Hagar:God's plan
Does anyone know Hagar in the Bible?
She has an amazing story and it was quite comforting to me this week as I read it and studied her journey. I have read it before, but as I was reading my daily devotional it talked of Hagar and her situation and really prompted me to look at it closer, so here it is.
First of all Hagar was an Egyptian. She was Sarah's slave or a better word, some refer to her mistress, or her handmaid. Sarah could not conceive a child so she had Hagar sleep with Abram her husband, and wanted her to be a surrogate of sorts so that Abram would have a son. Once she conceived, Sarah was obviously upset, jealous, etc., and some theories imply that she humbled Hagar and some say that she "dealt harshly with her". Well, Hagar fled and in the wilderness, but God and told her to go back.
God had a plan and he needed her to see the bigger picture.
She obeyed God and went back and had her son. Later, after Isaac was born, different stories say different things, I have read that Ishmael was mean to Isaac and also Sarah didn't want him to be raised with Ishmael, but regardless Sarah wanted them sent away, so Hagar and Ishmael were cast out and almost starved, but because Abraham's offspring had been given a promise from God, God took care of Hagar and her son and when Hagar thought that he was gonna die and thirst to death, his angel appeared and helped them. Once again Hagar was spoken to by God.
I could get into the different nations and God's plan for the sons but it's quite simple God is doing what he said he would do, he is blessing Abraham's seed, multiplying his descendants and taking care of them and in the end his plan prevails.
So what I took from this is simple, do we go by the Old Testament today, do we live literally like they do? Someone asked me once, does the Old Testament even apply to todays times and after giving it some thought, yes it does, it applies because God is the same God of then and now. You see God's character in the Old Testament. Just as he took care of Hagar,and he promised great nations from Abraham's seed, he did all that just as he said he would. He is God and what he says he will do. YOU SHOULD BE ENCOUARAGED !!!
And on another note, he used Hagar, a slave woman, a servant, he spoke to her and he helped her, he has no respect of person. I thought after I read my devotion, wow, Hagar must have been pretty important for God to speak to her not once but TWICE. It was all because he had a plan and his plan is perfect.
So as I was humbled from reading and studying this, we might not always understand why things happen the way they do but sometimes we have to look at the bigger picture and see what God wants, listen to him and trust that he has a bigger plan, that his promises are true and he will always do what he says he will do.
She has an amazing story and it was quite comforting to me this week as I read it and studied her journey. I have read it before, but as I was reading my daily devotional it talked of Hagar and her situation and really prompted me to look at it closer, so here it is.
First of all Hagar was an Egyptian. She was Sarah's slave or a better word, some refer to her mistress, or her handmaid. Sarah could not conceive a child so she had Hagar sleep with Abram her husband, and wanted her to be a surrogate of sorts so that Abram would have a son. Once she conceived, Sarah was obviously upset, jealous, etc., and some theories imply that she humbled Hagar and some say that she "dealt harshly with her". Well, Hagar fled and in the wilderness, but God and told her to go back.
8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's handmaid, whence camest thou? and whither goest thou? And she said, I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai.
9 And the angel of Jehovah said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
10 And the angel of Jehovah said unto her, I will greatly multiply thy seed, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.(Genesis 16)
God had a plan and he needed her to see the bigger picture.
She obeyed God and went back and had her son. Later, after Isaac was born, different stories say different things, I have read that Ishmael was mean to Isaac and also Sarah didn't want him to be raised with Ishmael, but regardless Sarah wanted them sent away, so Hagar and Ishmael were cast out and almost starved, but because Abraham's offspring had been given a promise from God, God took care of Hagar and her son and when Hagar thought that he was gonna die and thirst to death, his angel appeared and helped them. Once again Hagar was spoken to by God.
15 When the water was gone, she put the boy in the shade of a bush. 16 Then she went and sat down by herself about a hundred yards[c] away. “I don’t want to watch the boy die,” she said, as she burst into tears.
17 But God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “Hagar, what’s wrong? Do not be afraid! God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants.”(Genesis 21)
I could get into the different nations and God's plan for the sons but it's quite simple God is doing what he said he would do, he is blessing Abraham's seed, multiplying his descendants and taking care of them and in the end his plan prevails.
So what I took from this is simple, do we go by the Old Testament today, do we live literally like they do? Someone asked me once, does the Old Testament even apply to todays times and after giving it some thought, yes it does, it applies because God is the same God of then and now. You see God's character in the Old Testament. Just as he took care of Hagar,and he promised great nations from Abraham's seed, he did all that just as he said he would. He is God and what he says he will do. YOU SHOULD BE ENCOUARAGED !!!
And on another note, he used Hagar, a slave woman, a servant, he spoke to her and he helped her, he has no respect of person. I thought after I read my devotion, wow, Hagar must have been pretty important for God to speak to her not once but TWICE. It was all because he had a plan and his plan is perfect.
So as I was humbled from reading and studying this, we might not always understand why things happen the way they do but sometimes we have to look at the bigger picture and see what God wants, listen to him and trust that he has a bigger plan, that his promises are true and he will always do what he says he will do.
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