(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)
When Sarai complained to Abram that
Hagar’s attitude was his fault he looked at her and said “Hagar is your
servant, deal with her as you please.”
This was very true. Sarai was the
legal owner of Hagar, not Abram. We know now that no person should EVER under any circumstances own another person and under God's grace we all are free people, but in those days this was not known and Hagar had been given to Sarai by
Pharaoh, but also as the first and chosen wife of Abram, Sarai by law would always be in charge of and
over Hagar as the second wife/concubine through the customs and laws of the
land at that time.
Perhaps Sarai was just trying to see
how much Abram really remembered this and took it to heart. He had
probably paid a lot more attention to Hagar than Sarai had expected.
Maybe she wanted to hear him say, “she is simply your servant, you are still my
wife and the main woman in my life – I don’t care what happens to her; I only
want you to be happy.” Of course Abram didn’t state it exactly that
way, but he made it plain to Sarai that she was in control of this situation
that she had created with her alternative plan.
The scriptures say that Sarai dealt with Hagar harshly. To deal with
someone harshly seems to imply abuse. Was it possible that Sarai, who had
always been known to be a kind, gentile and godly woman had abused someone
because of jealousy? We do not know for sure, but jealously can turn
saints into sinners.
Jealousy often turns to hatred. Hatred that is stored up in a
heart will, in most cases, eventually cause a person to sin. Suddenly these two emotions were more prevalent in the life of Sarai and in the life of Hagar. Each woman was equally guilty.
Charles Spurgeon once preached an
excellent sermon on this subject of Sarai and Hagar. With the profound words he uttered way back in 1856 he pointed out the differences between a covenant of law and a covenant of grace. He used the lives of Sarai and Hagar as examples to illustrate the
characteristics of both covenants. His exact words were: “one
of the most difficult things in the world is to discriminate properly between
law and grace. He who knows the difference, and always recollects it—the
essential difference between law and grace—has grasped the marrow of
divinity. “
Mr. Spurgeon used Hagar as an
example of men living under the law. As we all have seen, following the law is a very wise
trait. Many men seek to do so, and it becomes very apparent that those who chose to follow the law have much more quality to their daily lives because of it. We have noted that Hagar recognized the difference in the house of Abram and the house of Pharoah and chose to go live in the house of Abram. In Pharoah's house there was not the same order, not an observance of the things of God that the law spells out for us. Hagar chose to put herself under the law because she saw the good that comes of living under the law. It was a wise choice, until she forgot herself to follow through till the end. Adam in the
garden had everything that he needed and wanted until He broke the one
law that God had given to him: “Do not eat from this tree or you will
surely die.” Everything
is fine and dandy in keeping the law until one slips up, gives in to temptation and sins by breaking a commandment; then there is nothing but death to look forward to in the end.
The next covenant God made with men after the one God made with Abram was the covenant of the law which was given at Sinai. That covenant was conditional and totally depended only on what men did. They could follow the law and live, or break the law and die. This is so obviously illustrated by the life of Hagar. She
was a slave to the law of the land and the times in which she lived. Everything depended on how she
kept this law. She prospered only from her own actions and the things that she did. She could keep the will of the household of Abram and Sarai and continue to live in peace and comfort, or she could rebel
and suffer the consequences of the dangers of death in the hot and barren
desert. Everything that happened to Hagar depended upon her doing the right
thing. If she did right she would live, if she did wrong she would
die. She was a slave to the law that ruled over her. This is a
perfect picture of the covenant of the giving of the law that God later made
with man. It was all very
conditional. It had everything
to do with what men did and absolutely nothing to do with what God did.
Abram, on the other hand, had already
been given an unconditional covenant from God; one that involved a sacrifice
and a promise of God’s unconditional love and grace. Nothing depended on
what Abram did; everything depended on what God did.
As Abram's first and chosen wife, Sarai was living under
this same covenant given to Abram. She was living under grace, not
law. The sacrifice had been given to bear the sins and iniquities of
Abram and Sarai long before Hagar had entered into the picture. God had
walked between the pieces of the sacrifices on the altar and made promises to Abram; promises
that included Abram and Sarai but did not include Hagar (who would always be under the
headship of Sarai which meant any blessings to Hagar would come indirectly through Sarai), even though God graciously cared for and showed mercy to Hagar because she too was
now the second wife of Abram. As the second wife, Hagar was living under
completely different legal consequences than Sarai. Hagar's consequences contained conditions. Nothing about her fate depended on God, everything depended on what Hagar did. She was in control of her own destiny. It was to Sarai that the promises had been
made. These promises to Sarai were unconditional. Nothing about Sarai's fate depended on Sarai's actions. Her destiny was totally out of her own hands and only in control of God. Everything that happened to Sarai depended solely on God's mercy and kindness toward her.
Everything Hagar did depended
on her own works and her own efforts; but everything that Sarai did depended
only on the unconditional covenant that God had made with Abram to bless him
and his family. Sarai, though she sinned, would have pardon. Hagar would
also be blessed, but not in such an unconditional way. Hagar would not be pardoned if she did wrong; she would always be
punished for her sins.
Just as Sarai came into the
story of Abram long before he ever knew of Hagar, we can also see that long
before God gave the law on Sinai, He gave a covenant of unconditional grace to
Abram, his family and all of his descendants. We can see here that through God's wisdom grace actually came
before the law, which is something that many overlook when they are thinking about God's covenants with mankind. The picture of all of this is played out in
this story of Hagar and Sarai and the covenant that God made with Abram.
In God's original plan, Hagar (who
represents the law) was never intended to be a wife. She was meant only to be a handmaid. This is a perfect picture of the working of the law
among mankind. Men were never intended to live under the law. It (the law) was only supposed to be used as
a servant to men, to help them, to guide them, like a handmaid.
Sarai, the picture of grace, was the
actual first and chosen wife. By bringing Hagar into a place where she
was never intended to be, Abram and Sarai mistakenly and wrongly made a case
for works instead of grace. The laws of God did not need to be given to
Sarai; she had them already hidden deep inside her heart. They were not done out of duty by her or as a
burden, but done in joy as a form of worship. But things were different
for Hagar. Hagar had to be shown the laws of God; they did not come
naturally to her. She had to be taught,
sometimes harshly, the things she did not know that were not natural in her
spirit.
This covenant of unconditional grace between God and Abram
was made stronger and richer many years later through the sacrifice of Jesus
Christ. This was a much greater
sacrifice, a perfect sacrifice, one better even than the one of Abram and much
better than the one from Sinai called The Law.
The law was never intended to save men; it was only designed to be a
temporary handmaiden to the covenant of grace; a way to help men find salvation
and mercy and ultimately; grace. These facts are seen clearly in the details of
the newer and better covenant of Christ.
Had man never known the law, they
probably would never have come to know Christ. It was this imperfection
of mankind, this inability to keep the law perfectly, that created the
necessity of the sacrifice of Christ and which eventually drew mankind to
Him. The law has worked in all who know Christ just as the handmaiden,
Hagar, worked in the life of Sarai. Being the handmaiden was useful and
helpful but it did not qualify her as the wife of the blessed child. The law is meant to be helpful in leading to
salvation, but it is not meant to bring the gift of salvation. Sarai
would always be the true wife. Grace would always be and always has been
the eternal gift of God to His people who seek Him with all their hearts. We all try to follow the law and we all fail. We need grace, there is no way around it. It is the grace of God that brings us
salvation and eternal life.
When we know this and learn how to
use the law properly; for the cleansing of our hearts, just as the handmaiden
cleaned the tents of Sarai; we begin to see how to live in constant
grace. Sarai had to be responsible and put Hagar in her proper place in
order to live in accordance with God’s perfect will. Grace
will always put the law into its proper place. But the law will always
strive to be the head mistress over grace, just as Hagar struggled to lord over
Sarai. Sarai, like the grace of God, ruled her household with a firm
hand. The mistress of the law can never rise above the grace of
God. One will always be a mistress and one will always be a wife. Grace always has and always will prevail in
the end.
Just as Sarai dealt harshly with the
haughtiness of Hagar, we too must deal harshly with those who would live in the law
minus grace. We must take every step to keep grace in control of the
household of our souls and law in its proper place underneath her.
Sarai probably wanted Hagar to flee,
to go to the wilderness. Perhaps she
even hoped to drive her out. We too, who have known the beauty of the
grace of God in all its fullness, must not surrender our way of life to those who would only live
by works alone. Works alone, without love and faith will not keep a house
happy. Grace must always prevail. It has been the plan of God from
the very foundation of the world when Christ first decided to give us the
covenant of grace through His own precious blood. Grace
was the plan all along, long before any altar was even built.
Sarai treated Hagar harshly, and so
will those of God who have to deal with those who only trust in the works of
their own hands and minds and do not leave room for God's unconditional
love.
We have seen from the beginning of
their story how Sarai and Abram were constantly reminding everyone who came and
went as guest in their tents that ALL things came from God and nothing about
Sarai and Abram was to be praised or thanked. They would remind all who
thanked them to only direct their thanks to God. This is because God’s
spirit lived inside both of them. Their
lives and all of their days were simply an act of worship. If they
breathed, they worshipped. Not so with
Hagar. Hagar, in all her selfish ambitious learning
had not even grasped this concept that was being lived out constantly before
her eyes both day and night. She thought that she had the power within
her own flesh to make things legal and right. Law can never completely do
this, only grace is able to accomplish it. Grace is a gift from God, no man
owns it and only God can grant it. To
receive grace, one must seek God’s face and ask for it.
Sarai’s attitude, no matter how much
she sinned, would always win out above Hagar’s. Even though both Sarai
and Abram had temporarily forgotten for a short time and made a huge mistake,
they had before and after this time always sought the face of God. If you belong to God His grace allows for
mistakes in judgment, because in the end those who have the spirit of God
living in them always return to God.
As Spurgeon so eloquently put it;
“law is the road which guides us, not the rod which drives
us.” The law, like the picture of Hagar in this story, is
good and eloquent when it takes its proper place. If Hagar had remembered
her place, she would not have had any trouble with Sarai. Her actions would have been totally different. Grace will
always show the law its proper place. It is important to remember that
Hagar (the picture of the law) was never a free woman, and Sarai (the picture
of grace) was always free. Works (such as Hagar brought to the table)
will never set you free, but will always keep you a slave. Grace (what
Sarai brought to the table) will make you free indeed.
It seems this is why Sarai was not
criticized for dealing harshly with Hagar. Still, you have to wonder what
this concept of dealing “harshly” implied. A concubine that had been made
a wife could enjoy the pleasures of a wife until the baby was born without
being treated like a servant. Her position was honored and elevated at
that point. Sometimes she would never return to being a servant, but
would help her mistress in raising the child which she produced. This
would be the most desirable and highest attainable position for a concubine. It would require great humility. This
might have been what Hagar had anticipated and expected, but she lacked the
grace and humility to carry it out. This attitude that Hagar brought into
the household was definitely not what Sarai had in mind at all.
Hagar let this fleshly formed change of events with
the twist of fate in her favor go straight to her head. Some people do
not do well in handling success, especially the first time that they taste
it. Hagar had to brag, and she had to flaunt her new found power.
She had to get into Sarai’s face with it. She became very legalistic in
her thinking. That was her biggest mistake. She went from being a
sweet, humble, agreeable young servant girl looking up to her mentor to being a
prideful, arrogant, boastful, haughty concubine.
There are seven things the Lord
hates; haughty eyes, lying tongues, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart
that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush to evil, false witness
and the stirring up of dissention among brothers. It would appear that perhaps Hagar had a lot
of these traits lurking in her personality. She had hidden them well up until this point in time, but they all came tumbling forth when she found herself pregnant with Abram's child.
Perhaps Hagar even took every
opportunity to embarrass Sarai publicly. Perhaps she gossiped about
her behind her back. Perhaps she was angry and rebellious in her words
and actions toward her. Perhaps she openly stated to Sarai that she would
never be the true mother of her child. Who knows what could have gone on?
Perhaps she threatened Sarai’s life? Things would have really been easier
for Hagar if Sarai accidently had a fatal fall and never recovered.
This is all speculation of course;
no one really knows everything that went on in those tents during those
days. From everything we have read and studied about Sarai, it is
clear that these situations were not common occurrences in her household before
Hagar was with child. The beautiful, peaceful, joyful atmosphere that
surrounded Sarai’s tents as she baked her bread and welcomed her guest with
extreme hospitality must have shifted a whole lot during this time. A
different kind of cloud must have settled over the area where these two women
dwelt together, and Abram must have spent a lot of time looking after the flocks instead
of sitting in the tents. It is possible, in all of her years as the
wife of Abram, that this might have been the first time Sarai had ever
encountered pure rebellion, or anyone who hated her. She must have stewed
inside as she considered how to handle the situation that was causing great
grief to her once well-run and peaceful household. Making your own plan instead of waiting on God's plan will always steal your joy. Grace always provides pardon, but sometimes we still have to live with the consequences of our own actions. Grace just helps us to deal with the grief of our sins and allows us to keep on walking closer and closer to God as we do.
