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Sarai & Hagar
Family Drama Intensifies Between the Two
Sarai would begin to mistreat Hagar, so much so -- that the Egyptian maidservant would leave Abram's household. Hagar would venture out until she comes to a fresh water spring that she found in the desert beside a road that led to Shur, which was also known as -- The Wilderness of Shur.
(Bible Study Online Article Covers : Genesis 16:1-15)
Short Recap
In the last article, the Sacred Record revealed that Abram was beginning to worry about the future of his household. Remember that Abram had become increasingly concerned because he hadn't yet been given an heir by his wife, Sarai.
Abram's concern had become so great that the Lord had begun to take notice:
"Do not be afraid Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." The Lord would tell him. But Abram needed to hear more than what the Lord had just told him: "O Sovereign Lord, what more can you give to me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is my personal servant Eliezer of Damascus? You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." -- Genesis 15:2,3
And, of course, the Lord would go further by instructing Abram to go outside.
And once Abram was outside, the Lord said:
"Eliezer of Damascus will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.'
Then He brought him outside and said, 'Look up at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you can count them. So shall your offspring will be.'" -- Genesis 15:4,5
However that may be, we move forward. It's at this point in our journey that we discover that Abram's wife, Sarai, had no children of her own. And, of course, we'd already known this from Abram since he'd already revealed his concerns to the Lord when it came to him having an heir.
Be that as it may, we now find his wife, Sarai, beginning to express her concerns as well. However, she would share those concerns with her husband, not with the Lord. She starts by telling Abram: "The Lord has kept me from having children."
Now, keep in mind that this would be Sarai's main talking point when it came to her trying to convince Abram to go along with the plan that she was concocting from within her mind. She continued her pitch by telling Abram: "Go slept with my maidservant named Hagar; perhaps I can build a family through her."
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Was Abram Being Impatient & Doubtful?
Now, Abram didn't put up too much of a fight when Sarai had made this suggestion. For we would find that, eventually, Abram had decided to go along with his wife's plan. And being that Abram didn't resist or rebuke his wife for having such a plan? His decision propels me to entertain the notion that perhaps Abram himself had now grown more impatient with the Lord, even though God (not too long ago) had already reassured him that he had nothing to worry about.
I mean, after all, with Abram being a man of great faith, could it have been possible that he was starting to doubt God again? And if this were the case, would this have compromised his faith and thought process? If this were the case, and Abram was somewhat hindered by his doubt, it could have led him to consider that perhaps the "promised seed" God had foretold to him a short while ago might come from Hagar instead of his wife, Sarai.
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Could We Blame Abram?
Now, I don't know about you, but I couldn't find anywhere in God's statement that He instructed Abram to go out and produce an heir through another woman. But you see, this is what happens when we listen to the world instead of God. Yeah, I know, Sarai was his wife, but her mind was operating from out of the world. And this is why, from a worldly perspective, one could give Abram a pass on what he'd just agreed to.
I mean, after all, he was beginning to doubt God despite what the Lord had told him. So, could we blame Abram for eventually leaning towards his natural understanding of things? Because, from one's natural perspective of things, Sarai was in her advanced years. So maybe, just maybe, Hagar is the one that should bear the "promise seed" for Abram's household? It does make sense from a natural perspective, right? However, I genuinely believe that when one listens to the world instead of God, they are essentially inviting worldly problems into their life.
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Hagar Starts to Despise Sarai?
Okay, enough with my rant. Let's move forward so that we can see how things go for Abram's household. So Abram agreed to Sarai's proposal, and he married Hagar, an Egyptian maidservant. Abram ended up lying with his new wife, and that night, Hagar became pregnant with Abram's child. Everything is going to plan. Or so it would seem?
Next, we find that the Sacred Record reveals that Hagar's attitude towards Sarai would begin to change for the worse. Now that Hagar had started to despise and look down on Sarai. She did this because Sarai was barren, and she couldn't give Abram an heir, as her husband wanted. And because of this new negative attitude that Hagar had adopted, she began to boast that she was a better woman than Sarai.
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This Is Your Fault Abram?
In the meantime, Sarai becomes extremely upset about the way Hagar is treating her. So she goes and confronts Abram about Hagar's behavior towards her: "You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she knows that she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me?" -- Genesis 16:5
Now, after hearing what his wife, Sarai, had to say. Abram would try to counter her claims by saying: "Your servant is in your hands. Do with her whatever you think best." But in a way, it was Abram's fault; even though Sarai had come up with the plan, he'd agreed to it. And now, instead of Abram being obedient and keeping his faith strong in the Lord so he could get the blessing that the Lord had promised him. Now, Abram will face major problems.
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Hagar Leaves Abram's Household?
However, because of Hagar's negative attitude towards Sarai, she would, in turn, begin to mistreat Hagar as well. Know that Sarai's treatment towards Hagar was so harsh and severe that the Egyptian maidservant would eventually leave Abram's household. Now, Hagar would venture out until she came to a freshwater spring that she found in the desert beside a road that led to Shur, which was also known as "The Wilderness of Shur."
Know that the meaning of this name, "Shur," signifies "wall" or "enclosure." Additionally, it was a crucial part of Egypt's defenses, playing a vital role in protecting its northeastern borders. Now, I'm pointing this out to you because this tiny detail would seem to give us some further insight when it came to where Hagar was going, for it would seem that she was on her way back to her homeland when she had stopped at this freshwater spring to replenish herself, and to rest her pregnant body.
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Hagar's Divine Visit?
Now soon after, while she was still resting, an angel of the Lord would come and visit her. And upon doing so, the angel said: "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?" And Hagar would reply by saying: "I'm running away from my mistress, Sarai."
Now after hearing this, the angel told Hagar: "Go back to your mistress and submit to her and I will increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count. You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers." -- Genesis 16:9-12
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Hagar Goes Back To Abram?
Now, after hearing this from the angel, Hagar would say: "You are the God who sees me. I have now seen the One who sees me." Understand that Hagar had spoken these words as she dedicated the well that she was resting by to the Lord. Know that this particular well was located between Kadesh and Bered. And know that from that day on, the place would be called "Beer Lahai Roi," which means "the well of him that liveth." After she had dedicated this place, Hagar would then return to Abram's household and bear him a son, whom they named Ishmael. Know that Abram was 86 years old when his first son was born.
In the next Bible Study Online Article:
Now that Abram and Sarai have taken things into their own hands, Abram now has a son. However, as we would later discover, this was not God's plan but rather their own. And to make matters worse, Hagar and Sarai don't get along. So what will the Lord do to Abram, now that He knows that Abram had placed his trust in his natural understanding of things instead of trusting God's Word?
May God blessings be upon you, and thank you for your support
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