Fear No Fear

God heard the voice of the boy. The angel of God called to Hagar out of the sky, and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Don’t be afraid. For God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.
Genesis 21:17 (emphasis added)

This is not the first time that Hagar has heard from the angel of the Lord. She had previously run away from Sarai’s treatment of her. She had gotten pregnant when Sarai couldn’t and not treated Sarai well. There is an assumption of arrogance. Some ‘look what I can do and you cannot’. So Sarai struck back as only an owner of a servant can. Hard. In Rabbinical teaching, there is an implication that she had in fact lost her baby here through miscarriage. That the treatment from Sarai was that bad. Hagar fled into the desert.

“Yahweh’s angel found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain on the way to Shur” (Genesis 16:7). The angel prophesied over her. And she KNEW it was the Lord. Look at verse thirteen. “She called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees,” for she said, “Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?”“

She had a word about her unborn child – in Rabbinical teaching this would be a new about-to-be pregnancy. It was/would be a boy, she would birth him, call him Ishmael, and he would grow into a wild man who lived at odds with everyone – but who WOULD live. Now, Hagar was at this time not a worshipper of Yahweh. She was a foreigner to Abram’s household. Accepted Jewish thought is that she was a princess of Egypt. Part of the payment to Abram from Pharaoh for Sarai (Genesis 12:16).

The Rabbis teach that from her words it shows that she was not startled to see the angel, just amazed that she remained unpunished (being a foreigner to the Lord) after seeing one face to face. They teach that it shows angelic visits were frequent in Abram’s household. Whether that is true or not, I don’t know. But I agree her words show a familiarity with Yahweh and His messengers that at least shows us Abram was a man of God. Someone who spent time with the Lord and speaking about Him so that his whole house knew his beliefs.

Hagar returns to Abram’s house and is again in the position of being Sarai’s handmaid. Her lot in life did not change. She either remains or gets pregnant again, and gives birth to a boy whom she names Ishmael. He is raised as Abram’s son. The assumption is that he is the heir apparent. Expected to inherit the whole show. In Genesis 17 (at thirteen years old), Ishmael joined with Abram and the whole household (the males) in being circumcised when Abram entered into a covenant of the flesh with the Lord. What is interesting is that the covenant included the unborn Issac and named HIM as heir of all Abram’s (now Abraham) goods. He was an obedient son.

More time passes and in Genesis Twenty-One, Sarah (formerly Sarai) has had a child as well. The promised child. The new heir. We don’t know how Ishmael took this. We don’t know if he or his mother knew that Ishmael was on the outs. But in any case, as children do, Ishmael teased Issac. Sarah saw it and demanded that Ishmael have no share in Issac’s inheritance. Sarah wanted him and his mother gone. Abraham didn’t. It says in verse 11 “the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight.” In fact, it isn’t until God speaks to him in verses 12-13 that he is willing to do it. Because promises that Ishmael will live and also become head of a great nation were given to him by God. So Hagar and Ishmael were given supplies and out they were sent. You can understand why Ishmael grew up to become a man who fought with everyone.

When she was driven out into the wilderness, she thought they would die. She did not hold to that word she had been given fourteen years previous. She could not imagine her son living. She did NOT believe it. She had NO FAITH in it. While she knew she had HEARD from God, she did not KNOW God. She was a daughter of Pharaoh of Egypt. Abraham’s God wasn’t her god. She didn’t call out to Yahweh. She did not so much as whisper a prayer that we know of. She gave up, left the boy where she wouldn’t hear him die suffering, walked away where she couldn’t even see him, and waited to die too.

But God heard the boy. Right there where she left him. In the middle of his trouble. As weak as he was. Crying out. He was fourteen and had been raised as Abraham’s heir. He knew God. He was familiar with the Lord. HE was not a stranger. And God heard his plea. We don’t know if Ishmael knew ANYTHING of what was promised about him (either what Abraham had been promised or what Hagar had been promised). Abraham had sent them out in firm confidence in the promises. Hagar wasn’t looking to her promise at ALL. God – as always – was watching over His Word (Jeremiah 1:12).

The first time the Angel spoke to her, fear wasn’t mentioned. This time, it was. This time she was FULL of fear. Her child was dying. She couldn’t save him. She was going to die. She could not save herself. Her situation was so bad and she was so full of everything around her, she wasn’t even crying out for help – she could not even conceive that help would come. She was covering her ears and waiting for the end.

Contrast that with the (probable) widow in Zarephath (1 Kings 17:10-16). She was at the end of her rope. She had only enough food for one meal for herself and her son. They were going to eat it and die of starvation. But unlike Hagar, the widow was willing to listen. The widow was willing to act. The widow was willing to take a step of total faith. Not Hagar – at least, not this time.

God calmed her. He sent a ministering angel (Hebrews 1:14) to have a conversation. To ask her what was wrong and to comfort her. To tell her that Yahweh was listening. Fear NOT, God has heard the boy where he is in the midst of his trouble and torment. What a great message. When we are in trouble, He hears us. Ishmael called out to Him. Ishmael cried. He heard. Hagar wasn’t doing anything but feeling sorrow. He heard that too. God hears us right where we are. Even when we aren’t calling to Him, looking to Him, asking for Him, believing from Him, or anything. When we are screaming in our need and pain. Wailing. Wordlessly. He. Hears. Us. Never let go of that.

He is the God who sees us (Genesis 16:13). He is the God who hears us (Psalm 17:6).

Is there a better reason not to fear than that? When you’re on God’s mind, in His sight, and in His ears, there is no better place to be. How can you fear when you know that you are noticed by the highest authority, power, and wonder in the universe?

So DO NOT BE AFRAID. He has you. He can sustain you. He can be your source. LET Him be. Ask Him to be. Join your hand in His and walk with Him. Enter His peace today.

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: 1 Corinthians 13

Oh, what a popular series of verses. We have heard them over and over again. Have you ever made the connection that GOD is love? Every time you see the word ‘love’, replace it with the word ‘God’ or your favourite name of God. Here is an example: If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have God, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have God, I am nothing. If I give away all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have God, it profits me nothing (vs 1-3). These scriptures are among the most well-known teaching on love in the bible apart from John 3:16. Even heathens have heard of some of these verses. It’s a good thing they’re so widespread because they apply to us ABSOLUTELY. They are also a vivid picture of Yahweh’s nature. If you read it and find yourself forming a picture of God that doesn’t fit your idea of God, ask yourself if you believe what the Word says – or even if you’ve truly read it. Because it’s so easy to read it like a book. To miss what it is saying because of our familiarity with the stories and lessons. But there is real TRUTH there. And God loves us too much to stand by while we miss it. In 1 John 4:7-21 it speaks about how God IS love. It says those exact words TWICE: God is love (vs 8 & vs 16). If God is LOVE and 1 Corinthians 13 speaks of the true nature of LOVE, then it is describing GOD’S NATURE. Don’t miss out on this glimpse into who God really IS. Make THIS chapter your picture of who God IS. It is TRUTH.

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.