Martha’s Musings

Cast Away

31 Jan 2012 2 Comments

by Martha Fisher in Bible Study, Daily Devotion, Joy, Patience, Peace, rejection, Religion, Spiritual, Uncategorized, Women

Abram and Sarai had been told by God they would have many descendants – and according to Romans 4, they believed Him.  But time ticked away and when they were well past childbearing age, they decided to take matters into their own hands.

Read Genesis 16

Having experienced rejection at one time or another, I am sure we can all identify with Hagar, a woman cast aside.  Hagar may have been a part of the bargain Abram received while he was in Egypt – Genesis 12:16.  She could have been born into a position of servanthood or perhaps sold to Sarai by her own parents.  Those details we don’t know, but we do know that childless Sarai determined to help God out so He could make good on His promise to her husband.  Hagar didn’t seem to have much or any say about the situation; she was a servant and servants did as they were told.

The next time you and I think we need to help God out, remember three things:

#1 – No matter what God promises, how long it takes for God to answer a prayer, or how discouraged we may be as we wait, God does not need our help.  When we act in the flesh to assist God, we actually may prolong a situation.  Consider it was 13 years more before the child that God promised came to Abram and Sarai.  Jacob lived 25 years in exile, because he helped God out by tricking Isaac to get his father’s blessing.  Moses tended sheep 40 years in the desert after he tried to help God out by murdering an Egyptian before his ministry began to take shape.  It is much better to receive God’s help than to try to help Him out with our own misguided efforts.  This particular act of the flesh did not turn out so well.  Vs. 5-6 tells us Hagar’s contempt for Sarai was displayed with inappropriate comments and behavior.  Sarai blamed the whole mess on Abram and Abram seems to turn a bad situation even worse by instructing Sarai to “deal with her (Hagar) as you see fit.”  As is so often the case, our sin complicates every situation.  And in the end, God really does not need our help.

#2 – Get all the God you can out of every circumstance.  I can only imagine the questions Hagar must have asked: Does my life matter?  Does anyone care for me?  What about my feelings?  Am I to give my body to an old man I don’t really know?  Does God care for me?  Confused and desperate, Hagar ran away from her problems – see verses 6(b)-9.  She could run, but she couldn’t hide from God.  He was there and His instruction to Hagar was clear:  go back to a difficult situation and submit to your master’s authority.  You might have noted that God sends Hagar back with a promise of her own in verses 10-12.  Her child would also become a great nation and indeed Ishmael does father 12 tribes that would be called the Ishmaelites.  Hagar submitted to God by returning to the very situation she had fled – to get all the God she could out of that circumstance.

#3 God sees what we cannot see.  Verses 13&14 give us one of many names of God: El-Roi, which means “the God that sees what we cannot see.”  And so even though Hagar could not see it at the time, what God could see was revealed to her as she returned and submitted to God’s authority through her owners. Read Genesis 21:9-21.  As the story continues, Sarah has a son of her own and Ishmael, a young “donkey of a man” lashes out at Isaac with teasing, harsh words, and scoffing.  And so Hagar is cast aside!! Again!  Cast away from the father of her son!  Cast away from home!  Cast away from a wealthy family with only sparse provisions!  Starving and in great despair, Hagar leaves her son by a tree thinking he would die there.   When we are in the middle of a fire, it is hard to see outside the flames.  In those times, we may need to look backwards and be reminded of what God has so faithfully done for us.  In verse 18, God reminds Hagar of his promise to her the last time she was cast aside into the desert.  Often when we are reminded of God’s faithfulness to us, we can then see what was there all along.  Verse 19 says God opened Hagar’s eyes to see what He already could see – His provision for her (verses 20 & 21).  Are your eyes wide open to see God’s provision for you?

Discussion Questions:

1. Think back on a time when you tried to help God out.  How did that work out for you?
2. Which of the three points do you have the most trouble with:  God does not need our help? Get all the God you can out of every circumstance? God sees what we cannot see?  And why do you think that is?