GENESIS 16
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3 So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. 4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. 5 And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!” 6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her. – Genesis 16:1-6
GENESIS 16 WHEN SARAI TOOK MATTERS INTO HER HANDS
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
When Sarai was going up in her old age and still childless
It was inconceivable for her how to trust what the Lord’s promise was
She couldn’t wait anymore and took matters into her hands
She had an Egyptian servant by the name of Hagar and she had a plan.
She convinced Abram to take Hagar as a wife so a child can be born to Abram
But as soon as Hagar conceived, Hagar changed and scorned her mistress Sarai
So, Sarai told Abram how she was treating her; he told her to do as she pleases
Sarai dealt harshly with Hagar which drove Hagar to flee from her.
It is interesting what happens when we can’t understand Gods promise to us. Our little minds cannot fathom what God’s plan is. He wants us to trust him completely with what he promises, but as humans, we become impatient and take control of things we don’t have control over. This is what Sarai did. It was a bad idea because it wasn’t God’s plan. Sarai had to bear the consequences of that decision to take matters into her hands.
REFLECTION
- What could have happened if Sarai didn’t ask Abram to sleep with Hagar?
