Genesis 16:1-16 Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain

Genesis 16:1-16

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Now behold, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3 After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. 

4 He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight. 5 And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into your arms, but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. May the Lord judge between you and me.” 6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight.” So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence.

7 Now the angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. 8 He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from and where are you going?” And she said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.” 9 Then the angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority.” 10 Moreover, the angel of the Lord said to her, “I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count.” 11 The angel of the Lord said to her further,

“Behold, you are with child,
And you will bear a son;
And you shall call his name Ishmael,
Because the Lord has given heed to your affliction.
12 “He will be a wild donkey of a man,
His hand will be against everyone,
And everyone’s hand will be against him;
And he will live to the east of all his brothers.”

13 Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees”; for she said, “Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?” 14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. 15 So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

Background

Not long after Abram sees God’s covenant being ratified before him, he has to contend with a hasty wife trying to help God fulfil His promise of an heir. She devices an ingenious stratagem by way of a surrogate to bring him forth. The immediate consequences are strife at home and far reaching reverberance of a progeny that carries Hagar’s defiant spirit. Sarai’s unbelief has brought to the already chaotic human landscape greater confusion and hostility, not peace. Nevertheless, God takes notice of those who are suffering and promises to exalt their descendants if they obey Him. Today’s devotion teaches us not to be given to hasty decisions for it does not forward the perfect plans of God. Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.

Observation

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar.

A decade after settling in Canaan, Abram and Sarai remain childless. Hagar, a maidservant to Sarai is probably gotten in Egypt under Pharaoh’s patronage. Sarai’s conversation with Abram hints at her despair, having given up all hope that the heir will come from her body: the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Sarai, probably already in menopause take initiative by acquiring a surrogate who will bear children on her behalf. Sarai’s plan is perfectly acceptable given the social customs of those days. However, it contradicts with the promises given to Abram in Genesis 15:4 that he will have a real son as opposed to an adopted one. Here, there is no reason to think that one other than Abram’s wife, Sarai will bear the promised heir. However, it seems obvious that Sarai cannot get pass the reality of her infertility to embrace God’s promises for her. Abram concurred with Sarai’s faithless suggestion that eventually leads to strife at home with far-reaching consequences. Sarai’s behaviour and the subsequent problems that ensue alludes to Eve’s fateful role at the garden of Eden. Both men (Adam and Abram) react agreeably to their wives’ suggestions incurring irreparable consequences to humanity.

He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight.

“She (Hagar) conceived” implies an initial expectation that Sarai’s stratagem is a success. As for all human schemes, trouble is soon on the horizon; Hagar having realised that she has conceived begins to despise her mistress. Hagar’s arrogance is scarcely concealable to the wrath of Sarai who immediately ill treats her. Hagar’s mistake can only be attributed to her own foolish rebellion against the hand that feeds her. At the same time, Sarai, having tasted the disdain and insubordination of her own maidservant becomes indignant. Abram, in wanting to appease Sarai, shrugs off his responsibility to protect Hagar, his new wife. Sarai, having gotten Abram’s cooperation pulls out all the stops and treats Hagar harshly. Perhaps, Sarai’s behaviour is overbearingly severe and unjustified, but the maidservant remains unrepentant and insubordinate. Subsequently, Hagar flees her mistreatment.

Now the angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur.

The spot where Hagar is found by the angel signals her intention to return to Egypt, her native land. Shur is a place in the wilderness en route to Egypt by the Sinai Peninsula. This angel of the Lord is in fact God Himself appearing in human form purposed to bring protection and guidance in her time of crisis. Hagar comes to realise only moments later the angel’s divine identity whom she addresses as: You are a God who sees. The angel having heard Hagar’s predicament commanded her to return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority. The seemingly harsh and unreasoning charge to suffering at Sarai’s hand is justified by the promise to greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count. Hagar has come to realise that her descendants are included in Abram’s promise. A prophecy is given to her that her son shall be name Ishmael, interpreted as: The Lord has noticed your oppression. Ishmael will be a free spirited man, his bent on freedom will bring him frequent conflicts with others. His individualistic personality and defiant attitude leads him away from the more conventional lifestyle towards a nomadic existence.

So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.

Hagar comes from a pedigree of slaves and never in her wildest imaginations will she expect to remain alive here after seeing Him. Indeed, God takes note of a suffering woman regardless of what background and status she comes from. Hagar finds herself back with Abram bearing him a son Ishmael. The text affirms Ishmael as Hagar’s descendant leaving out any mention of Sarai. Although Sarai’s stratagem seems to succeed with Hagar’s repentance, but she never really gets to enjoy the fruit of another’s womb.

Truth

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.

Sarai, in wanting to help God fulfil His promise of an heir takes matters into her own hands. She supposes by using a surrogate which is a respectable social custom of that time will bode well with God. However, that which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death (Proverbs 16:25). God has never intended for a man to have two wives let alone bearing His holy seed through a surrogate. Therefore, it is important that believers do not take their cue from the customs of the world but from the word of God.

However, many churchgoers do not see God’s word as having absolute authority over their life decisions. They suppose that the bible is outdated and irrelevant for today’s society. Hence, many derive their convictions from the social norm and especially when it bodes well with their personal desires. Consequently, many incur unwarranted tribulations, hurts and financial losses. Such suffer not for doing good but needlessly and foolishly as a result of their unbelief. Unmarried couples go on holidays seeking intimacy prematurely, the end of which is irreversible damage to an otherwise bright future. Investors lured by prospects of great wealth, and wanting to get rich quick fall prey to unscrupulous scammers.

Therefore, believers must read the bible daily and obey the truth. When temptation comes, a heart that is inclined towards the truth will provide divine guidance either approving or condemning a course of action. When making a decision, we must not be given to hasty decisions, but to first ascertain if God is in it, else we labour in vain and incur needless suffering. The psalmist says,

Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain. Psalms 127:1

What Sarai does is wrong on two counts: apart from failing to keep the sanctity of marriage, one must not use surrogates as it amounts to oppression of maidservants. What can be more inhumane than forcibly impregnating a woman and subsequently taking the newborn away from her because she is a slave girl. In this incident, not only does Sarai not benefit from her surrogate scheme, she has created unnecessary strife in the family, conceives a race that inherits Hagar’s defiant spirit and giving course to a religion that is possibly antagonistic to Isaac’s descendants. Hasty decisions springing from unbelief do not accomplish God’s perfect plans.

Abram’s blessing is given not to the mighty, but to those who humble themselves to fulfil what God has called them to.

Hagar is no more than a slave, but yet honoured as the mother of the Ishmaelites and revered by the followers of Islam. She is given the blessing of bearing descendants that are too many to count. Such a blessing, to a servant girl of lowly and almost ignoble heritage is beyond reach, an absolute impossibility. Yet, she is blessed because of two things:

• She carries Abram’s seed and hence a rightful recipient to Abram’s blessing.
• She humbly submits to God’s commands by fulfilling her duty as Sarai’s maidservant.

Today, the lowly and marginalised of the world too can be recipients of Abram’s promises by believing in Jesus and by taking up the cross of humble service. Abram’s blessing is about humble service, through which we make disciples as innumerable as the stars of heaven. Abram’s blessing promises eventual glory that belongs to Christ, the Son of God. The apostle Paul says,

In Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:14

What does it mean by believing in Jesus? It means believing that our sins are forgiven by God because of Christ’s humble sacrifice on the cross. It means making a daily decision to put on Christ’s virtues and to live like Him. It means giving our lives in humble service to fulfil nothing more than what He has called us to.

Many churchgoers suppose that in order to be glorified, one has to do great and mighty exploits. Hagar is not considered a significant figure of her time and is not even mentioned in the Quran. But yet she is greatly honoured by God because of her humble submission to God’s command to fulfil her duty on earth. In returning to Sarai, she embraces her calling as a humble maidservant to Sarai and a mother to Ishmael in the house of Abram. Many today have become so stressed out because they suppose by building a hundred churches they can fulfil God’s commission when God only calls them to shepherd a cell group. They despise the humble tasks given to them and seek a more glamorous lot. However, God does not see as the world sees, but a heart of humility and faithfulness, He will reward.

Application

Are you given to hasty decisions and often disregard the advice of those closest to you? Be still and let your heart settle in submission to God’s plans. Do not be frustrated even though things may not go according to your plans, but align your footsteps with God’s and persevere in doing what is right. Consider Hagar who inherits the promise of innumerable descendants simply by submitting to her mistress. And Jesus, who humbles Himself by submitting to the call of the cross. Indeed, the road to glory is the path of submission and humility. Jesus says, “The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Matthew 23:11-12. 

Dear Lord, I resolve to let your plans take place in my life according to your timing. Cause me to understand your will and give me the humility to serve and the patience to wait. Make me a disciple of Christ and cause me to be a disciple maker for your great commission. Cause me to inherit the blessing of disciples as innumerable as stars of heaven. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.