Tag: hagar

36.n. ““Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.””

 

 

Genesis 16:7  The angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 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.” Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered. And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

The angel of the Lord found her by a well, and directed her to return to her mistress, and submit to her; at the same time he promised her the birth of a son, and an innumerable multiplication of her descendants. As the fruit of her womb was the seed of Abram, she was to return to his house and there bear him a son, who, though not the seed promised by God, would be honoured for Abram’s sake with the blessing of an innumerable posterity. (Keil and Delitzsch)

The almighty and omniscient God; since he promises to do what none but the omnipotent Being could do, and declares such things as none but the omniscient God could know: and when it is said he “found Hagar”, it is not to be understood as if it was a chance matter, or the fruit and effect of search and inquiry, or as if he had not seen her before; but rather it shows that his eye was upon her, and he had a concern for her, and at a proper time and place appeared to her at once, and unawares, and unthought of by her. (Gill)

When we choose to flee a situation it is good that we seek God’s will and plan before taking the first step. A hardened heart can run like the wind toward anything their mind can contrive as better, more comfortable, and safe.  Certainly, there are times when this is exactly the will and plan of God. However, to make the decision without prayerfully seeking His direction we succumb to what seems right in our own eyes. What if God is growing you spiritually through the situation? What if God is going to show His power and might through a miracle or act that demonstrates His grace, mercy, and love? What if God is maturing your faith? When we find ourselves in a situation, our first thought and act are to humbly seek His refuge and lay it in His hands. He will certainly guide and direct your thoughts and steps.

36.m. “Abram listened to the voice of Sarai”

Genesis 16:1  Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. 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. 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. 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, no longer expecting to have children herself, proposed to Abram to take another wife, whose children she might; her slave, whose children would be her property. This was done without asking counsel of the Lord. Foul temptations may have very fair pretences, and be coloured with that which is very plausible. Fleshly wisdom puts us out of God’s way. This would not be the case, if we would ask counsel of God by his word and by prayer, before we attempt that which is doubtful. (Henry)

Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai; without consulting God about it, the proposal being agreeable to the flesh, which may be imputed to the infirmity of the good man; though it does not appear to arise from previous lust predominant in him; but both Sarai’s proposal, and his compliance with it, might be owing to the eager desire of each after the promised seed; they both believed the promise, but did not know it, being not as yet revealed, that Abram should have a son by Sarai; so that Sarai knowing her own case and circumstances, might conclude it was to be by another, and by her handmaid; and Abram might reason and judge after the same manner, which inclined him to listen to her. (Poole)

As the promise of a lineal heir (Genesis 15:4) did not seem likely to be fulfilled, even after the covenant had been made, Sarai resolved, ten years after their entrance into Canaan, to give her Egyptian maid Hagar to her husband, that if possible she might “be built up by her,” i.e., obtain children, who might found a house or family (Genesis 30:3). The resolution seemed a judicious one, and according to the customs of the East, there would be nothing wrong in carrying it out. Hence Abraham consented without opposition, because, as Malachi (Malachi 2:15) says, he sought the seed promised by God. But they were both of them soon to learn, that their thoughts were the thoughts of man and not of God, and that their wishes and actions were not in accordance with the divine promise. (Keil and Delitzsch)

How long do we wait? Do we wait patiently? Does our faith in the promises of God lessen over time? Waiting on the will and sovereignty of God takes faith. Our faith must grow as time passes on. Never lose site of God’s Promises because of some situation you are experiencing. God is faithful. God is all-powerful. God’s will will be done in His perfect plan and  timing for each of our lives.  When your faith is tried over and over again, fall on your knees and claim the promises of God and that He will light that fire of faith in your soul to overcome those doubts beating at your faith.

How do we mock, scoff, taunt, and Despise things of God?

Genesis 21:8  And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.” And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.”

2 Kings 2:23-24     He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!”  And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys.

2 Chronicles 30:10    So the couriers went from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them.

2 Chronicles 36:16    But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets

Nehemiah 4:1-5      Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews.  And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?  Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!  Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives.  Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders.

Psalms 42:10     As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”

Mocking God, His word, His plan, His purpose, or those doing God’s work has consequences.  We see Haggar’s son mockingly laugh at either the party for Isaac, Isaac, Sarah, or both of them.  Whoever he was laughing at, it was wrong.  It displeased Abraham.  We see David mocked and wounded bone deep by those who mocked God.  Elisha was mocked by youth.  Hezekiah sent out messengers to all the land under his kingship with a proclamation to come and celebrate the passover and return to humble service of God.  Some of the towns these messengers went to mocked the messengers and the message.  We see general statements of how generation after generation mocked both the message and messenger of God.

Blessings and privilege are soon forfeited when mocking things of God, His leading, His word, His message, His honor and glory, His son, His people, His Holy Spirit.  Do we mock God’s word and purpose and plans by being complacent?  Do we mock God and His word by turning deaf ear to His leading and choosing to follow the ways of the culture we are in?  Do we mock God in not Proclaiming His grace, mercy, and love.  Do we mock God when we do not listen to His warnings?  Do we mock God when we do not believe in His power and strength and might?  Do we mock God when we do not put our faith in Him?  Do we mock God when we disregard His potential anger, wrath and judgement?

Matthew Henry put is something like this:

We should be engaged to take great care to consider that we listen intently to God and what He has planned and purposed for us and others. Many who have need to be comforted choose to go blindly from one day to another, because they have chosen to close their ears, eyes, and heart to things of God. There is a well of living water near them in the hands of God, but they are not aware of it, till the same God that opened their eyes to see their wound, opens them to see their remedy. Those who are born after the flesh, take up with the wilderness of this world, while the children of the promise aim at the heavenly, and cannot be at rest till they are there.