Although the plan worked out exactly as intended, ie Hagar had a son, everything then went wrong. The relationship between Hagar and Sarah broke down, and that between Sarah and Abraham was severely damaged. This is a reminder of the seriousness of sexual sin. The world tries to treat sex as a purely physical act, as indeed did Abraham and Sarah, but it is not just a physical act. Sex has spiritual and emotional effects. any "morality" that ignores this fact is doomed to lead to disaster, as indeed we see all around us today.
Hagar began to despise Sarah, since she had Abraham's child she had a new status. Sarah blamed Abraham for all this. Now it is worth remembering whose idea this was, Sarah's. Abraham just did as he was told, amd yet he gets the blame! Maybe Sarah wondered what had gone on in the bedroom between Hagar and Abraham, and wondered if he had treated it as more than a purely functional exercise.
Sarah really had no one to blame but herself, but it has always been human nature to seek to put the blame on someone else. We need to beware of ourselves doing this, for it can have very serious consequences. However, Abraham also has responsibility. He did not have to do what Sarah suggested, he could have said no. We cannot escape responsibility by saying we only did what someone else told us to do.
This incident illustrates many features of human failings and should serve as a warning to us.
As an aside, it is interesting to note that 1 Peter 3:5,6 describes Sarah as submissive. This incident should disabuse us of any notions that a submissive wife is little more than a wall flower. Whatever failings in Sarah may have been exposed here, she certainly had character.
Hagar began to despise Sarah, since she had Abraham's child she had a new status. Sarah blamed Abraham for all this. Now it is worth remembering whose idea this was, Sarah's. Abraham just did as he was told, amd yet he gets the blame! Maybe Sarah wondered what had gone on in the bedroom between Hagar and Abraham, and wondered if he had treated it as more than a purely functional exercise.
Sarah really had no one to blame but herself, but it has always been human nature to seek to put the blame on someone else. We need to beware of ourselves doing this, for it can have very serious consequences. However, Abraham also has responsibility. He did not have to do what Sarah suggested, he could have said no. We cannot escape responsibility by saying we only did what someone else told us to do.
This incident illustrates many features of human failings and should serve as a warning to us.
As an aside, it is interesting to note that 1 Peter 3:5,6 describes Sarah as submissive. This incident should disabuse us of any notions that a submissive wife is little more than a wall flower. Whatever failings in Sarah may have been exposed here, she certainly had character.
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