Genesis 15-16
–
Genesis 15:3-6
And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.”
And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.”
And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
–
Genesis 16:2
And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
–
In chapter 15 God promises Abram a child, and Abram believes God. He fully trusts in Gods plan!
But in 16 it’s as if someone has changed his mind completely.
Abram is struggling with his decision, and Sarai is trying to make the decision for him even though in chapter 15 God gave Abram his very specific Word.
:Starting this chapter, I told myself I was going to analyze every verse, all the references…not even knowing what the story was.
But after I passed the second verse I was hooked! I got lost in the struggle of the Hagar.
By the time I realized I’d been reading for a while, I was done with the chapter.
Hagar’s pain and strength in this is so amazing!
But after I passed the second verse I was hooked! I got lost in the struggle of the Hagar.
By the time I realized I’d been reading for a while, I was done with the chapter.
Hagar’s pain and strength in this is so amazing!
Genesis 16:3-6
So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife.
And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress.
–
Sarai GAVE her servant, Hagar to Abram.
This GIRL! Sarai just hands her over to Abram because she wants a child.
It’s so hard to even wrap my mind around what Hagar was going through emotionally, physically and spiritually.
Could Hagar have been killed if she refused? I don’t know..?
But it’s pretty evident that she did not want to have this child.
But what’s crazy is that after Hagar realizes she’s pregnant with this baby, Abram and Sarai finally realize that what they did was wrong.
They begin to argue in verses 5-8
Sarai GAVE her servant, Hagar to Abram.
This GIRL! Sarai just hands her over to Abram because she wants a child.
It’s so hard to even wrap my mind around what Hagar was going through emotionally, physically and spiritually.
Could Hagar have been killed if she refused? I don’t know..?
But it’s pretty evident that she did not want to have this child.
But what’s crazy is that after Hagar realizes she’s pregnant with this baby, Abram and Sarai finally realize that what they did was wrong.
They begin to argue in verses 5-8
Genesis 16:5-8
And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!”
And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!”
But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.
–
Sarai blames Abram, and Abram blames Sarai. No one will take responsibility for what they both did to this girl!
They made her feel worthless.
Violated.
DIRTY.
They took something that couldn’t be returned. And on top of that she now has the responsibility of a child.
But what’s really sad is that she probably felt shame.
Shame for something she couldn’t control.
And above all this, Sarai beat her because the sight of Hagar made her feel guilt.
And then Hagar fled…
She ran until she couldn’t anymore.
In verse 7 it states this:
“The angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur.”
–
Sarai blames Abram, and Abram blames Sarai. No one will take responsibility for what they both did to this girl!
They made her feel worthless.
Violated.
DIRTY.
They took something that couldn’t be returned. And on top of that she now has the responsibility of a child.
But what’s really sad is that she probably felt shame.
Shame for something she couldn’t control.
And above all this, Sarai beat her because the sight of Hagar made her feel guilt.
And then Hagar fled…
She ran until she couldn’t anymore.
In verse 7 it states this:
“The angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur.”
–
So the angel found her by a spring of water in the wilderness…bruised, embarrassed, ripped clothes, messed up hair…and the angel says-
Genesis 16:8-13
And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.”
The angel of the LORD said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.”
The angel of the LORD also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.”
And the angel of the LORD said to her, “Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has listened to your affliction.
He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.”
So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.”
I think this story is so evident in all our lives!
When we are bruised and hurt whether it’s something we did or by someone else’s hand, God is always there to pick us back up.
He’s there to hear the long story of what has happened in the past (even though he already knows), and he’s there to tell us what path we should take for the future.
I love that Hagar says “Truly I have seen him who looks after me.”
Even though she had been through so much, and she could have blamed God for it, she thanked him for helping her get back up.
When we are bruised and hurt whether it’s something we did or by someone else’s hand, God is always there to pick us back up.
He’s there to hear the long story of what has happened in the past (even though he already knows), and he’s there to tell us what path we should take for the future.
I love that Hagar says “Truly I have seen him who looks after me.”
Even though she had been through so much, and she could have blamed God for it, she thanked him for helping her get back up.
References:
Genesis 32:30
So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.”
By: Anna Beth
pandemicgospel 