Hagar was given as a servant to Abraham’s (Abram’s) household by an Egyptian pharaoh to make amends for desiring Sarah (Sarai). Abraham and Sarah had lied about their relationship for fear that Abraham would be killed and Sarah taken by another man because she was very beautiful.
As events would have it, Hagar was given to Abraham by Sarah so that she could have children for him since Sarah had none. Back then, it was legitimate for a wife who could not have children within 2 years of marriage to take a female servant as a surrogate¹. So Hagar was not forced into marriage or raped. It was legal then, and she must have understood this.
Hagar became pregnant and when she realized it, she began to scorn Sarah. Knowing human nature, their governing laws had made some provision for this*. “If a female slave has claimed equality with her mistress because she bore children,…her mistress may not sell her, but she may punish the girl in other ways.” (18th Century Code of Hammurabi, Laws, 146)¹. As a result, Hagar was maltreated by Sarah so harshly that she ran away (Gen 16:6).
An angel met Hagar in the desert as she fled and convinced her to return to Abraham’s home. He told her that she would have a son and to name him “Ishmael” (from El (God) and shama (hears), meaning “God hears (me)¹. Hagar gave birth, and afterwards, Sarah also gave birth to a son. Their conflict was unresolved, and a dilemma had now been created: Who would succeed Abraham?¹ Sarah requested that Hagar be sent away by Abraham (Gen 21:8–21), and he was very troubled by it. But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. I will make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.” (vs 12–13)
While journeying in the desert with Ishmael, Hagar hit a very low point and she left him under a bush because she could not watch him die (vs 15-16). She must have felt truly hopeless and alone at this point. Yet God was right there with her. God heard Ishmael’s cry and sent Hagar a message through an angel. God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. (vs 17–20)
God continued to be with Ishmael as he grew up, and we last read about Hagar finding a wife for him.
The angel’s message to Hagar is similar to announcements made to Hannah (Samson’s mother) and Mary (Jesus’ mother). They were all addressed personally (not through their husbands) and they were to bear sons with special destinies². God speaking directly to Hagar showed that He had a relationship with her outside of His relationship with Abraham, and Hagar responded in the same way. She named God-“You are El-roi,” meaning “the one who sees me” and the place-Beer-lahai-roi, “the well of the Living One who sees” (Gen 16:13–14), expressing her relationship with Him.
God’s request for Hagar to become a slave again and to return to Sarah seems strange but it was for a reason. The angel’s speech to Hagar matched God’s speech to Abram in Gen 15:13, when he was told that his children would be enslaved and mistreated before their redemption². So, Hagar foreshadowed Israel as future slaves in Egypt. In the same way Hagar was a foreigner in Abraham’s household, Israel would also be foreigners in an alien land. Hagar was maltreated as the Israelites would be, and YHWH responded to her affliction as He would respond to the affliction of Abraham’s descendants². Similarly, just as Hagar and Ishmael were “freed”, sent off into the desert, and thirsty for water, so would Israel also head into the desert after their freedom and struggle with thirst².
Like Hagar, we might have the tendency to run away from situations we have little control over and from the consequences of our poor choices. Yet, even in her desperation to run away, God met Hagar where she was: not once, but twice!³ God’s word assures us that he hears our cry in trying times. May we keep this in mind through all of life’s trying moments.
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. (Ps 145:18–20)
*God’s law through Moses did not exist at this time, but other laws did. See this article for a brief history of Old Testament laws.
References:
- Isbouts, J.-P. (2020). Women of the Bible. National Geographic.
- Frymer-Kensky, T. (2009, March 20). Hagar: Bible. Jewish Women’s Archive. Retrieved June 13, 2021, from https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/hagar-bible
- Heather (2020).Hagar: A Lonely Woman Seen By God. Retrieved June 13, 2021, from https://lessonsfromhome.co/hagar-a-lonely-woman-seen-by-god/
