Hagar - - Choices

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes. ----Genesis 16:1-4

What is written in the scriptures is there for our instruction in Godliness.  When you consider Hagar, several issues that we as Christian women should consider come to mind.  First:  although Abraham and Sarah were God-fearing and faithful, Hagar never, apparently, comes to an understanding of who God really is.  She talks with Him a few times in desperation and God saves her and her child more than once from certain death.  Yet, she never apparently comes to an obedient faith.  

There may be different reasons for this, but it was her choice ultimately.  Some things that happened were because of the decisions of those in authority over her.  She bears a child for her mistress' husband in an attempt to satisfy Sarai's and Abram's desire for a heir.  That backfired and Hagar and the child are eventually sent away.  The effects of those decisions are still being felt today. 

We as Christian women must be careful of the decisions we make each day.  Those around us are affected, today and in the future.  Hagar had choices, those in authority over her had choices, and we today have choices.  

The saying, No man is an island, is true on so many levels.  We live in the world, but we are not to be of the world.  A small preposition makes a big difference! Two little words can change the meaning of a phrase.  And so a little decision today may have effects for generations to come.  Think on these words found in Joshua's appeal to his fellow-countrymen:

“Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord!  And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” - - - Joshua 24:14-15