Get Rid of That Slave Woman

Lessons From Hagar

Part One

The story of Hagar offers many a lesson. The first being that ostracism can be from God.

In defense of her child and in a long-begotten jealousy against Hagar, Sarah says to Abraham in Genesis 21:10 that he should “get rid of that slave woman and her son…” meaning Hagar and her son with Abraham, Ishmael.

The thought of his son Ishmael no longer in the household coupled with whatever else Abraham had going on brought him so much stress that God interrupted his anxieties in the next few verses saying, “[dont be so] distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you…”.

Now, from Hagar’s point of view Sarah has just ostracized her and Ishmael, God has okayed it, and Abraham shows them where the door is — ouch.

It’s hard to think about a God that’s okay with family, friends, and organizations excluding you. Even blessing those that blatantly don’t like you and have no problem showing or saying just that. Psalm 91 describes only seeing the reproof of the wicked with our eyes, but from a certain vantage point it seems we see only their benefit — their weddings, the birth of their children, their finances increasing, and their business booming while we remain outside the loop of blessings.

Only, God will allow people to exclude you, shun you, exile you because He has not. In fact, He has something for us in our exclusions that require a specific…