get their citizen back. However, this was not the case for Hagar who was now at the mercy of a mistress from a foreign land.
Oftentimes, when pressed by untold hardships, there are many who wonder as to why they are the targets of these constant calamities. The situations that surround us sometimes, give us this sense that everyone else around is doing fine, and that we are the only ones going through countless difficulties and injustice. This often creates a sense of loneliness in us. Let us be reminded that there is a God who sees, and perfectly understands all the hardships that we are going through.
Sarai’s plan
We read in Genesis 16:3, So she gave Hagar to him to be his concubine. (This happened after Abram had lived in Canaan for ten years.) (GNB)
Sarai was getting along in years, and it appeared that the hope of her having a child of her own was now becoming an impossibility. It was at this point that Sarai in her desperation to have a child, decided to give Hagar as a concubine to her husband Abram. In those days when Abram and Sarai lived, this was an acceptable culture among the people. One can imagine the tumultuous thoughts that must have filled Hagar’s mind. There was no question of whether or not Hagar approved of it, for she was just a slave, who had to do as she was bidden by her mistress.
The feelings in Hagar’s heart is similar to the ones that people have, when they are being used by others for their own benefit. These are times when we may not be able to share these hardships with anyone, but we can be sure that God is aware of everything we are going through, and nothing will happen without His knowledge. As children of God everything is permitted by God, and He will work all things out for our own good in the end. We live in times when things are happening that we have never heard of, many of them difficult to even comprehend, but we can be certain from God’s word based on Romans 8:28, “that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose.” (GNB) As long as we live on this earth, we may not fully understand all the paths that God is taking us through, but in eternity we will most certainly capture it all from God’s divine perspective.
Hagar despised Sarai
When Hagar conceived she began to despise her mistress, and this brought unimaginable pain to Sarai. What seemed like a solution to Sarai was now a huge problem, which she decided she would bring to her husband’s notice, so that he would handle it with justice. Hagar might have imagined that since she now bore Abram’s seed that he would speak favorably on her behalf.
These are the words of Abram to his wife Sarai in Genesis 16:6, Abram answered, "Very well, she is your slave and under your control; do whatever you want with her." (GNB)
Though Hagar was in the home of Abram, it never occurred to her to call on the name of the Lord. God blessed Abram, and part of the blessing was due to Hagar too, but Hagar did not realize the privilege that was hers. Hagar thought that no one in this world cared for her as Abram refused to take up for Hagar. It seemed as if there was no one who would do anything good for Hagar, and Hagar was now left all alone and despondent. When Sarai treated Hagar cruelly, Hagar fled from the presence of her mistress. Hagar had no one who could advise her, and you can imagine how she must have run away, quietly and secretly.
How often we have had times when we expected someone to help us, support us or speak on our behalf and they failed to do so. Let us stop looking to human beings for help, and instead turn our eyes toward the Lord. As the Psalmist said so confidently our help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. The Lord will intervene, hear our cries and give us the due justice for all the unjust situations we face. We must plead with God whenever we are challenged with tough and unyielding situations that seem beyond our control.
In general there are many who when hard-pressed by difficulties, like Hagar are contemplating a way of escape. They think that they can flee from troubles, not knowing that by so doing they will encounter far greater problems. There are still others, who will go to the extreme of wanting to end their lives. This thought or word to end one’s life from one’s mouth grieves God, as the life and breath that we have, was given to us by God. Also, I have heard people pray that God will take their lives soon. God does not need our counsel, for He in His sovereignty knows how long one should live on this earth. If ever these thoughts come to us, let us be rid of them, and commit ourselves to God, knowing that He is far bigger than any problem or hardship that we will ever face. As we pray to the Lord fervently, He will come to deliver us, and give us triumph over those situations that seem to overwhelm us.
Hagar fled from Sarai
Hagar ran as far away as she could, not realizing that she was under the watchful eye of God all through her journey. When Hagar reached a place near a spring, the angel of the Lord confronted her with these words.
We read in Genesis 16:7-8, The angel of the LORD met Hagar at a spring in the desert on the road to Shur and said, "Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?" She answered, "I am running away from my mistress." (GNB)
The angel of the Lord asked this question to Hagar, ‘Where have you come from and where are you going?’ Hagar replied to the angel of the Lord that she was fleeing from her mistress. One can imagine the kind of ill-feelings that Hagar harbored in her heart about her mistress that they prompted her to run away from Sarai. Though Hagar ran away it seemed that her mind was only filled with thoughts of Sarai, whereas, Sarai may not have really bothered much about her. Physically Hagar ran away from Sarai, but she continued to carry Sarai with her, for her thoughts were filled with the thoughts of her mistress, and the wrongs she had meted out to her.
This is a good question that each of us should ask ourselves namely, ‘Where have we come from and where are we going?’ We should always bear in mind that we brought nothing into this world, and we will take nothing out of it when we leave this world. The time allotted to us is only that interval between our birth and death. One fine day all those things we ran after, all that we accomplished, and all that we loved so dearly, will have to be left behind. If we had this thought in our mind, we will most certainly lead a life of prudence.
The entire world is in dire straits right now, trying hard to fight this pandemic. Sadly, even in the midst of this confusion, there are those who are trying to make the best use of this crisis to earn more for themselves using unscrupulous methods. It is indeed a woeful thought that these people pilfer medicines, and other items that are essential for those who are struck with this disease. These are the ones who have forgotten where they came from, and where they are headed to. Every day we need to thank God for His grace that brought us into this world, and when we leave here we should do so with joy that we have helped many, wiped their tears, and satisfied their hunger. That is how people need to remember us when we are gone. We certainly need to stop, if all that we have ever been doing is running around for ourselves and our families alone.
Just like Hagar there are those who have bitter feeling towards others, and they think that things would get better if they moved away from them. Let me tell you things will not change. You might have a change of location, but you will continue to carry that person, and the hurt with you wherever you go. We must deliberately choose to forgive those who hurt us, spoke spitefully to us, cursed us or angered us in any way. We should pray to God that every hurtful word that was spoken by others over our lives, our families, our work or our church will be changed. If we do so, God will intervene and remove all those bitter feelings from deep within our hearts.
If we do not deliberately choose to let go of all our bitterness, it will eventually affect us, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The person who wronged us may not be affected in any way. I heard someone say it this way, ‘Someone who harbors hatred and bitterness towards another person in their heart, can be likened to someone who consumes rat poison and waits for the rat to die.’ It may sound strange, but that’s how unwise it is when we harbor bitterness and un-forgiveness in our hearts. We must decide to lay aside all our bitterness, anger and hatred from our hearts, extend forgiveness and move on to what God has in store for us.
Hagar was asked to turn back
The angel of the Lord replied Hagar this way in Genesis 16:9, The angel of the LORD said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” (ESV)
Hagar was sold as a slave, was forced to be Abram’s concubine, did not get support from Abram, but the angel of the Lord commanded Hagar to return back to mistress, and be submissive to her. Hagar blamed Sarai for her predicament, but the Lord instructed her to get back and be under the authority of her mistress Sarai.
Oftentimes we blame others for all the troubles that we face. There are many who find it very hard to be submissive to authority. A little elevation in their status makes them proud, and unyielding. When pride takes over, we will become enemies of God. God’s word is clear that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Instead of blaming others, if there are areas of pride, may we be willing to submit to the mighty hand of God, and God will certainly help us.
God noticed Hagar’s affliction
We read in Genesis 16:11, And the angel of the LORD said to her, “Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has listened to your affliction.(ESV)
Our God is one who hears our cries of affliction. God heard the cry of Hagar, and told her that she would have a son, and that he should be named Ishmael. As the child grew, there is an incident that happened, one that reminds us that children reflect their parents in many ways.
Ishmael derided Isaac
Many years later, God blessed Abraham and Sarah with a son, whom they named Isaac.
We read in Genesis 21:9, “But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing.” (ESV)
Ishmael the son of Hagar was found laughing at Isaac the son of Abraham and Sarah. This was noticed by Sarah who informed this to Abraham. Both of them decided to send Hagar and her son away from them.
Hagar and Ishmael wander in the wilderness
We read in Genesis 21:14-16, So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. (ESV)
Hagar was found wandering in the wilderness of Beersheba along with her son. The plight that Hagar found herself in was because her son did exactly what she did to Sarai earlier on in her life. When the water she took with her on her journey was over, Hagar left the child under a bush, and cried out to the Lord as she found no respite or hope in the wilderness. Hagar failed to have learnt from the similar experience where the Lord had clearly instructed her to go back and be in submissive to her mistress.
The grace of God is such that in spite of our constant sin and rebellion the Lord is still merciful to us.
God’s assurance to Hagar
We read in Genesis 21:17, And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.(ESV)
God heard the voice of the boy, and assured her that she need not fear, for God had observed her plight, and had come to rescue her and her son from all their troubles.
This is the word of God to us today. As we look around us everything seems chaotic and uncertain, but the Lord encourages us to not be afraid. The news we hear may be frightful, but remember that if we remain under the shadow of the Almighty, He will certainly protect us and keep us safe during these difficult times. God saved Hagar twice from the threshold of death, and He is the same faithful God who can save and protect us during every trying and difficult seasons of life.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by: Sis. Esther Collins
