Not a shining moment for the future patriarch. Listening to the voice of his wife (be careful boys! women can be very influential and not always in good directions), Abram agrees to take a new "wife" to get children, rather than wait on the Lord. And this chapter comes right after that amazing covenant ceremony where God once more affirms all His promises to Abram.
What really catches my attention is how God shows special concern for Hagar, a simple servant girl (and a bratty one at that.) At this first reference to "The Angel of the Lord", my commentary says that when "The Angel of the Lord" appears in the Old Testament, it is probably Christ Himself ("The Angel of the Lord" doesn't appear after Christ's birth.) Hagar certainly thought it was God and called him "The God Who Sees", or "El Roi" in Hebrew. And El Roi tells her to name her son Ishmael, which means "God hears".
How astonishing that God himself would "see" and "hear" her affliction; however, notice that Hagar's circumstances don't really change. God doesn't direct her to a new luxury tent or give her a handsome new master.
He tells her to go back. Go back and submit to your mean mistress, who will probably give you a beating for running away and your elderly master, who obviously doesn't care what happens to you even though you carry his child.
But He also gave her a promise. He gave her the promise of a nation of descendants, which would have been astounding for someone in her position; but think about it....a promise that she would never see fulfilled in her lifetime.
This is such a great reminder that God always sees and hears my cries for help and gives me many promises of love and faithfulness in His Word, but often, my circumstances do not change. God wants me to rest in His plan for my life, and trust that all things really do work together for my good (Romans 8:28). This is hard. I do not like being uncomfortable. Like Hagar, I don't like living in difficult circumstances. But God's promise to her, His very presence, was so life-changing that she obediently went back.
He does that for us too....any time we go to His Word, seeking fellowship with Him. And unlike Hagar and other Old Testament believers, we don't have to hope for one special visitation from God. We have the Holy Spirit living in us every day....His presence is assessable 24/7.
"I love the Lord because He hears my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live." Psalm 116:1-2
Living it today: I will remember that the Lord sees and hears my prayers even if my circumstances don't change.
Living it yesterday: Fellowship with God is such a cool think...I even think better. New ideas were coming to my mind all day for my up-coming classes. And I had the opportunity to share with two other moms on the soccer field some truth the Lord was bringing to mind, and I think it was helpful for them.
What really catches my attention is how God shows special concern for Hagar, a simple servant girl (and a bratty one at that.) At this first reference to "The Angel of the Lord", my commentary says that when "The Angel of the Lord" appears in the Old Testament, it is probably Christ Himself ("The Angel of the Lord" doesn't appear after Christ's birth.) Hagar certainly thought it was God and called him "The God Who Sees", or "El Roi" in Hebrew. And El Roi tells her to name her son Ishmael, which means "God hears".
How astonishing that God himself would "see" and "hear" her affliction; however, notice that Hagar's circumstances don't really change. God doesn't direct her to a new luxury tent or give her a handsome new master.
He tells her to go back. Go back and submit to your mean mistress, who will probably give you a beating for running away and your elderly master, who obviously doesn't care what happens to you even though you carry his child.
But He also gave her a promise. He gave her the promise of a nation of descendants, which would have been astounding for someone in her position; but think about it....a promise that she would never see fulfilled in her lifetime.
This is such a great reminder that God always sees and hears my cries for help and gives me many promises of love and faithfulness in His Word, but often, my circumstances do not change. God wants me to rest in His plan for my life, and trust that all things really do work together for my good (Romans 8:28). This is hard. I do not like being uncomfortable. Like Hagar, I don't like living in difficult circumstances. But God's promise to her, His very presence, was so life-changing that she obediently went back.
He does that for us too....any time we go to His Word, seeking fellowship with Him. And unlike Hagar and other Old Testament believers, we don't have to hope for one special visitation from God. We have the Holy Spirit living in us every day....His presence is assessable 24/7.
"I love the Lord because He hears my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live." Psalm 116:1-2
Living it today: I will remember that the Lord sees and hears my prayers even if my circumstances don't change.
Living it yesterday: Fellowship with God is such a cool think...I even think better. New ideas were coming to my mind all day for my up-coming classes. And I had the opportunity to share with two other moms on the soccer field some truth the Lord was bringing to mind, and I think it was helpful for them.
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