Intro
Hagar is mentioned in various places in the New Testament as analogy of the Law in contrast to Sarah, the ‘freewoman,’ together being symbolisms of the Old and New Covenant (see e.g. Galatians 4:21-31). This discussion, however, focuses on Hagar the woman – not an analogy, not “a contrast” but as a woman in difficult circumstances. In looking at one or two points concerning Hagar, may the Holy Spirit of God tuck in our hearts that which is for us individually and will go with us to bring strength to our faith in the difficult places we find ourselves – now or which may yet ahead. The overriding point to the thoughts shared below is endurance – something we all need.
Overview on Hagar
The principal Scripture passages concerning Hagar for our purposes here are found in the Scriptures in the book of Genesis below:
Reading: Genesis 16 and 21:9-21
From this reading we can note some general points about Hagar:
- She was Egyptian – presumably hired when Abram and Sarai when they went to Egypt (Genesis 12:16).
- There are differing views as to the meaning of her name, e.g. ‘Wandering’ (Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible), ‘Sojourner’ or ‘Stranger’ (Clarke’s Commentary), ‘Flight’ (Abarim’s Publications), ‘Sarah’s Eg. maid, the mother I Ishmael (Strong’s Online).
- Her job was maidservant to Sarai – probably a personal maid (16:1).
- The passages suggest she would have no rights and no input into decisions made about her life. She was in bondage.
- She is unexpectedly given to Abram as a second ‘wife’ by her mistress ( 16:3) for the purpose of the not unusual custom of surrogacy in those times and cultures. She was still ‘just Sarai’s maid’ though as can be seen by Gen. 16:6.
The Life of Hagar – A Hard Place to Be!
Hagar’s life is interesting from the perspective of the experiences she went through. As we piece some of these together, there are encouragement and lessons for us that, if considered, can add to our arsenal of “helps” from the Lord, or strengthen the ones already given, that we might also be refreshed as we learn endurance.
Though a maidservant, perhaps born into a life of service, Hagar was nevertheless a real person, a woman as you and me, with hopes and aspirations as anyone else. Perhaps her expectations were low, her options limited, but as with all human beings, expectations were nevertheless there. As in the case of each one of us, she had no say in the family, culture or times in which she was born and which played some part in setting the context of her life – for a duration.
Let us now take a closer look at this life of Hagar’s.
- She first comes upon the scene Genesis 16:1.
- In her role as Sarai’s maid there is nothing to suggest that up until conceiving she was not subservient. Our dear Sarai did not always have the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit (it really is a work of grace in progress (see ‘Sarah – A Beautiful Woman blogpost) and I doubt she would have stood for insubordination for very long!
- As noted above, she is given as a ‘wife’ to her mistress’ husband – with the expectation of having a child for Sarai. It does not appear that it would have been unusual in those times (see e.g. Gen 29:31-30:24 – the well-known “Rachel-Leah-baby-production-saga”!). Nevertheless, from Hagar’s perspective, what must she have felt inwardly though resigned to it?
- We learn at Gen 16:4 she indeed becomes pregnant. Conceiving whilst Sarai her mistress remained barren caused her to misjudge herself and mistakenly elevate herself in her mind above Sarai. Perhaps she began to feel a sense of importance; now something of consequence as she was carrying Abram’s child – and his firstborn too don’t you know! Perhaps she began to feel that at least in this way, she was better than her mistress – had not she been the one to conceive, whilst Sarai remained barren? Unfortunately for her, as so often happens, it did not take long for the thoughts that Hagar had been entertaining to spill out into her attitude towards Sarai who “became despised in her eyes.”
- Sarai, after a bit of self-righteous indignation towards her husband for her griefs, mistreats Hagar causing her to run off, perhaps heading back towards Egypt, towards home.
- Quite aside from her own handiwork in the matter through her attitude, her situation now is pitiable. As a maidservant, pregnant, alone and no doubt still smarting from the treatment received at her hand of mistress – where now? What was she to do? Hagar was a woman in a difficult place!
God’s grace to Hagar
It is right here at the point of her need that the LORD meets her and tells her to return and submit to her mistress (Gen 16:9) but does not leave her without reassurance. The Lord He had heard her affliction (Gen 16: 11) and speaks to her of the son she was to give birth too and the name that she would give him. I would suggest there is at least a subtle hint of reassurance that this baby would be hers to name and raise – it seems likely otherwise that Abram or Sarai would have named the child (as Rachel and Leah named their children whom their maids conceived for them). From this encounter with God she comes know something more the God of Abram, the One true God, namely that God is the God who sees her – personally. Hagar the nobody. Hagar the “Egyptian”. Hagar the maid. Our God, the God of all, is indeed the God of mercies and all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3).
Hagar obedience to God’s Command
Hagar obeys God. She returns to the place she ran from, submits under what must have been difficult circumstances and in time gives birth to Ishmael (Gen 16:16). Perhaps for a while all seemed well. She had given birth to a son for Abram. Generally speaking, mothers usually wants the best for their babies and perhaps Hagar heart dreamt of some hopes for Ishmael – considering that he was Abram’s son, his only son at that time. Abram, after all was a man who knew the God she had but glimpsed and a was man of substance (see e.g. Gen 13:2). Even if he came to have other children, perhaps for a period there was the thought that her Ishmael would always have that position – as his first-born. How much she was privy to the details of the covenant God made with Abram is not clear – but one may imagine that after Ishmael was circumcised along with his father, now Abraham (Gen 17:26), such thoughts were entertained more than once in her heart.
More Problems!
Then the day came when she discovered THAT miracle! Her mistress, at 90, had conceived! I don’t think it is a stretch to believe this must have raised questions in Hagar’s mind concerning what her son’s position would be now?
In the process of time she would undoubtedly have come to witness the differences in dealings with Ishmael and dealings with Isaac. As a mother, no matter how resigned to the circumstances, every difference would have been noted and stabbed and ached quietly away in her heart – as she continued in submission in that place of difficulty. No mention is made of a celebration of Ishmael being weaned as there was for Isaac. The text, to my mind does not seem to suggest a loving motherly bond between Sarai and Ishmael. Hagar would have noted it all – and continued still in submission
There must have been some misgivings. Let’s be real, some conversations between women do not need to be spoken – we get it before we got it! And then it came. She was cast out of Abraham’s household (and I doubt there was the promise of a good reference and a great redundancy package!) No compromise agreements. No tribunal to take her case unfair dismissal, wrongful dismissal maybe even sex discrimination thrown in too! She was cast out not knowing where she was to go and not having a whole lot of provision (Gen. 21:14-15). Anxious for her son, anxious for herself she wanders in the wilderness until she is out of food, out of water – and out of hope. And this point, she believes her son is going to die in a heart wrenching way and she cannot bear it – so much so that she is forced to abandon him. Her lips echo her heart – “Let me not see the death of the boy.” (Gen. 21:16). This is no Hollywood drama or British soap opera. This was real life to Hagar.
God’s grace to Hagar – again.
Again, God saw her. He had not forgotten. He was watching – and watching over her and her son.
She wept for her boy – now separated from his father who seems to have loved his son (Gen 17:18; Gen 21:10-11). She wept for what she felt was impending disaster for him as well as her. What agony she must have felt. She was – again -in a difficult place within an already difficult place, perhaps more difficult that she had yet known and in that difficult place she cried out. ‘And God heard…’(Gen 21:17-20).
Interestingly, it was not her cries but that of her son that God heard (see Gen 21:17). It is that though his cries had the effect of intercession for Hagar, but God heard her too. God gave Hagar renewed hope (the well of water for her and her boy), assurance and comforts (promises for Ishmael). Though they were not included in the Covenant God made with Abraham, though they had been cast of Abraham’s household, yet they were not cast out of His sight. He had mercy on a poor Egyptian maidservant, who had been put in a tough situation by another (Sarai’s own ideas of having a child). Where she may have reasonably expected things to work out to the benefit of her son, she found it was not so and it was never going to be so whilst in Abraham’s household. She had been and was in a hard place, emotionally, psychologically, logistically, and geographically Hagar was a woman in a hard place BUT GOD enabled her to eventually see her son raised up and married (Gen. 21:20-21).
I would venture to say that Ishmael was not entirely forgot by Abraham for there must have been some link still there which led to Ishmael standing by the side of Isaac, the recognised heir of Abraham, as Abraham’s son also, at Abraham’s burial (Gen 25:8-9).
Ishmael was not forgotten by God – although not the son of promise, he was nevertheless Abraham’s son and God spoke His word to Abraham concerning him. Gen. 17:20 says that God said to Abraham ‘And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.’ Hagar herself had also received from God His word concerning Ishmael to “make him a great nation” (Gen 21:18). God’s word never returns void without accomplishing the purpose for which He has spoken it (Isaiah 55:10-11). We can be sure that Hagar’s son saw the fulfilment of that promise.
Hagar’s Legacy
It is amazing to me how each time I go through difficulties there is an element of surprise that I’m actually going through the difficulty and problem! Is it this true for you too? We know, at least in our heads, that we as believers in Lord Yeshua are not immune to them. For the most part it seems we go through essentially the same difficulties as the rest of the world – sickness, death, heart-break, relationship difficulties, loneliness, rejection, unemployment, problems at work, depression, despondency, financial hardship and the list goes on. We even have some difficulties that are reserved especially only for believers as the Bible warns (see e.g. Matthew 24:9, John 16:2a, 2 Timothy 3:12). Difficulties and persecutions for the sake of our faith are not in the remit of this particular discussion though the underlying message of endurance could obviously still be applied. Our discussion point here concerns the difficulties of life we go through not necessarily because of our faith but simply as a result of these last dark days in our fallen world.
In the account kept for us in the Bible of Hagar’s life, we see truths which we can take away and allow the Holy Spirit to unpack for us in His own timely way. These things are so simple, not unknown and yet how often we need to be reminded! No doubt much richer truths will be revealed to us the more we delve into the Word of God but the following are a few which come to mind at present:
1. God has not forgotten where we are. He has not forgotten where that difficult is or where we are in it. That place of difficulty – whether it is spiritual (e.g. a place where the warfare is fierce or the weakness felt is overwhelming); geographical, psycho-emotional, physical, positional (e.g. at work, having no work, in “toxic friendships”) or financial. He is the God that sees. Knowing this – when we have truly grasped this – it will really help us in persevering without being, or remaining, “tempest tossed” by our emotions, until Lord comes to change that situation and/or our perspective.
In the absence of unconfessed known sin, error and even our own stupidity – let just confess we all have that last ailment from time to time so we don’t kid ourselves – it may just be that we are in the place that God has sent us, knowing we would come into the difficulty. I find Mark 6:47-52 a great reminder and illustration of this point particularly when read together with the parallel accounts in Matthew 14:22-33 and John 6:16-21). I rarely fail to be struck that it was the Lord that sent the disciples on that journey and that the Lord saw them straining at rowing – i.e. persevering. Could not our Lord have spoken from where He stood and calmed the wind? God knows.
2. Don’t run from the difficulty – cry out to God and listen.
Don’t be fearful of the difficulty – as though you were a ‘sheep without a Shepherd’. Sometimes we can be so intent on trying to figure out ‘the escape route’ now, now, now, that we fail to realise that actually the Lord is saying ‘wait’ or ‘not yet’. Even if the answer is ‘no’ – know He will enable you to dwell in that place of difficult until the timing is right for you to be moved out it. To know this is to be no longer afraid of dwelling in that difficult place and all it means – yes even when you are there through no fault of your own (see 1 Peter 2:20b & point 3 below). Wouldn’t you rather God’s ‘no’ then your ‘yes’? Wouldn’t you rather God’s timing than your own? If the answer is anything other than ‘yes’ – let me promise you now….you will get to it sooner or later…it just a question of the circumstances you’ll find yourself in when you finally say it!
3.Cry out that grace might come. Keep crying out if it hurts! Dwelling in the place of difficulty is what it is but it is the place where the sweet and precious grace of God is going to become more real. When that grace is being ministered, it will enable us – right in that place of difficulty – to allow His peace to rule our hearts. When there is no healing to that hurt, no balm of the conscious awareness of His presence, it will normally be us either trying to cope in our own strength or us not coming to God with how we really feel. We need to come to God with what we are really feeling rather than trying to stand in our own strength and in our own strength then trying to apply Scriptures concerning the way we wish we were reacting in difficult circumstances. Rather than doing that, it’s about coming to God and just being honest and saying e.g.
‘Lord, this situation, this circumstance, is burning me. This is so painful.
It’s crushing me and I don’t know how to cope with it alone. Please help me. ’
You know why? This is so that we might receive grace. God desires ‘truth in the inward parts (Psalm 51:6) and He gives grace to the humble(James 4:6). If you want to pretend to yourself and others that you can cope, again I can promise you, you will only play that game for so long! I learnt the h-a-r-d way! Isn’t better to cut that kind of suffering short and just come to God with the real deal? Do you think He doesn’t know anyway! We have too much evidence in ourselves already to see that the best will in the world is not always enough. If we do not learn to get into the habit of going to the Throne, in our difficulties, we get to the place eventually where we think we can cope.
The danger may be though that at the time we when we really need to be enabled to cope, we will be so used to “just knowing just what to do” that the Holy Spirit may have been quenched – and we didn’t realise it! These things don’t just happen overnight – they happen because somewhere along the line we stopped listening – really listening – out for God’s voice and thus obeying too. Why? Well, we could cope so we didn’t cry out as we ought to have done – until we realised, we really couldn’t! Even as believers we fall into this at times we: hunt down a message somewhere on the problem; get a book someone has written; watch a DVD or attend a conference/retreat on it; we phone someone and ask them to ‘pray for me’ rather than ‘pray with me’ or even read some dumb blog by someone coming across as though they know all the answers (h’mmm – no other blog intended beyond this one)! These things have their place and uses for sure but surely not instead of coming to the Lord as we are. Perhaps with no words to describe what is going on inside, but coming anyway – exercising faith, contrary to how we may be feeling.
Recently I was reminded through really difficult and painful situation when I finally remembered to “take my own medicine” just how real God’s grace is in our need for His voice, His help, His presence in the midst of non-physical pain. Could it be in these times that pain would be better described as “growing pains” – that our faith is being strengthened, stretched and matured that we may learn deeper lessons concerning the centrality of God’s grace, more grace, and continuing grace? Truly it is only by grace that we are established.
Consider God’s grace displayed here to Hagar. She who was not chosen, not part of the promise, not part of the covenant yet not excluded from God’s grace. Indeed, had it not been for God’s grace – she would have perished. Sound familiar?
Conclusion
God has not forgotten. Everything we need, to be enabled to dwell in a difficulty place, until God says otherwise, is by faith in Lord Yeshua, through the Spirit of God at The Throne of Grace (Hebrew 4:16) but don’t leave behind what you went in there for.
When you find yourself continuously stressing out over the same issues you have prayed – one hour, one day or one week later – ask yourself what was the Father in heaven gave you when you sought Him and whether you let it behind! If you haven’t received it yet, continue in prayer – and He will give what you have need of for God is faithful.
You may be in a place of waiting and it may also be in a hard place.
If so, may this poem written by J. Danson Smith encourage you as it did me when I first read it:
Sit still, my daughter! Just sit calmly still!
Nor seem these days – these waiting days – as ill!
The One who loves the best, who plans thy way,
Hath not forgotten, thy great need today!
And, if He waits, ‘tis sure He waits to prove
To thee, His tender child, His heart’s deep love.
Sit still, my daughter! Just sit calmly still!
Thou longest much to know they dear Lord’s will!
While anxious thoughts would almost steal their way
Corrodingly within, because of His delay –
Persuade thyself in simple faith to rest
That He, who knows and loves, will do the best.
Sit still, my daughter! Just sit calmly still!
Nor move one step, not even one, until
His way hath opened. Then, ah then, how sweet!
How glad thy heart, and then how swift thy feet
Thy inner being then, ah then, how strong!
And waiting days not counted then too long.
Sit still, my daughter! Just sit calmly still!
What higher service could’st thou for Him fill?
‘Tis hard! Ah yes! But choicest things must cost!
For lack of losing all how much is lost!
‘Tis hard, ‘tis true! But then – He giveth grace
To count the hardest spot the sweetest place.
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