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4/2011. Genesis 16:1-15. What Ever Happened to Hagar? – Message and Questions

What Ever Happened to Hagar?

(A Single Mom Who Tried Her Best Despite Her Difficult Circumstances)

 Abram-Hagar-painting

Link to the Kevin’s Bible Material                   Link to “What ever happened to that person?” series

Genesis 16:1-15; 21:8-21                                                                                                 Kevin E.  Jesmer   4/2011

Key verse 16:13

 

She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seenthe One who sees me.’”

     Today we want to meet Hagar. She was Abram’s maidservant, who was forced into a very difficult situation. She is a good example of a single mom who did her best to bear up under life’s hard circumstances to raise her son. Through her sufferings, Hagar met God personally and confessed her faith, “I have seen the One who sees me.” She accepted God’s love and comfort. Through a study of this passage may we learn about Hagar and how to be a good parent despite our difficult and unavoidable circumstances in life. May we also discover the God who sees us and promises to be with us. Let’s see.

Part l: A Young Girl In Circumstances Beyond Her Control (16:1-6)

 

Hagar was an Egyptian maidservant. Her name means, “Stranger” in Hebrew. She was a stranger for she was a slave. She was not a Semite like Abraham. She did not know the God of Abraham. She might have been bought or born in Abraham’s tent village, which could have had 1,000 people. Her life as a slave was not to be desired. A slave has no plans of their own. All they do, they do for the master. They can not choose the place where they live, their jobs, nor their own husbands and in Hagar’s case she could not choose whether to have children or not. A slave lived a hopeless life of servitude with no future.

 

One day this maidservant was told what to do even in the most intimate in realms of life. Genesis 16:2 reads, “Sarai said to Abram, ‘The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.’ Abram agreed to what Sarai said.”  Abram and Sarai could not have any children. It had been ten years since they had been called to live by faith. They had thought that their nephew Lot may produce offspring to make a great nation. But Lot left. Now they were getting impatient. Where was this baby through whom God was going to raise up a people for himself? Sarai was already 75. She became fatalistic about herself. Things were getting too late. She loved Abram. But they did not pray. She decided to sacrifice her own feelings as a woman and solve Abram’s “no son” problem in a “human” way. When she suggested that he sleep with Hagar, he was shocked but quickly acquiesced. Such things were common practice at that time. It was through Abram’s and Sarai’s desperate act that Hagar was flung into this story.

 

And so Hagar conceived. To this young slave a revolution of thought took place. She was a slave, a nobody with no hope for the future. But now she was pregnant with the child of the leader of this small tribe…the child of the great Abram. She could produce something that the matriarch of the tribe could not, a baby. Pride began to grow in her heart.  Genesis 16:5 reads, “Then Sarai said to Abram, ‘You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me.’” Hagar had forgotten who she was. She thought that she could be Abram’s number one wife. She felt a sense of importance. She decided to challenge the authority of Abram’s true wife, Sarai. Her pride was putting her in a very dangerous situation. If she got on Sarai’s wrong side, she could suffer a lot and even be cast out of the village and into the desert wilderness where there were bandits and wild beasts, like lions and bears. She was in precarious situation.

 

It is always important to remember who we are and not and become proud thinking that we are more than we are. God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6) Jesus says that when we come to a banquet we should take the place of least honor and wait until we are invited to the more coveted places at the banquet table. Who are we? Are we not forgiven sinners, saved and called by the grace of Jesus alone? Our pride may lead us away from the fellowship of believers and away from God’s blessings and protection. May God always help us to take the way of humility.

     Abram and Sarai did not respond to Hagar’s lack of humility very gently. Look at Genesis 16:6, “‘Your servant is in your hands,’ Abram said. ‘Do with her whatever you think best.’ Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.” Maybe Sarai was responding with human emotions to Hagar, punishing Hagar with more chores, verbally abusing her, and taking away privileges. But then again, maybe it was Sarai’s attempt to help Hagar keep her place in the tribe so Hagar could continue to live there in safety. What ever the case, God was using these events, to help Hagar meet God personally as we shall see.

Part ll: Hagar…Go Back And Submit (16:7-     )

Hagar felt that her back was against the wall. Pregnant, she took off into the foreboding desert. But it was at this time that God was going to reveal himself to her in a very personal way. Genesis 16:7-8 reads, “The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, ‘Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?’”  Hagar had always thought that God was Abram’s God and not hers. But now the God of Abram whispered to her own heart. And where did he meet her? It was at the side of the road, in the midst of her extreme suffering.

We think that God should come to us at nice place, like an expensive church production, or over a latte at Starbucks or at a sunset on the beach at Cancun. But in the Bible, people met the Lord at times of suffering, in the desert of their lives. Jesus comes to them, when they are at the side of the road of life. He asks them the same question, “Where have you come from and where are you going.” If God came to you, what would you say? Do you know where you came from and where you are going in a spiritual sense? Some do not where their lives are head or what the meaning of their present circumstance is. They need to tune into God. Can you hear God whispering to your heart in the midst of your current sufferings? Deuteronomy 4:29 reads, “But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” From where? Your own personal, present place of deepest sorrow and suffering. It is there you will find God.

God gave Hagar some very uncomfortable direction to follow. Look at Genesis 16:9, “ Then the angel of the LORD told her, ‘Go back to your mistress and submit to her.’”  God told her to go back and submit. To submit means “To yield or surrender (oneself) to the will or authority of another.” How hard could that have been? She had to submit to Sarai who was mistreating her. She might have been punished. But it was God’s will for Hagar to go back and submit.

God calls each of us to submit to God in various situations. Nowadays marriages are prone to divorce. Maybe it could be God’s will to submit to your spouse and work things out and fall in love all over again. We may not like our professors and so we want to drop a class. But it may be God’s will to humbly submit and learn and get an “A”. We may not like our job and so we may quit without any other alternative. But maybe God wants us to submit for a promotion is just around the corner. We may rather avoid people we don’t get along with rather than saying , “I am sorry” and submitting to a relationship. We may not like a pastor and want to switch churches. But it may be God’s will to submit to his leadership. We are all called to submit to the authority of the word of God. How is God calling you to practice submission in your life right now?

. This direction, however, was not given without a blessing. Genesis 16:11 reads, “The angel of the LORD also said to her: “You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery.” Hagar had always felt like a stranger. She felt all alone. But now she had a personal relationship with God and a child was coming, who would be her very own, to love and to hold. This child’s name would be “Ishmael” which means, “God will hear”.  (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Ishmael) Every time she would call her son’s name, she would remember the grace of God who heard her cry. The meaning of Ishmael also has a meaning, “outcast”. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Ishmael)

We all need to realize that God is the God who sees us and hears our cries. When Noah was floating in the ocean for almost a year the Bible says that “But God remembered Noah…” (Gen 8:1) God did not forget him and was working out a way to bring him and his whole family to a safe place. God sees you and is actively working in your life, drawing you to himself. You just need eyes to see that God is right there, shepherding your soul today and every day.

 

She also accepted the prophecy given her concerning her son, though it was not good. Look at what God told her in verse 16:12. “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 towardall his brothers.” We all like to hear that our kids are going to be honor students; will go to the best universities; will make 6 figure incomes; will have professional careers, beautiful spouses and be involved in many charitable works. Who wants to hear that their son will be a wild donkey of a man and be in perpetual fighting with the nation of Israel? But Hagar was humble and she accepted God’s prophecy concerning her son. Her attitude was, “May the will of God be done, blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Hagar was very obedient. Maybe she learned how to obey by being a slave. First, she decided that she was going to have the child. She was a single mom, living in a hard world. She could have aborted the child. But she was willing to make any sacrifice necessary to raise her son. Though Abram named him, she also accepted God’s name for her son. To obey God, and the truth of God, takes great humility.

Hagar was very excited about God revealing himself to her. She wanted to commemorate it at a very public place where she and others would come to over and over again. Look at verses 16:13-14, “She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seenthe One who sees me.’ 14 That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.” She would never forget the grace of God that was given to her. She wanted all future generations of her people to know that that place was where God met her personally. And they would remember, each time they came to draw water from the well.

I met the God who sees me at the MSU campus in 1986. After one month of Bible study, I went to Bible conference and thought seriously about what God was saying in the book of John in the Bible. I was amazed that the Bible had all the answers to all people’s life problems…even mine. It gave real solutions. I realized how deep the Bible was. I repented of my unbelief and accepted Jesus into my heart. Jesus forgave me of all my hedonistic sins and gave me a new hope and a new life direction to live as a shepherd and Bible teacher. I met the God who sees me. I should rename MSU campus, “Beer lahai Roi” Campus.

Part lll: Hagar Begins An Independent, New Life (21:8-   )

 

Hagar repented and lived under Sarai’s leadership for 15 years. At that time Abraham and Sarah had a baby, Isaac. When Isaac was weaned, at 2-3 years old, something definitive happened to Hagar. Look at Genesis 21:8-9, “The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. 9 But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking” Ishmael was a teenager. He was not very respectful however. He mocked Isaac, God’s chosen one. Mocking is not good even if it done as a joke. People’s hearts are hurt when we mock. There is no indication that Hagar stopped Ishmael. Maybe she gave up trying to correct him for he was already and teenager. Maybe she was blind to what her son was doing. Maybe she felt like mocking the child herself. So often the condition of our own hearts is reflected in our children. Anyway, Hagar was not perfect. Her humanness is showing. This point is that Ishmael was beginning to be a hindrance to the growth of young Isaac.

 

Sarah took charge once again. She could not bear to see her son being mocked. She could not bear to see the promised son being emotionally attacked by a jealous person. She did not want anything to hinder the growth and the developing faith of young Isaac. And so she said in 21:10, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.” Abram did not want this to happen. He loved Ishmael. He was his own son.

 

It was the last thing that he wanted, but he submitted after God spoke to his heart. God said to Abraham in 21:12-14, “But God said to him, ‘Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspringwill be reckoned. 13 I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also, because he is your offspring.” 14 Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the desert of Beersheba.” It was God’s will to send Hagar and her son away for good. God had a plan, not only to protect and nurture Isaac, but also to bless Hagar and her son on account of Abraham.

This family suffered a lot in the desert once again. But as with the other time, it was the best time to meet God personally. We can see their suffering in 21:15-16, “When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there nearby, she[b] began to sob.” The teenage boy was crying and too weak to walk without the help of his mother. They were about to die of thirst. They were without hope. But the God who sees her saw her again. He saw her tears and her sorrow and he spoke words of comfort and hope to her heart. Let’s read verses 21:18-20a, Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. 20 God was with the boy as he grew up….” He planted his promises, that they would not die, but live and become a great nation. God also took care of her practical, immediate needs. He revealed to her how to get water. Our God is the God of hope, comfort and grace.

      With God’s help Hagar and her son survived and even thrived in the desert. Look at verse 20b, “He lived in the desert and became an archer.” She experienced the joy of seeing her son find his career path in life. I will be very happy when I live to see that all of my kids have found their career paths and have become productive adult citizens. Hagar also took personal responsibility for her son’s marriage. Look at 21:21, “21 While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt.” Hagar was a good mom, but not very spiritual. If she was, then she would have tried to get a wife for Ishmael, from among Abraham’s relatives. She did not care if his wife worshipped idols. But she did try to help her son out in regards to his marriage. We all should care about the marriage partners our children may have. We may not be able to choose for them, but we can pray and counsel our children in regards to marriage. It is part of our responsibility as parents.

Part lV: The Heritage Of Hagar

The heritage that Hagar left behind is not a very fruitful. Her descendants are the Ishmaelites and the Hagrites. In 1000 B.C. both of these people groups were enemies of God’s people. Look at Psalm 83:5-6. It reads, “With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you— 6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites,” They formed alliances together to fight against Israel.  Israel defeated them. Listen about the outcome of one battle in 1 Chronicles 5:18-22, “ 18 The Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 men ready for military service—able-bodied men who could handle shield and sword, who could use a bow, and who were trained for battle. 19 They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish and Nodab. 20 They were helped in fighting them, and God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to them, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him. 21 They seized the livestock of the Hagrites—fifty thousand camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep and two thousand donkeys. They also took one hundred thousand people captive, 22 and many others fell slain, because the battle was God’s. And they occupied the land until the exile.”

 

In the New Testament, Paul used Hagar as a symbol to help illustrate the difference between being slave to the law and free spiritually by the Gospel of God’s grace. Listen to what Galatians 4:21-23 reads, “Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. 23 His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise.” Paul goes on to explain what this symbolism means in verses 24-26, “These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free and she is our mother.”  Symbolically, the mothers represent two different covenants. Hagar represents the law, which emphasizes human beings’ obligation and duty with words such as “You must do this. You must not do that.” There is no salvation found in obeying the law. Sarah has come to represent faith in the promises of God and the grace of God which brings us spiritual freedom. All of this is the topic of a future message. We must be mindful of the heritage that we are laying down that will be passed on to the future generations.

 

There is much to learn from Hagar. Sure, she had her weaknesses. She became proud and forgot who she was in the society she was in. She did not stop her son from mocking the obvious work of God in Isaac. She also got a wife for him from among idol worshippers. She did not lay a foundation of faith in the God of Abraham for the future generations. We can learn from these weaknesses. But there were some good things about Hagar. She met the God who “sees her.”  She submitted to a very difficult situation out of obedience to God. She kept the baby and raised him as best she could. She took care of her son until he could find his place in the world and she even helped him find a wife. I pray that the young people of America may meet the God who sees them in their hour of suffering. I also pray that all single moms may take a lesson from Hagar and do their best, in their situation to overcome this world and raise their child to maturity, planting faith in the God of Abraham in their hearts.

 

Part l: Hagar Flees From Her Situation

 

  1. Who was Hagar? (16:1) What was the role of a maid servant? How did she come

to live in Abram’s tent village?

 

  1. What was the situation of Abram and Sarai that brought Hagar into a very

uncomfortable situation? (16:2)

 

  1. What happened when Hagar conceived a child? (16:5) Why is this wrong and

even dangerous for Hagar?  How did Abram and Sarai react to the situation?

(16:5,6)

 

  1. Where did Hagar flee too? (16:7-8) What was the Lord’s direction for her? (16:9)

What doe it mean to submit?

 

  1. What promise did God give Hagar if she obeyed? (16:10)  What was the

prophecy concerning her son? (16:11) How do you think she felt about this

prophecy? What shows that Hagar was obedient to God? (11b, 15) Why was it

hard to obey?

 

Part ll; Hagar Meets The God, Who Sees Her

 

  1. What things did Hagar learn about God? (11b, 13) How did she commemorate

this revelation? Are there others in the Bible whom received the same

revelation? (Gen 8:1) What does it mean that God sees you?

 

  1. What happened when Ishmael was 13 years old? (21:8-9) Did Hagar try to stop her son from  mocking Issac? What did Sarah demand? (21:10) and why? What did God tell Abraham to do and why? (21:12-14) How hard was this for all of the people involved? What is the spiritual application?

 

  1. Describe the distress that Hagar and Ishmael felt as they were wondering in the desert?

(21:15-16) What promise did God give her? How did he provide for her? (21:18-21)

What became of her descendants? (Psalm 83:1-6; 1 Chron 5:18-22; )

 

9.   In what ways was Hagar and good example for single moms? (21:16; 19; 21) Think about

the responsibilities that we have towards our own children. How did she feel about the

man her son had become?

 

  1.  What is Hagar a spiritual symbol of, in the Bible? (Gal 4:21-31) What allegory did

Paul use to help them understand the difference between being slave and free? (21-23)

What do these two women stand for? (24-26)

 

 

 

 

 




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