Study on Hagar - Genesis 16:7-13

Genesis 16:7-13

Sarai could not have children, so she gave her Egyptian servant, Hagar, to Abram hoping to have children through her.  When Hagar conceived, she was hated and cast out by Sarai.  This Egyptian slave with child had nowhere to go!  She started the long, hard journey back to Egypt.  Imagine how she felt!

As a servant, she was doing what she was told; she was pregnant, and she ended up being kicked out, with nowhere to go, no one to comfort her, and no provisions.  But I see how God provided for her.  A lonely, depressed, and rejected woman was still loved by God.

1. The Lord found Hagar

                Genesis 16:7 – And the angel of the LORD found her…

Hagar’s name means “wandering”.  Her life was crumbling; she had no hope, and was wandering through the wilderness back to Egypt.  She was wandering physically, emotionally and spiritually, but the LORD knew where she was and came to her rescue.

2. The Lord favored Hagar

                Genesis 16:10-11 – And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.  And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.

God did not just find her and then leave her.  He blessed her seed, starting with the child she was carrying.  Ishmael means “God will hear”.  God had heard Hagar and did not turn away from her, but promised her descendants.

3. The Lord befriended Hagar

                Genesis 16:13 – And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

This Egyptian woman, precious in the sight of God, called Him the Hebrew name “El Roi” which means “The God Who Sees”.  This is the name that Hagar gave to God when she was in her affliction.   The fact that Hagar used this name to address God, shows how she recognized God’s faithful, never resting eye.  Grateful for His friendship and care, she respected God with the name of “El Roi”.

Many times, when we look at Hagar, we look at her with hate, or disdain.  She is Egyptian, she was hated by Sarah, she was cast out… all these factors make us automatically judge and look down on her.  But God loved her!  He came to rescue, bless, and comfort her.  What makes us think that because she was despised by everyone, God should hate her too?

We are sinners, saved by God’s grace.  We do not deserve His love and kindness; we rebelled against God and were wandering aimlessly and hopelessly.  God should hate and despise us; He should turn away from us not hear or even look upon us because of our filthiness.  But out of His love and never ending care, he found us, favored us, and befriended us.

So, even in your loneliness, when others reject and despise you, remember God does not!  Wherever you may be, He knows where you are!  He promised to never leave us or forsake us:

Deuteronomy 31:6 – Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Joshua 1:5b – …as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.

Joshua 1:9 – Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Put Off the Old Man, Put On the New Man - Ephesians 4:22-24

Ephesians 4:22-24
“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts: And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

One of Grandpa’s famous songs that he liked to sing and teach everyone goes like this:

Well, the best thing in my life I ever did do,
well the best thing in my life I ever did do,
well the best thing in my life I ever did do
was take off the old robe and put on the new.

The old robe was dirty, all tattered and torn;
But the new robe was spotless, had never been worn.
Oh the best thing in my life I ever did do
was take off the old robe and put on the new.

When we got saved, our robe of filth and sin was replaced by God’s robe of righteousness and grace.  But we are still sinners.  Even though God has forgiven our past, present, and future sins, our sinful and carnal nature is still with us.  Paul is telling us that our old man must be put off, and the new man must be put on.

Colossians 3:8-10
“But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:”

Our goal, as Christians is to become more and more like Christ.  After all, the word “Christian” means “a follower of Christ”.  How can we claim to be His followers if we do not imitate Him?  We must take off the old man and replace it with the new.  What all is involved in being “the old man”?

Colossians 3:8 gives us a list of things we need to put off:
- anger – strong displeasure aroused by a wrong
- wrath – strong, stern, or fierce anger; vengeance as the consequence of anger
- malice – desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another
- blasphemy – saying or doing something that lacks reverence for God, concerning God Himself or sacred things
- filthy communication – Filthy: foul, disgusting, dirty – Communication : a document or message sharing news, views, information, etc.

When you put something off, you have to replace it with something.  You cannot just leave the holes empty!  Verses 12 through 14 of Colossians 3 tell us what we put on when “putting on the new man”:

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.”

Every day, our goal should be to be more and more like Christ.  By putting off the old man and neglecting the thoughts and feelings of this world and replacing it with what God wants us to be, we can better serve Him and please Him.  We are not the same people we were before we got saved… can others tell?  Can people from the outside see the difference?

II Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Put off the OLD	Put on the NEW
ANGER: strong displeasure aroused by a wrong WRATH: strong, stern, fierce anger; vengeance as the consequence of anger MALICE: desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another BLASPHEMY: an utterance or action that lacks reverence for God FILTHY COMMUNICATION: foul / disgusting / dirty document or message sharing news, views or information	MERCY: act of kindness, compassion or favor KINDNESS: a good nature or disposition, considerate, helpful HUMBLENESS OF MIND: not proud or arrogant, modest, courteously respectful MEEKNESS: humbly patient, gentle, tame LONGSUFFERING: FORBEARING ONE ANOTHER: long and patient endurance of injury, trouble, or provocation FORGIVENESS: grant pardon for or remission of an offense or debt CHARITY: LOVE