Genesis Chapter 16

Hagar the Egyptian

16:1

The ‘handmaid’ was a high position personal servant of Sarai, much like a personal butler, or administrative assistant, meaning she was with her as a servant to assist in all her duties as the wife of the chief or head of all the household. Remember, the household was quite large as it included Abram, Sarai, Lot and all the people they had acquired.

16:2

Sarai is so much like most women. If something is not working out as we thought it should, we decide to try our own methods. ‘Listen husband, I have an idea.’ How many of us come up with some scheme or plan that we think can solve the “problem” instead of consulting God first? Her scheme was one that was allowed in their culture, yet was not what God had intended. Just because something is “allowed” doesn’t mean it is right, or in God’s will. Notice that Abram listened to and heeded, or agreed to his wife’s plan. Husbands, don’t give in to your wife’s ‘suggestions’ so easily; at least not without consulting God first!

16:3-4

Notice that Sarai gives her slave girl to her husband to be his ‘wife’. This would be a secondary type wife; Hagar was not to be a replacement wife for Sarai. All this is in accordance with the customs of their culture; yet NOT in God’s will. We are also told that they had now been in Canaan for ten years; thus making Abram 85 years old. (4.) Abram impregnates Hagar; and as soon as she realizes she is pregnant, she looks with contempt and despises Sarai. Why? Because Hagar now thinks she is ‘better’ than Sarai, since she was able to become pregnant. Remember, a wife in their culture is considered to have failed if she cannot produce children.

16:5

Sarai is grieved and hurt by Hagar’s actions; she admits she was wrong to give her to Abram, yet she states that the responsibility for the wrong and the loss of her rights should be upon Abram! Do we ever do wrong and then blame our spouse, or someone else, for our wrong actions and choices? Asking the Lord to Judge between herself and her husband is really not a good idea. Does Sarai expect God to hold Abram accountable for her wrong actions? Perhaps because Abram went along with her scheme, she believes he must accept the responsibility for the outcome.

16:6

We are not told that God does any ‘judging’, or placing blame, on either of them. It could be because they are both at fault. But Abram simply tells Sarai that Hagar is her maid and is in her hands and power and she may do whatever she wishes with Hagar. Immediately Sarai deals severely with Hagar; humbling and afflicting her. In response, Hagar runs away from Sarai. The plan of Sarai has had serious and painful consequences for all involved. All three of them must have been in sorrow, grief and anger.

16:7

Hagar has fled some distance away from the camp out into the wilderness. The Angel of the Lord ‘finds’ her by a fountain of water, or a well, on the road to Shur. Shur was the wall protecting Egypt from invaders; so Hagar was attempting to go back to Egypt. This Angel of the Lord is clearly a Theophany of Jesus Christ, and is the first reference to The Angel of the Lord. Obviously, God knows where Hagar is at every moment and cares about her and her situation. Keep in mind the important of first mention, or reference, in scriptures.

16:8-11

The ‘Angel of the Lord’ (Theophany) speaks to Hagar asking her where she has come from and where is she going. It is a way of saying, ‘what’s going on in your life that you are out here in the wilderness?’ Hagar tells him the truth, that she is fleeing from her mistress Sarai. (9.) The Angel of the Lord then tells Hagar to return to her mistress and to submit herself to her authority. The Angel of the Lord continues to speak to Hagar, giving her a prophecy that her descendants will be multiplied exceedingly, so that they cannot be numbered. This prophecy will be fulfilled in the future, as Ishmael will have 12 sons, all of whom will have many, many children. Ishmael becomes the father of the Arab peoples. Even today, the Arabs claim Abraham as their ‘father’. (11.) God continues to speak to Hagar, telling her He knows she is pregnant and that she will have a son and is to call him Ishmael; because the Lord God has heard her cries of affliction. Note that this is also the first time that God has given a name to someone before they were born.

16:12

God prophecies to Hagar regarding her son, that he, and his descendants, will be as a ‘wild man’, wandering from place to place, acting in a lawless manner, attacking others, acting in a fierce and independent manner. These descendants would live to the east and on the borders of all their kinsmen. This describes the Arabs to this very day. God has preserved them down through four centuries as a lasting proof of the Truth of His divine revelation. These nomadic people still live this way throughout Israel and the Arab countries. To this very day the Arabs have never gotten along, even with fellow Arabs. History reveals they are continually at war with each other! They are often living as wild, hostile people. When we traveled throughout Israel, we saw their flocks and camps on the borders and hills outside inhabited areas, just as God foretold.

16:13-14

Hagar calls the Lord, ‘The God who sees me’. She recognizes that God sees and knows everything about her. She also said that she had seen Him who sees and knows me and the future purposes He has, and yet lived. (14.) The well where God spoke to Hagar was afterward called Beer-lahai-roi, which means ‘A well to the Living One Who sees me’. This well was located between Kadesh and Bered. This place of location was given at the time of Moses to identify to the reader where this well was located.

16:15-16

Suddenly we are thrust forward seven or eight months and told Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram named him Ishmael. Obviously, Hagar obeyed God and returned to the camp, telling Abram and Sarai of her encounter with God and submitted herself to Sarai. (16.) Since Abram was 85 when he impregnated Hagar, this confirms he is now 86 years old at the birth of Ishmael.

What important lessons for us in this chapter! Ever get tired of ‘waiting’ for God to act on your behalf? Think you can take care of the ‘situation’ yourself? What results have happened in the past when you did this? What kind of results can you expect in the future IF you don’t learn to choose to simply wait for God to act? Remember, our actions always involve a choice! How many of us have had Ishmael type ‘problems’ in our lives we have had to take care of? Notice that God did not let Sarai ‘get rid of the problem’ by causing Hagar to run away. When Hagar ran off, Sarai may have thought ‘good riddance’! Yet, Abram would have felt terrible, as he knew Hagar was carrying his only child. God did not let that situation happen, instead He carefully and skillfully intervened on behalf of Hagar and had Abram and Sarai live with the consequences of their sinful mistake. Have you ever had to live with the consequences of your mistakes? God forgives us when we confess our sins and faults, yet He allows us to suffer and take responsibility for our own foolish mistakes. What a lesson for all of us to learn to prayerfully seek God first, then WAIT ON THE LORD!