16 Abram’s wife Sarai had not borne any children for him, but she owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar. 2 Sarai said to Abram, “Since the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps through her I can build a family.” And Abram agreed to what Sarai said. g 3 So Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar, her Egyptian slave, and gave her to her husband Abram as a wife for him. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan ten years. 4 He slept with h Hagar, and she became pregnant. When she saw that she was pregnant, her mistress became contemptible to her. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for my suffering! i I put my slave in your arms, j and when she saw that she was pregnant, I became contemptible to her. May the Lord judge between me and you.” 6 Abram replied to Sarai, “Here, your slave is in your hands; do whatever you want with her.” Then Sarai mistreated her so much that she ran away from her. 7 The angel of the Lord found her by a spring in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8 He said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She replied, “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai.” 9 The angel of the Lord said to her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her authority.” 10 The angel of the Lord said to her, “I will greatly multiply your offspring, and they will be too many to count.”
11 The angel of the Lord said to her, “You have conceived and will have a son. You will name him Ishmael, a for the Lord has heard your cry of affliction. 12 This man will be like a wild donkey. His hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand will be against him; he will settle near all his relatives.” 13 So she named the Lord who spoke to her: “You are El-roi,” b for she said, “In this place, have I actually seen the one who sees me?” c
14 That is why the well is called Beer-lahai-roi. d
It is between Kadesh and Bered.
15 So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, and Abram named his son (whom Hagar bore) Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.
📖 The Story of Abram, Sarai, and Hagar: A Lecture on Faith, Human Imperfection, and Divine Intervention (Genesis 16)
Good morning. Today, we turn our attention to Genesis chapter 16, a powerful and often troubling passage that follows the promise of a great nation given to Abram (later Abraham) and Sarai (later Sarah). This chapter serves as a stark reminder of human impatience and imperfection in the face of God's perfect timing, and it highlights the extraordinary nature of divine intervention and grace.
1. The Impatience and the Plan (Verses 1–4)
The story begins with a problem: Sarai was barren (v. 1). Despite the Lord's promise that Abram's offspring would be as numerous as the dust of the earth (Genesis 13:16) and a direct heir would come from his own body (Genesis 15:4), years passed, and they remained childless.
Driven by impatience and cultural custom, Sarai takes matters into her own hands. She proposes a plan to Abram:
She gives her Egyptian slave, Hagar, to Abram to be his wife, stating, "perhaps through her I can build a family" (v. 2). This practice, where a barren wife would give a maidservant to her husband to bear children on her behalf, was a recognized custom of the time.
The text pointedly states, “And Abram agreed to what Sarai said” (v. 2). This is a crucial moment. Instead of waiting on the Lord or questioning Sarai's advice, Abram yields to the human solution. He acted out of flesh, not faith.
The consequence is immediate and sets the stage for conflict: Hagar conceived. Upon realizing her new status, her mistress became contemptible to her (v. 4). The shift in power dynamic leads to arrogance in the slave and resentment in the mistress.
2. The Conflict and the Mistreatment (Verses 5–6)
Sarai’s plan, born of human calculation, quickly unravels. She blames Abram for the fallout, saying, "You are responsible for my suffering!" (v. 5). Her complaint reveals her lack of self-reflection; she initiated the plan but expects Abram to resolve the resulting relational chaos.
Abram, again demonstrating passive leadership, essentially washes his hands of the situation, placing Hagar back entirely in Sarai's power: "Here, your slave is in your hands; do whatever you want with her" (v. 6).
The result is painful: Sarai mistreated her so much that she ran away from her (v. 6). The mistreatment of the vulnerable slave by the proud mistress is a tragic display of broken human relations, driven by jealousy and a failed scheme.
3. The Encounter in the Wilderness (Verses 7–12)
Hagar flees into the wilderness, placing herself and her unborn child in grave danger. It is here, at her lowest point, that the Angel of the Lord intervenes—a profound moment of divine grace toward the marginalized.
The Angel finds her by a spring on the way to Shur (v. 7).
The Angel identifies her specifically: "Hagar, slave of Sarai" (v. 8). He knows who she is and her place in the social order.
Crucially, the Angel gives her two commands:
"Go back to your mistress and submit to her authority" (v. 9). Hagar is commanded to return to her difficult circumstances. Submission is often part of the process of growth and resolution.
The Angel then gives her a promise: "I will greatly multiply your offspring, and they will be too many to count" (v. 10). He is extending the covenant promise, though not the primary covenant, to Hagar.
The Angel reveals her son's name: Ishmael (v. 11), which means "God hears." This is the reason for the name: "for the Lord has heard your cry of affliction."
4. Hagar's Recognition of God (Verses 13–16)
Hagar’s response is one of awe and worship. She names the Lord who spoke to her: "You are El-roi" (v. 13), meaning "God of seeing." This name is paired with her astonished realization: "In this place, have I actually seen the one who sees me?"
This is a powerful theological moment:
God sees Hagar, an Egyptian, a slave, a runaway, and a pregnant woman—someone completely powerless and invisible by human standards.
Hagar is the first person in the Bible to name God.
The place is named Beer-lahai-roi (v. 14), the "Well of the Living One Who Sees Me."
Hagar returns, gives birth, and Abram names the boy Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Ishmael was born (v. 16), marking a twelve-year gap before the birth of the promised heir, Isaac.
🔑 Key Takeaways
Patience vs. Impatience: Abram and Sarai's actions are a classic example of faithlessness born of impatience. They tried to help God fulfill His promise on their timeline, leading to predictable heartache and conflict.
God Sees and Hears: The story is a profound declaration that God is El-roi, the God who sees. He is not limited to the covenant family; He sees the afflicted, the runaway, the marginalized, and the forgotten.
The Result of Human Solutions: The fruit of their human solution was conflict (Ishmael's future is described as a "wild donkey"—one against all, v. 12) and the long-term strain between the lines of Isaac and Ishmael, which echoes through history.
The story of Hagar is a comforting assurance that no matter how forgotten or desperate one's situation, the God who sees is present and will act on behalf of the afflicted, even if we must first be directed back toward difficult duties.
Do you have any questions about the characters or the cultural context of this passage?
No comments:
Post a Comment