Hagar: The Woman Who God Saw

Hi Friends!

I hope you’re enjoying life and everything is well with you and your loved ones.

I have some questions for you: Have you ever been in a toxic situation or dealt with a difficult person? If so, what did you do? Did you want to leave? If you left the situation, would you go back if God told you to?

If so, I want to share Hagar’s story with you.

Hagar’s story can be found in Genesis 16 and Genesis 21. However, we will focus on Genesis 16. 

Hagar was an Egyptian woman, and she was a servant to Sarai (Abraham’s wife). Sarai couldn’t have children for a while, so she suggested that her husband, Abraham, sleep with Hagar and have a child with her. 

Sarai’s exact words to her husband were, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go and sleep with my slave; maybe I can build a family through her. 

Lo and behold, Abraham sleeps with Hagar, and she becomes pregnant. After Hagar becomes pregnant, she starts to despise Sarai. 

As an enslaved person, Hagar didn’t have any rights. She had to comply with what her master Sarai told her to do. So, I could see how Hagar could despise Sarai. Maybe she didn’t want to sleep with Abraham or get pregnant by him. We don’t know. The Bible doesn’t tell us why Hagar despised Sarai, but we know that she did. 

In retaliation to Hagar’s loathing, Sarai starts to mistreat Hagar. Sarai mistreats Hagar so badly that Hagar runs away and flees to the desert to get away from Sarai.

When God sees this, he has compassion for Hagar. 

An angel of the Lord comes to Hagar while she’s in the desert and speaks to her.

The angel says, “Go back to Sarai and submit to her. I will increase your descendants, and they will be too numerous to count. You will give birth to a son; name him Ishmael, for the Lord heard your misery.”

After hearing this, Hagar says, “You are the God who sees me. I have now seen the One who sees me.”

God saw Hagar and her misery. God saw her mistreatment. And God promised to bless her in that environment. 

Hagar probably didn’t want to go back and submit to Sarai. But Hagar obeys God and returns to Sarai.

Later, Hagar gives birth, and Abraham names their son Ishmael.

Ishmael means God hears. 

Sometimes, God’s plan for us may not be what we expect it to be. And that’s okay. God’s ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.

Hagar trusted God in her difficult circumstances. She knew she wasn’t alone. God was with her. She knew that God would take care of her in that situation, and He does the same for us. 

By Hagar going back, God blessed her and her son just as He blessed Abraham and his other son, Isaac. 

When we obey God, He blesses us. When we take God at His word and trust Him over our feelings (emotions), He blesses us. God wants us to obey Him even when the situation may be uncomfortable for us. 

When I read this story, it touched me. The part that touched me the most was when God instructed Hagar to return and submit to Sarai after Sarai had mistreated her.

I’ve been in situations in my career where I had to deal with difficult bosses, and I saw myself as Hagar in that moment.

There were many times I wanted to leave my jobs because I didn’t want to deal with those difficult bosses. But God told me to stay, and I did.

I had to trust God in those difficult situations.

It wasn’t easy, but God used it to develop my character, refine me, prune me, and help me grow into the person He intended me to be.

I grew significantly in all aspects: spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

God worked everything out for my good. And He will do the same for you. 

As He did for Hagar.

I hope this encourages you! 

Until next time, happy reading. 

XO,

Dr. Rich 💋