Greetings to my dear sisters in Christ. May the Lord bless you, guide you and give you abundant wisdom to face the challenges of every day life. Almost a decade back, I have penned through this column a message titled “quo wadis” ( where are you going ?). This is based on a proverbial conversation between the risen Lord Jesus and Apostle Peter who is leaving Rome fearing the severe persecution. Lord, where goest thou ? The Lord replies that he is going to Rome to be crucified again, this time in the place of Peter ! Peter immediately ran back to Rome to be crucified upside down and showing the love of Jesus on his persecutors.
This time I was tempted to have the same title as I was going through the life of Hagar, an ordinary slave woman, but mother of the valiant Ishmael in whose tribe princes would be born later. Hagar comes into the family of Abraham probably during his brief sojourn in Egypt during the period of famine It is written that the Pharaoh, hearing about the beautiful Sarai, took her into his palace, but afflicted by God, returned her back. During the course of this time, the great Pharaoh treated Abraham well for her sake . He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants , female donkeys and camels. ( Genesis 12 : 16). When he returned from Egypt, Abram (Abraham) was very rich in live stock, in silver and in gold. Hagar may be one among the slaves.
The name “Hagar” itself means “flight” “ stranger” an allegory of an afflicted person. Some Rabbinical traditions place her as the daughter of Pharoah who gave her as a gift to Sarah. But we can assume that Hagar was the most trusted lady of Sarah as she gave Hagar to her husband to obtain children by her ( Genesis 16:2). Hagar being an alien slave and handmaid, far away from home had no choice in this matter. Abraham who received blessing and assurance from the Lord that the one who will come from your own body shall be his heir ( Genesis 15:4 ). The Lord had already commanded that man and wife will be one flesh (Genesis 2:4). I am sure that God meant only Abraham and Sarah together when he blessed him. It is stated that, Abraham believed in the Lord ; and He accounted it to him for righteousness”, we do not know the feelings of Abaraham , but he obliged his wife’s request silently. The fall of Hagar starts at this moment when she despised her mistress once she was conceived . As the helpless Abraham watching, Sarah drove away Hagar from home. True to her name Hagar went into the wilderness of Shur.
Then, something wonderful happened amidst this misery. The Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness. ( Genesis16:7). In the old testament, wherever the phrase “ Angel of the Lord’ appears, it is generally accepted that it is referring to our Lord Jesus Himself. Hagar became the first person to have an audience with Jesus in history. What an abounding grace of the Lord ! To find an abandoned woman in the wilderness in her lowest ebb of life, grieving and not knowing where to go: a perfect destitute, carrying a child. The Lord commanded her to go back and submit to her mistress. The Lord also blessed her. Hagar did a wonderful thing now : She praised the name of the Lord and called Him “ The God who sees me” ( El Roi) . To bless the name of the Lord is to worship Him. Even the well where she was sitting was called “ Beer Lahai Roi”. Two things striking about Hagar here is that : she recognized the Lord who was speaking to her; she immediately obeyed Him and returned to her mistress: All her misery was gone from the heart and she praised the name of the Lord. For she asked herself : “ Have I also here see Him who sees me ? “ ( Genesis 16:13). Abraham was eighty six years old when Ishmael was born.
