Thursday Devo
Scripture:
Genesis 16
4 So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with contempt. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “This is all your fault! I put my servant into your arms, but now that she’s pregnant she treats me with contempt. The Lord will show who’s wrong—you or me!”
6 Abram replied, “Look, she is your servant, so deal with her as you see fit.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.
7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness, along the road to Shur. 8 The angel said to her, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?”
“I’m running away from my mistress, Sarai,” she replied.
9 The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.” 10 Then he added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count.”
4 So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with contempt. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “This is all your fault! I put my servant into your arms, but now that she’s pregnant she treats me with contempt. The Lord will show who’s wrong—you or me!”
6 Abram replied, “Look, she is your servant, so deal with her as you see fit.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.
7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness, along the road to Shur. 8 The angel said to her, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?”
“I’m running away from my mistress, Sarai,” she replied.
9 The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.” 10 Then he added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count.”
Commentary:
16:4 Hagar’s ability to conceive causes her to look down on Sarai.
16:5–7 Sarai initially directs her anger at Abram, who acquiesces in the situation, permitting Sarai to deal harshly with Hagar. The human solution to Sarai’s barrenness creates new problems.
16:7 The angel of the Lord. The Hebrew word for “angel” may also be translated “messenger.” There is an element of mystery about this figure. In 19:1 the “two angels” who arrive at Sodom resemble human beings (in 18:2 they are called “men”). When “the angel of the Lord” speaks, his words are perceived as being God’s words. Therefore, the impression is given that the angel is identical with God. On this basis some Christians believe that “the angel of the Lord” is the preincarnate Christ. Others, however, hold that the reference here is to an angel who has been commissioned to speak as God’s representative, and so the angel’s words are God’s words. the spring on the way to Shur. Hagar’s flight takes her in the direction of Egypt, her homeland. The location of the spring/well is clarified in 16:14, when it is named “Beer-lahai-roi.” It “lies between Kadesh and Bered.”
16:9 submit to her. Hagar is commanded by God to transform her attitude toward her mistress, Sarai; instead of despising her, she is to submit to her authority.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 78.
16:5–7 Sarai initially directs her anger at Abram, who acquiesces in the situation, permitting Sarai to deal harshly with Hagar. The human solution to Sarai’s barrenness creates new problems.
16:7 The angel of the Lord. The Hebrew word for “angel” may also be translated “messenger.” There is an element of mystery about this figure. In 19:1 the “two angels” who arrive at Sodom resemble human beings (in 18:2 they are called “men”). When “the angel of the Lord” speaks, his words are perceived as being God’s words. Therefore, the impression is given that the angel is identical with God. On this basis some Christians believe that “the angel of the Lord” is the preincarnate Christ. Others, however, hold that the reference here is to an angel who has been commissioned to speak as God’s representative, and so the angel’s words are God’s words. the spring on the way to Shur. Hagar’s flight takes her in the direction of Egypt, her homeland. The location of the spring/well is clarified in 16:14, when it is named “Beer-lahai-roi.” It “lies between Kadesh and Bered.”
16:9 submit to her. Hagar is commanded by God to transform her attitude toward her mistress, Sarai; instead of despising her, she is to submit to her authority.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 78.
Questions:
- Because of all the brokenness in their relationships, and the fact that Sarai had begun to treat Hagar harshly, Hagar eventually runs away. But an angel appears to her and tells her to return to Sarai and submit to her authority. Hagar was so desperate to escape the misery of her situation she'd rather run off into the desert, pregnant and alone, risking death. Maybe you've never LITERALLY been in the desert, pregnant and alone... but you HAVE had those moments when you just wanted to run. Run from hurt, disappointment and situations that felt like they'd never change. Maybe you shut down, bury yourself in work, in distractions, in your kids, in an addiction... anything to escape. This is where Hagar finds herself, but God tells her to RETURN and SUBMIT. Has there been a time when you ran from God and His plan because of difficulties in your life? How can we condition ourselves to trust Him no matter what we go through?
- Suffering can birth SURRENDER... if we'll let it. It CAN lead to surrender, but not automatically. We have to CHOOSE to lay ourselves down before the throne of God, especially in the midst of our suffering. Is there something you need to lay down? Is there an area of your life you need to surrender to God?
Pray:
- That your trust in God would grow.
- That you would surrender every part of yourself to Him.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
5. Why do I follow Jesus? I follow Jesus because Jesus rose from the dead proving that He is the way, the truth and the life.
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
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