Daily Devotions
Genesis
"There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health." Proverbs 12:18
Text: Genesis 16:1-16
FAMILY PROBLEMS
The Scriptures depict things as they stood. Though Abram knew God and had personal faith in Him, that did not mean that he was perfect. His walk with God did not mean that he would be free from family problems!
It was Sarai who insisted on giving Hagar to be his second wife. It was Sarai again who was full of wrath each day! What should Abram do about the problem? Sadly, because of the prevailing home conditions, Abram did not know how to apply his faith into his difficult family circumstances! Instead, he virtually gave permission to Sarai to ill-treat Hagar, to bring about a semblance of “peace” in the family!
“So Abram said to Sarai, ‘Indeed your maid is in your hand;
do to her as you please.’ And when Sarai dealt harshly
with her, she fled from her presence.”GENESIS 16:6
Abram spoke of Hagar as a “maid”. As long as she enjoyed the status of “wife”, Sarai could not and did not do anything to her. The moment, Abram called her “maid” and transferred authority to Sarai, Hagar was treated as a maid!
Both Abram and Sarai were not the best of examples at this point of time! Abram showed great weakness in resolving domestic issues. Sarai showed that she had a rather mean streak in her! Both did not seek to resolve the problem by referring the matter to the Lord in prayer! When He was left out of the picture, things went from bad to worse!
SPECIAL DIVINE ENCOURAGEMENT
Hagar must have been surprised at the turn of events! Abram returned her to Sarai as her maid? And she was pregnant with his child? How could things turn out this way? In despair she fled from the presence of Sarai.
“And when Sarai dealt harshly with her,
she fled from her presence.
Now the Angel of the Lord found her
by a spring of water in the wilderness,
by the spring on the way to Shur.
And He said, ‘Hagar, Sarai’s maid,
where have you come from, and where are you going?’
She said, ‘I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.'”GENESIS 16:6b-8
Hagar was distraught! She fled into the wilderness! She took nothing with her! She just wanted to run away from the harsh treatment that she had received from Sarai her mistress! All her hopes had been dashed to the ground. She must have felt that she might as well die! She certainly courted death if she stayed in the wilderness!
Graciously, God cared for her! Hagar received special Divine encouragement. The Angel of the Lord drew alongside and gently spoke to her!