Hagar, Treated Unjustly but Seen by GodSample

Hagar employed as a surrogate mother

“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.” (Genesis 16:3)

We saw yesterday that Hagar had little to say about her own life.

Today this becomes especially clear: Sarai arranged for Abram to take Hagar as his wife. Sarai herself articulates the reason why she did this in the preceding verse: “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.”

The Lord God had promised Abram years earlier, “I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great” (see Genesis 12:2). But ten years later, Abram and Sarai were still childless. Time was running out, for they were both elderly already! Therefore, Sarai decided to take matters into her own hands and bring in a surrogate mother who would then hopefully have a child for her. And who was better suited for this ‘job’ than Sarai's own servant, Hagar?

God established marriage as a lifelong union between husband and wife. Sarai took advantage of Hagar by giving her to Abram as a wife. That is not how marriage is meant to be!

How do you view marriage? When is it valid, when is it good? What is your view based on?