God promised Abraham and Sarah a child at their old age. However, Sarah did not believe it and anxiously suggested to her husband her plan, saying, “See here, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. I am asking you to have intercourse with my maid; it may be that I can obtain children by her; Abraham listened to and heeded what Sarai said.” (Gen.16:2). This was definitely a plan outside God’s will and it carried consequences for years to come. Sarah had no idea that what she was suggesting didn’t only affect her, but the world. Today, the world pays for the consequences of that decision with no end in sight. Rivalry, jealousy, anger, wars, etc. It has shaped the world in direction to its destruction. That reminds me of another woman (Eve) who brought the entire world to fall into sin and lose its relationship with the Creator God.
Hagar, an Egyptian woman, Sarai’s maid was brought into the picture at the request of her mistress. She submitted to the idea and became pregnant. However, when she saw that she was with child, she looked with contempt upon her mistress and despised her. That displeased Sarai and she said to Abraham. “May my wrong and deprivation of rights be upon you! I gave my maid into your bosom, and when she saw that she was with child, I was contemptible and despised in her eyes. May the Lord be the judge between you and me” (Gen.16). Here we have a story hard to understand due to its custom and culture. Sarai sent her away while she was still pregnant; She dealt severely with Hagar, humbling and afflicting her. So, Hagar fled from her to a wilderness. But the Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness on the road to Shur. (Gen. 16: 5-7). He promised her to multiply her descendants exceedingly and He called (the baby in her womb), Ishmail [God hears]. So, she called the name of the Lord Who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing.” Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old (Gen. 16).
The story of Hagar is filled with conflict. She was a suffering woman, who met God. As the Lord promised Hagar, out of that experience, a nation was to be born. EL ROI – the God Who sees me was the name Hagar gave to God, when they were sent away at the time Ishmael, then thirteen years old mocked Isaac at an important celebration when Isaac was weaned. He showed his true personality then. Sarah told Abram to cast out the bondservant and her son, for her son shall not be an heir with my son Isaac. Abram rose early in the morning and took bead and a bottle of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and he sent her and the youth away. And she wandered on and lost her way in the wilderness of Beersheba. When the water in the bottle was all gone, Hagar caused the youth to lie down under one of the shrubs; she sat down opposite him a good way off, about a bowshot, for she said, Let me no see the death of the lad. And as she sat down opposite him, he lifted up his voice and wept and she raised her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the youth, and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven and said, to her, What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the youth where he is…Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the bottle with water and caused the youth to drink. And God was with the youth and he developed; and dwelt in the wilderness and became an archer. (Gen21). And the story continues for centuries till the end, for they will be part of the end time in God’s plans for the Arab nations. As it was for Hagar, so will be for all of them, when they will realize that EL-Roi is the God Who sees, the only true God.
