The Barren and the Surrogate Part 1

As a female, I’ll admit my sympathies run heavily with Hagar in today’s Bible story. Her lot was slavery with no rights.

Though for some, slavery meant a roof over one’s head and food for the stomach; regardless, it was a life of servitude.

Perhaps her life as a servant wasn’t too bad.

Yet Hagar really had no choice but to submit to Sarah’s demand that she sleep with Sarah’s husband, Abraham, to become a surrogate mother by, hopefully, conceiving a male child for Abraham. Sarah’s barrenness plagued her like a cultural black eye; she felt disgraced. Certainly, she thought, what must people think of me? I’m an embarrassment to Abraham. She loved her husband and felt she needed to resolve the situation. Abraham had probably wrung his hands many times in her presence, pacing their fine home-tent, pleading with God, “Why, Adonai, why, no son, no heir for me?” Sarah eventually figured she’d been patient enough with waiting on God.

He certainly wouldn’t open her womb in old age.

She wanted a happy husband. He wasn’t.

As a result, she wasn’t happy either.

The wealthy household included many slaves, and Sarah selected Hagar. Her Egyptian slave girl obviously showed evidence of being able to produce a worthy heir for Abraham, with good health, strength, physical appearance, intelligence, as well as admirable character attributes. Sarah knew better than to choose a lesser woman to take her place as the provider of a son. Thus, Ishmael, child of Hagar and son of Abraham, was conceived. Abraham felt joyful, even though he doubtless wished the child were Sarah’s. After all, she was the wife of his youth —the one he’d hoped would bear his children. Unfortunately, Hagar became proud of her pregnancy; perhaps she even thought she might one day replace the aging Sarah.

In return, Sarah couldn’t bear Hagar’s presence and treated her so unkindly that Hagar ran away. But God graciously revealed Himself to Hagar and told her to humble herself and return home to serve. Someday she would have many descendants. When we struggle with disappointments, we can still trust God and, as Hagar did, obey His biddings. He always has a plan for our highest good.

Betty Kossick