Hagar was a slave. Assuming not by choice and maybe taken
from Egypt
when Pharaoh gave goods and bounty to Abraham, Hagar was no longer master of
her own destiny. She was property of
another, used by a family and then outcast for her obedience. Slave to Sarai, a maybe highly respected by
the matriarch, Hagar is given to Abraham to conceive a child. Sarai knew God’s plan for a child, a nation
born unto them, but it had yet to transpire.
Hurrying the Lord along, she requests her husband to sleep with her
handmaid.
Low and behold, a baby is
conceived. The slave, this prisoner,
this woman used was able to accomplish something her mistress was not,
pregnancy. All the years held in
captivity, submitting to orders, yielding to another person’s life and their
desires finally has taken a turn. God
has blessed this slave with a child, while the mistress of the house has
none.
The bible has several scriptures
regarding a “haughty” attitude, but I think Proverbs captures the haughty
spirit well; Proverbs 16:18 describing
best, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 6:16-19 reads, “There are six
things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying
tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a
man who stirs up dissensions among brothers.”
Hagar was about to experience a
fall, though, she had not been the first to “vex” her mistress. Remember Hannah and Penninah? Penninah
mercilessly vexed and mistreated Hannah for she had Elkanah’s love, while
Penninah no love, but his children. Rachel
experienced the empty womb, while her sister enjoyed ten sons, but no love from
Jacob. Hagar did not have Abraham’s
heart either, for when Sarai accused him of causing these problems, his reply
was, “Do with her whatever you think best.” (Genesis 16:6).
Sarai may have cast Hagar out of
camp, but God does not. She may be
mistreated, unloved, and her own behavior inexcusable, but we have a God with a
plan. Woman, we have a Savior who will
love us unconditionally, gently teach us and guide us into Truths. Hagar was thrown out by an angry, frustrated
and broken hand, but God brought her back with a gentle, loving and purposeful
hand. “Go back to your mistress and
submit to her. I will so increase your
descendants that they will be to numerous to count. You are now with child and
you will have a son. You shall name him
Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of you misery.
He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and
everyone’s had against him, and he will live in hostility towards all his
brothers.” (Genesis 16:9-12). The Lord saw Hagar’s misery, knew the root
cause of the haughty attitude, gentle spoke to her and commanded she
submit. Our God brought this broken
woman back to the very hand that threw her out and Hagar was accepted back in
for a time.
I love our Christian faith. We have a God who looks at the root cause of
our problems, judges fairly and gently teaches us Truth. Remember the daughters of Zelophehad? “They
approached the test entrance to the Tent of meeting and stood before Moses,
Eleazar the priest, and the leaders and the whole assembly, and said, “Our
father died in the desert. He was not
among Korah’s followers, who banded together against the Lord, but he died for
his own sin and left no sons. Why should our father’s name disappear from his
clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s relatives.” (Numbers 27:1-4)
The Lord answers Moses who brought
their case before him, “What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an
inheritance among their father’s relatives and turn their father’s inheritance
over to them.” (Numbers 27:5-7).
Woman, we serve a God who will stand up for you, give you Truth and take your
case! We have to know Christ is our High Priest allowing us to come boldly to
the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). The Word of God is sharper than any double-edge
sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it
judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Everything is uncovered and
laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12-13).
Believing
in the Lord, Hagar willingly goes, submits and gives birth to her son. She experienced something her mistress had
not, communion with God. God is willing
to forgive a repentant heart. He desires
a broken, contrite heart; a broken spirit God will not despise (Psalm 51:16). At times we are going to
experience haughty attitudes from others, but that by no means gives us the
green light to mistreat them. Actually,
it gives Christians the opportunity to bless! (Matthew 5:11-12).
No matter
the situation, we are to love those who are lost. No matter the situation, we are to love those
who mistreat us. No matter the situation
we are to bring our requests before the Lord, let him judge righteously. No matter the situation, we are to do unto
others as we would have them do unto us (Matthew
7:12, Luke 6:31). Having a haughty attitude is unacceptable to God. We are to treat all as equal, for God is no
respecter of persons (Acts 10:34, James
2:1-13).
I pray this blesses you today and encourages
you to think about your own behavior. My
prayer every morning is for the Lord to bring people in my path to bless, pray
and encourage. I pray the Lord teach me
the Word, guide me in all Truths and confide in me as a friend. I do not want to miss an opportunity to
encourage and bless another of my sisters in Christ who needs to know she has a
purpose, a plan and the Lord loves her.
I never want the Lord to reveal I had a “haughty” spirit to those around
me, but instead a humble spirit to be used as vessel for his kingdom.
Let us pray and
CONFESS the Word of the Living God;
Adonai,
Show me
your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, O Lord, your great mercy and love
for they are from of old. Remember not
the sins of my youth, my haughty and rebellious ways; according to your love
remember me, for you are good, O Lord.
Good and
upright is the Lord, there for I know you instruct the sinners in your ways,
you guide the humble in what is right and teaches us your way. All your ways are loving and faithful, never
hard, harsh and pressing. For the sake
of your name, forgive my iniquity, my selfish attitude, my waywardness and
rudeness, for I know you are full of mercy and gracious to forgive (Psalm 25).
Thank you
Lord for being no respecter of persons and teaching me to love all of your
children the way you do (Acts 10:34,
James 2:1-13). Thank you I can bless
those who hurt, reject mock and persecute me for I will find great joy in only
you (Matthew 5:11-12). I pray to never look down on your daughters
who are around me. I pray to have a
gentle, humble spirit, giving rest to those who I comfort, encourage and love (Matthew 11:28).
I praise
you for your goodness, I praise you for your death on the cross and the
Salvation found only Jesus Christ. Thank
you I can bring all my requests to you, boldly coming to the throne of grace
knowing you will judge fairly and righteously (Hebrews 4:12-16). Help me
submit to your will and not my own. In
the name of Jesus of Nazareth I pray, Amen!
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