Totally: Getting to Know Our Knowing, Present, Capable, Caring GodНамуна

Ten more years passed, and Abram’s wife Sarai had still not had any children, so she took matters into her own hands. She offered Abram her maid Hagar to be his wife. Because we know that Abram was a man of faith and that his faith made him acceptable to God, the fact that he would initially agree to Sarai’s plan is surprising. However, God had promised to make Abram into a great nation. He hadn’t specified that it would be through Sarai, so it could be that Abram thought Sarai’s plan could fit inside God’s.

Sarai’s plan backfired. As soon as Hagar found out she was pregnant, she started acting like she was better than Sarai. Instead of taking responsibility for the situation she had brought on herself, Sarai blamed Abram, and Abram gave Sarai permission to do whatever she wanted with Hagar. Sarai chose to reduce Hagar back to servant status. Sarai was well within her rights at the time to do this, but that doesn’t make it right. What’s legal and/or culturally acceptable is often still wrong.

Sarai began to mistreat Hagar, so Hagar fled to the desert. There, God approached Hagar, a servant, the same way He had approached Abram, a man of influence, wealth, and power. He came to her on her level and told Hagar to go back to Abram’s camp and get along with Sarai.

At first, God’s instructions to Hagar may seem like He was siding with Sarai, but consider Hagar’s options. It was much better for her and her baby to live in Abram’s camp than it was for her to try to make it alone in the wilderness. God also promised to give Hagar many descendants (a large family of her own) through the son she carried.

Sarai’s original plan had actually been an opportunity for Hagar to better her societal standing. It was an impulsive but generous plan. Hagar was the first one to actively make things difficult between them. Hagar’s behavior doesn’t excuse Sarai’s behavior, but it did factor into her current circumstances. Even so, God chose to bless Hagar and her son. God is patient and kind, even to people who are partially to blame for their own circumstances.