Hagar was a maidservant in Bible times, living far away from her home in Egypt. She lived with Abraham and Sarah and served Sarah in their tent. Abraham was a man who worshipped the God of heaven, and he did not follow everybody else. He did not own any land, because God told him not to.
Who is the God you worship? Is He the God who made the tiniest bug and the biggest star? or do you follow what other people say? Our God cares so much about you that He sent His Son to die for you. There is no other God like that and never will be. And He did not leave us a picture or a statue, but He left us a Book. Have you read His Book? It’s called the Bible.
The God of heaven had promised Abraham that he and his wife would have a baby boy. They really wanted a son, but Sarah was getting old, and it was too late for her to have a child. But wait a minute! Is there anything that God cannot do? Just trust what He says, Sarah! He’ll keep His promise, even if it seems impossible! But Sarah got tired of waiting.
She said to Abraham, Take Hagar instead of me. That was not good advice. But Abraham listened to Sarah and married Hagar, and pretty soon Hagar was expecting a baby, and she was proud of it. Now Sarah was angry. She decided she didn’t like Hagar at all, and she tried to blame Abraham for the problem.
It was a very unhappy family in that tent. Maybe you can understand. You have a very unhappy family too if you are angry when you don’t get your own way.
Hagar ran away, but this was not the way to solve the problem. The Angel of the Lord saw Hagar where she was beside a spring of water. He asked her, Where have you come from, and where are you going? Hagar did not hide anything; she said, I have run away from Sarah.
Go back and obey Sarah, said the Angel. You will have a son. Name him Ishmael, because the Lord has heard your troubles. He will be a wild man, a fighter, and he will live in the presence of all his brethren.
Hagar suddenly knew that God could see her exactly where she was, and she named the place, “Thou God seest me” (Genesis 16:13). Hagar obeyed the Angel and went back to Sarah’s tent, even though it was hard to go, and God kept His promise. She had a baby boy and named him Ishmael. I don’t think Sarah loved Hagar’s baby, but Abraham loved him, and he grew to be a teenager.
And still God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah, that they would have a son, had not come true, and Sarah was growing older every day.
God sees you too, right where you are, even if you have tried to run away from Him. Turn around and face Him and listen! He has better promises for you than He ever had for Abraham and Sarah or Hagar. God sent His Son to die for sinners like you and me, and His promise of a home in heaven for those who trust in His Son Jesus will come to pass. And that could be soon, very soon! Don’t miss out!
We’ll tell you more about God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah next week, and we’ll tell you more about Hagar and her son Ishmael too. You may read today’s story in Genesis chapter 16.
MEMORY VERSE: “Thou God seest me.” Genesis 16:13
ML-05/12/2013