Year after
year, Abraham and Sarah waited for the child God had promised to them, but when
nothing happened, they decided to take matters into their own hands. Sarah
offered her Egyptian maid to her husband as a means of having a child, and
Abraham obliged!
Once Hagar
knew a baby was on the way, she treated her mistress with contempt. This
undoubtedly burdened Sarah even more, knowing she’d failed to give Abraham a
child, while her maid had not.
With
Hagar’s haughtiness more than Sarah could bear, she, in essence, gave her
husband an ultimatum. Abraham responded by telling his wife to do as she
pleased. Sarah did. She treated Hagar so harshly, the woman ran away.
As Hagar
wandered alone in the wilderness, an Angel of the Lord appeared and told her she would have a son, whom she was
to name Ishmael. Meanwhile, the Lord wanted Hagar to return to her mistress and
be respectful to Sarah.
Realizing she
was not alone and the Lord was with her, Hagar expressed her joy and relief in this brief prayer that speaks for us too.
Genesis 16:13 – a prayer of Hagar
You are EL Roi!
You are the God Who sees me!
You watch over me.
Paraphrased
by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019, in the Book of Bible Prayers.