The Story of Hagar

Hagar's story beginning in Genesis 16:1 highlights themes of survival, faith, and divine providence. She is recognized not only as the mother of Ishmael but also as a symbol of God's care for the marginalized. Her narrative raises important discussions regarding motherhood, the complexities of family dynamics, and the intersection of faith and hardship. 

The theme of the story of Hagar is

“Seeing the unseen and trusting in God’s timing”

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so, she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.”

Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife.  He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.

Were Sarai and Abram trusting God’s timing?

Is this going to end well for Hagar?

When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.  Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.”

 “Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.

 The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.

Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.”  The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”

 The angel of the Lord also said to her:

“You are now pregnant
    and you will give birth to a son.
You shall name him Ishmael,
    for the Lord has heard of your misery.
 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
    toward all his brothers.”

(It is important to note that this is the first appearance of the angel of the LORD.)  

She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”  She called the Lord El Roi. (Hagar’s response reflects her recognition of God’s presence and care.)  

 So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne.  Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

When Abraham was 99 he and Sarah were again told by the Lord that Sarah would have a son who would be the father of nations. As unbelievable as it sounded Sarah conceived Isaac and she asked Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away. He sent them to the desert.

They were met by the Lord’s angel as Hagar thought she and Ishmael were about to die. The Lord showed them sustenance and safety and again told Hagar he would make Ishmael the father of many descendants.

What would this story look like if Sarah and Abraham had believed God would and could do what he said?