There's even more to the story of Hagar. It's kind of a story warning against polygamy. Abraham was married to Sarah, but decided to have a child by Hagar. Hagar started talking back to Sarah - I can provide something you can't - and Sarah was extremely jealous of her, so convinced Abraham to send Hagar away.
So when God reveals himself as the one who sees us, it's not just that he sees us in the middle of injustice that others have done towards us. He definitely sees us then. But even more incredible to me, he sees us when WE have messed up and created our own mess.
I've been very fortunate in life and not had many horrible things done against me. But I have messed myself up time and again, and the reminder that God sees and loves me and still has a plan to use the mess I've created is amazing to me.
A rabbi I studied with made the observation that we understand more if we ask, "What questions does this story answer?" The story of Hagar is the story of her son Ishmael, which answers the question of where did the competing religion of Islam originate. Islam did not arrive until about the year 700, and the prophet Mohammed, but there were threads going back to Biblical times, about the other religions. In ancient times, concubines were a common phenomenon, whereby the offspring of the male patriarch were increased. Child mortality and female mortality were the origins of that. Remember, later, Abraham almost sacrifices Isaac, but G-d says his hand. This story, the binding of Isaac, is the answer for why Judaism forbade human sacrifice, which existed in ancient cults.
I too have experienced "God nods". And like you, some I have only noticed in retrospect. Thanks for sharing yours. You have navigated so much hard in your life, K--but you do well to remember the God who brought you out of Egypt. Praying for you all this morning.
There's even more to the story of Hagar. It's kind of a story warning against polygamy. Abraham was married to Sarah, but decided to have a child by Hagar. Hagar started talking back to Sarah - I can provide something you can't - and Sarah was extremely jealous of her, so convinced Abraham to send Hagar away.
So when God reveals himself as the one who sees us, it's not just that he sees us in the middle of injustice that others have done towards us. He definitely sees us then. But even more incredible to me, he sees us when WE have messed up and created our own mess.
I've been very fortunate in life and not had many horrible things done against me. But I have messed myself up time and again, and the reminder that God sees and loves me and still has a plan to use the mess I've created is amazing to me.
The world exists on the back of a giant sea turtle. But what is under the sea turtle? The answer is that it's sea turtles all the way down.
A rabbi I studied with made the observation that we understand more if we ask, "What questions does this story answer?" The story of Hagar is the story of her son Ishmael, which answers the question of where did the competing religion of Islam originate. Islam did not arrive until about the year 700, and the prophet Mohammed, but there were threads going back to Biblical times, about the other religions. In ancient times, concubines were a common phenomenon, whereby the offspring of the male patriarch were increased. Child mortality and female mortality were the origins of that. Remember, later, Abraham almost sacrifices Isaac, but G-d says his hand. This story, the binding of Isaac, is the answer for why Judaism forbade human sacrifice, which existed in ancient cults.
I too have experienced "God nods". And like you, some I have only noticed in retrospect. Thanks for sharing yours. You have navigated so much hard in your life, K--but you do well to remember the God who brought you out of Egypt. Praying for you all this morning.