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Writer's picturePatricia

Hagar: Rejected not Abandoned

Updated: Apr 24, 2020

Word of the Day: Abandoned

Having been given up and deserted; forsaken; shameless


Hagar's name means fugitive or immigrant. Hagar was the Egyptian maidservant owned by Sarah, Abraham's wife. She was acquired during the time Abraham and Sarah lived in Egypt. In those times it brought honor to the master if they had a maidservant. The maidservants were striped from their personal rights and were totally subject to the master's wish, and that included to serve as a surrogate mother.


Genesis 12:16

And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.


We came to know Hagar in the Book of Génesis chapter 16 and ten years had past since the last time God spoke to Abraham and Sarah about the promise heir. Nothing had happened and Sarah was getting older. Sarah decides to fix the matter like all women tend to do, She decides to giver her maiden to Abraham, so she can have the son she has been waiting for all these years. Hagar conceived; we have to remember that this work became the work of the flesh not the work of the Lord. We as woman have to be careful on the things we want or desire, and sometimes make our husbands fall under our fantasies.


Genesis 16:1–2

Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.


Genesis 16:4

And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.


Sarah became desperate, lost patience and refused to wait on the Lord's promises. This thought of using Hagar as a surrogate mother was legal at that time, but not proper in the eyes of the Lord. We as citizens of this planet have to always consider that not every legal legislature goes according to God's will. This is why it is so important for every Christian to read their Bible and to know God's purpose in our lives, but also in our towns.


Genesis 2:24

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.


On the other hand we see that Abraham obeyed his wife instead of just waiting on the Lord. This was just a demonstration of the lack of faith that we sometimes have. God was not going to use an Egyptian slave to bring the Child of Promise. Sarah is described as a Godly woman and as a submissive wife, but even the holiest person could loose faith when we stop trusting the Lord.


1 Peter 3:6

Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.


Hebrews 11:11

Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.


Sarah mistreated Hagar as she was jealous of her. Hagar could not contain it any longer so she fled from her.


Genesis 16:6

But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thine hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.


The angel of the Lord found her by a fountain and told her to go back and submit to her master Sarah. Hagar knew her role as a slave; she received from the Lord a specific order, a specific promise and a specific instruction. The Lord had given her the counsel that she needed at that moment. Although it was not pleasing to the flesh, she needed to trust Him and His purpose towards her life.


Genesis 16:7

And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.


Genesis 16:9–14

And the angel of the Lord said unto her, (order) Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

10 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, (promise) I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

11 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, (instruction) thou art with child and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction.

12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

13 And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

14 Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.


Ishmael was born and the years passed when Isaac was born. God's promise for Ishmael is that He was going to make A great nation out of him. Isaac received a greater promise which was nations, and it was what God had intended to do from the beginning.


Genesis 17:20

And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.


Genesis 17:16

And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.


The two families could no longer dwell together. When Ishmael started mocking Issac, Hagar was expelled by Abraham at Sarah's insistence because Sarah could not stand it. Abraham did not agree with Sarah but later on, the Lord said it was fine to let her go as He had promised a nation out of the boy which meant that he was not going to die in the wilderness. Hagar was given bread and a bottle of water to survive in the bare desert.


Genesis 21:9–14

9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.

12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.


When the water from the bottle had ran out, Hagar and her son were about to die but in the midst of her agony she decides to lift her voice unto God. God hears her voice and provides a well of water for her empty bottle. God is our provider when we need Him, He makes himself available for us. The last time we hear from Hagar is when she marries her son to an Egyptian woman, Although the Lord was always faithful to her, this shows us that she went back to her people and her idols.


Genesis 21:15–21

15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow shot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.


Conclusion: We serve a God who is always faithful. Hagar's story begins with her being subject to her owner, but God gave her the opportunity to choose the right path once she was free. This was the woman whose bottle was empty, but the Lord provided a well of water more than what she needed. That is our Provider!


I have added some verses down below for those who are not sure if heaven is your future home. Please share with me if you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior through this post. I will be happy to rejoice with you!

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Romans 10:9–13


*Please let me know if this post has been a blessing to you through a comment, for it would be a blessing for me to know.

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