Genesis 16: What Was She Thinking?

Now it gets interesting. Almost a soap opera… except God allows nothing to happen without a purpose. Sarai does something that is just NOT natural for any woman. Since it doesn’t look like she is going to have an offspring soon, she tells Abram he should sleep with her maid. That way, Abram will have a baby born in his house and thus, an heir. 

We all agree she is nuts. BUT… she thinks she is thinking of her husband. She probably had good intentions. BUT she FAILED to wait on God. And what about righteous faithful Abram? Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. Just verses before he was believing God and had it reckoned to him as righteousness. But I wonder… how much time had passed since God made His promise? Did the waiting cause Abram to wonder? Was he beginning to lose hope? To question what he heard?



Does the waiting cause YOU to wonder? Does it make you listen to a voice other than God’s? And does that voice appear to have reason because it makes sense in the natural? Do you try to find ways to help God along like Sarai did? I do… and it usually ends up with me in a disastrous and compromising situation. 

Friends, never… ever… try to help God along. Only be obedient to a specific word from Him. In Abram and Sarai’s day, God was speaking directly. Often we lament and wish God would still do the same today… but guess what… He DOES. We are so far beyond their day. We have the written Word. We have His spirit within us which we are told will lead us into all truth.  We think God needs our help. We do things that we think only make good sense. But we must realize that God doesn’t work in the natural realm only… He words in the SUPERnatural realm. What is unnatural to us is natural for Him. For NOTHING is impossible with God.

Don’t get me wrong… there are steps we need to take in the natural realm for certain things. We know God wants us to be in good health. We don’t drink 10 cups of coffee, 8 bottles of soda, smoke 2 packs a day and eat a box of Pop-tarts and expect Him to keep us healthy.

Back to Sarai and Hagar and Abram. Abram accepts Sarai’s suggestion, and he takes Hagar as a wife. She conceives… and knowing she conceived and that Sarai couldn’t gave way for pride to arise in her. “And when Hagar saw that she had conceived, her mistress (Sarai) was despised in her sight.”  Now, you have two disgruntled women.

Sarai pleads to Abram. She vows she was wrong. She says “I gave my maid into  your arms…” How heartbreaking for her to even say those words. To envision in her mind the nights Hagar spent with Abram. Now… it’s coming to a horrible place. At this point, Abram tells Sarai “She’s your maid… do with her whatever you think is good.” Instead of kicking her out… Sarai keeps her around but mistreats her. She probably felt she still needed to help God out, if only for the baby’s sake. Hagar can only put up with so much abuse, however, and she takes off.

Here’s Hagar… pregnant and running away. She makes it only so far when an angel comes to her and says “Hagar… where have you come from and where are you going?”  So much is unsaid in that question. Hagar says “I’m running away… I’m fleeing… that’s where I’m going. From the presence of my mistress, Sarai. That’s where I’ve been.”  She had been a maid… and being an obedient maid she went to Abram as his wife. Hagar was undoubtedly a young, beautiful woman. She probably had other dreams besides marrying an 80 year old man. But she was obedient to her mistress… he boss. Yet when she conceived she allowed pride to come in. It was her ruin.

Where have you come from Hagar? And where are you going? If you ever want to sort your life out and get perspective… ask yourself those same questions… and write out your answers.



Her answer was “to flee,” but God gave her another order. He said “Return… and submit yourself to your mistress’ authority.” In other words, humble yourself, go back to where you made your mistake, and make it right. Oh how I would NOT have wanted to hear those words… and I DON’T like the lesson I must take away from them.

The angel of the Lord promises Hagar that her descendants will also be “too many to count.” But with the blessing of a child will also come heartache. “Everyone’s hand will be against him.” The baby’s name will be “Ishmael, which means “The Lord has heard your affliction.” So she returns, and bears her son. As far as we know she must have submitted to Sarai’s authority because she’s still in the household some 15 to 20 years later.