HAGAR


THE WOMAN WHO LOST A BOTTLE BUT FOUND A WELL
A. "AND SARAI, ABRAM'S WIFE TOOK HAGAR HER MAID THE EGYPTIAN, AFTER ABRAHAM HAD DWELT TEN YEARS IN THE LAND OF CANAAN, AND GAVE HER TO HER HUSBAND TO BE HIS WIFE" - GENESIS 16:3
  1. These words tell the story of Sarai initiating polygamy into the family of Abram:
    1. This act by Sarai was the beginning of family difficulties in the family of Abram
    2. Initiating plurality of wives was the beginning of envy and strife between Hagar and Sarai, Hagar's mistress
  2. Why did Sarai make this unwise move?
    1. A desire to obtain the promises seed; she attempted to help the Lord to hasten the gift of the promised seed
    2. It was a lack of faith b her that God would give the seed promised
B. HAGAR THE WOMAN WHO LOST THE BOTTLE, BUT FOUND THE WELL
  1. Scriptural references: - Gen. 16:21, 9-17; Ga. 4:21-31
  2. Hagar's family connections:
    1. The Bible does not give us any information about the family tree of Hagar
    2. Legend, however, has supplied us with her pedigree as being the daughter of Pharaoh, the king who vainly coveted Sarai to be his wife - Gen. 12:14-20
  3. What the marriage of Hagar to Abram did to Sarai, to herself, and to Abraham:
    1. Hagar conceived and that made her self-centered - looking upon Sarai with contempt - Gen. 16:4
    2. That in turn caused Sarai to complain to Abram and he told her to subdue Hagar; that she did, but that caused Hagar to run away - Gen. 16: 5-6
    3. But God had not forgotten Hagar, the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water and told her to return to her mistress - Gen. 16:7-16
    4. Her obedience to the angel of the Lord was to her credit and God blessed her with promises to her son
  4. But after the birth of Ishmael and Isaac difficulties multiplied:
    1. Ishmael made fun of Isaac
    2. And the time came when the Lord told Abram to send away the bondwoman and her son - Gen. 21: 16-20
    3. Hagar was cast out of the house of Abram and experienced hunger and thirst on her way back to Egypt
    4. Here again God intervened; opened Hagar's eyes to water near her, and her son was revived and later became a mighty nation
C. THE PRACTICAL LESSON TO BE LEARNED FROM THE HISTORY OF HAGAR
  1. The life and experience of Hagar among other truths:
    1. The temptations incident to a new position; the foolishness of hasty action in time of trial and difficulty
    2. But Hagar is not alone in the above mistakes; she has plenty of others who fall into the same errors; Examples: The ten brothers of Joseph - Gen. 37:11; Miriam and Aaron - Num. 12:1-2; Saul - I Sam. 17
  2. Hagar lost the bottle, but found a well:
    1. The water in the bottle soon disappeared and Hagar felt hopeless to save her son; but God heard the cry of the lad, opened the eyes of Hagar to see a well full of fresh water
    2. How little do we realize that God has a thousand ways to supply our needs - Matt.. 6:25-36
  3. We learn further:
    1. That God never forgets the lonely soul; His eyes are on the sparrow, and surely He remembers the destitute
    2. Too, we learn from the experience of Hagar, that life is not an accident in all our experience - God works out His own purpose - Writes Paul, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose" - Rom. 8:28
    3. Had Sarai and Abram and Hagar foreseen the effect of their unwise actions, perhaps they might have acted more wisely and avoided heartaches and trouble


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