Verses from Genesis

亚伯兰的妻子撒莱，没有为他生孩子。撒莱却有一个婢女，是埃及人，名叫夏甲。 撒莱对亚伯兰说：“请看，耶和华使我不能生育，求你去亲近我的婢女，或者我可以从她得孩子。”亚伯兰就听从了撒莱的话。 亚伯兰在迦南地住满了十年，他的妻子撒莱，把自己的婢女埃及人夏甲，给了她的丈夫亚伯兰为妾。 亚伯兰与夏甲亲近，夏甲就怀了孕。夏甲见自己有了孕，就轻看她的主母。 撒莱对亚伯兰说：“我因你受屈；我把我的婢女送到你的怀中，她见自己有了孕，就轻看我。愿耶和华在你我之间主持公道。” 亚伯兰对撒莱说：“你的婢女在你手中，你看怎样好，就怎样待她吧。”于是撒莱虐待夏甲，她就从撒莱面前逃走了。 (创世记 16:1-6)

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.” “Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. (Genesis 16:1-6)

In Genesis 16, we read the story of a couple to whom God promised a baby. When Sarai suggested that her husband Abram have a child with their servant Hagar, she wasn’t fully trusting God for the child He had promised. When the baby was born, Hagar despised Sarai (Gen. 16:3-4), and Sarai became bitter (vv.5-6).

Hagar had been the slave with no rights and suddenly she was special. How did Sarai react? By blaming others, including Abram (v.5). God’s promise was realized in the birth of Isaac 14 years later. 

It may never have been easy for Sarai to have lived with the consequences of their decision to go ahead of God. It may have taken a miracle of grace to change her attitude but that could have transformed everything. Sarai couldn’t reverse the decision, but through God’s strength, she could have lived with it differently, and given God the glory.

Thank You, Lord, 

that though our situations may not change, 

Your grace is strong enough to change us in our situations. 

Help us as we struggle sometimes to live in this sinful world.

By God’s grace, we can reflect His light in the dark times.