Today we are going to talk about Hagar from Genesis 16 and 21. Hagar was Sarah’s servant and Abraham’s second wife. Sarah was so hurried to give Abraham a son that she had Abraham sleep with Hagar, her handmaiden. Hager conceived and had a son- Ishmael. Can you imagine being in Hager’s shoes? She was Egyptian so she was in a foreign land, she was a servant and had no rights, and then her mistress forced her to marry her husband and have children with him! From that point of view, Sarah does not seem like the best person.
Harger was caught in a mess that wasn’t her choice. Hager became distressed when she found out she was pregnant and fled into the wilderness- here is where Hager encounters God. The Lord appeared to her, encouraging Hager to return to Sarah and Abraham, and making her a promise. God made a convent with Abraham to make him a great nation and the Lord promises Hager that her offspring will be multiplied. God tells her to name her son Ismael because God heard her. Hager then calls the Lord El Roi, which means the God who sees. Hager saw that the Lord saw her right where she was. She didn’t have to act a certain way or dress in certain clothing, God met her right where she was- in the middle of her storm. Later on, Sarah asks Hager and her son to leave her home. Hager takes her son and goes into the wilderness. In her desperation, the Lord appears to Hager and provides water in the desert, and gives her hope. Hager was so tired- but the God who sees came to her. God had been with Hager every step of the way in her life and provided for her and her son through it all.
Maybe your life hasn’t been planned out the way you wanted it, maybe God is asking you to wait. But girl, let me tell you, whatever God has in store for you is beyond anything we could think of. I know life is difficult- sometimes unbearable, but there is always hope. Our God is a God who sees. He hears our burdens and He sees us right where we are. He is good, and He is faithful. He will give rest and peace to your weary soul.
Let’s discuss what we just read. I have some questions that I want you to think about, write them down, and if you’d like to comment below we can discuss them together!
- What did we learn about God and His character in the life of Hagar?
- What character qualities, positive or negative, do we see in Hagar’s life?
- What can I learn from Hagar’s story and apply it to my own life?
God is peaceful. Whenever we feel overwhelmed, depressed, or brokenhearted, God will give us peace in Him. When life doesn’t turn out the way we planned we can rest in the knowledge that we are in God’s hands. When daily life becomes too much and you want to run away from it all, just know that you can run into the arms of Jesus. He is standing with arms open wide waiting for you.
I hope you enjoy this study and decide to come back. Tomorrow, we’ll learn about Rebekah and how God moved in her life. I hope you enjoy the beautiful sunset that was made by our loving Father and y’all have a wonderful night.