Sarai and Hagar
Gen 16:1  Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, did not bear. And she had a female slave, an Egyptian, and her name was Hagar. 
Gen 16:2  And Sarai said to Abram, Behold now, Jehovah has kept me from bearing. I pray you, go in to my slave woman. It may be that I may be built by her. And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 
Gen 16:3  And Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her slave woman, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife (after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan). 
Gen 16:4  And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. 
Gen 16:5  And Sarai said to Abram, My wrong be upon you. I have given my slave woman into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. Jehovah judge between me and you. 
Gen 16:6  But Abram said to Sarai, Behold, your slave woman is in your hand. Do to her as it pleases you. And Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face. 
Gen 16:7  And the Angel of Jehovah found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. 
Gen 16:8  And He said, Hagar, Sarai’s slave, where did you come from? and where will you go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. 
Gen 16:9  And the Angel of Jehovah said to her, Return to your mistress and submit yourself under her hands. 
Gen 16:10  And the Angel of Jehovah said to her, I will multiply your seed exceedingly, so that it shall not be numbered for multitude. 
Gen 16:11  And the Angel of Jehovah said to her, Behold, you are with child, and shall bear a son. And you shall call his name Ishmael, because Jehovah has heard your affliction. 
Gen 16:12  And he will be a wild man. His hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. And he shall live in the presence of all his brothers. 
Gen 16:13  And she called the name of Jehovah who had spoken to her, You are a God of vision! For she said, Even here have I looked after Him that sees me? 
Gen 16:14  Therefore the well was called The Well of the Living One Seeing Me. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. 
Gen 16:15  And Hagar bore Abram a son. And Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bore, Ishmael. 
Gen 16:16  And Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Hagar was caught in very difficult circumstances – a slave, ordered to sleep with her master so as to bear a child for her owner. Falling pregnant and becoming haughty. Being treated harshly as a result of her attitude. No wonder running away seems far better than enduring. Then she receives a word from the Lord regarding her unborn child. Given vision as to what the future holds for her son. This gives her the strength to go back and endure. No matter what our circumstances, nothing carries you through like vision – a word from the Lord – about where you are headed. Perspective.

Prayer – Vision

Dear Father
Make Your plan for my life known to me
I pray for a fresh word from You, Lord
Let me see things in a new light
Show me the greater things that lie ahead
Holy Spirit lay hold of me and guide me further along the path
Give me the strength to press on
Touch me with Your wonderful power
And endurance to yield to You from day to day
Glorifying You greatly as I do so

In Jesus’ name

Amen

Die geboorte van Ismael
1Maar Sarai, Abram se vrou, het nog geen kinders gehad nie. Sarai het ’n Egiptiese slavin gehad met die naam Hagar. 2Sarai sê toe vir Abram: “Die Here het my nie toegelaat om kinders te hê nie. Gaan slaap by my slavin. Dalk kan sy ’n kind in die wêreld bring wat ek as my eie kan beskou.” Abram het hiermee ingestem.
3So het Sarai, Abram se vrou, haar Egiptiese slavin Hagar vir Abram as vrou gegee.
Dit het gebeur tien jaar nadat Abram in Kanaän aangekom het.
4Abram het toe by Hagar gaan slaap en sy het swanger geword. Toe Hagar agterkom dat sy ’n kind verwag, het sy haar meesteres met minagting begin behandel.
5Toe sê Sarai vir Abram: “Dit is alles jou skuld! Ek het my slavin vir jou gegee om by te slaap. Vandat sy agtergekom het dat sy swanger is, minag sy my. Die Here sal oordeel tussen my en jou!”
6Abram het haar terug geantwoord: “Aangesien sy jou slavin is, maak met haar soos jy wil.”
Sarai het haar toe so sleg behandel dat Hagar weggeloop het.
7Die engel van die Here het haar by ’n fontein in die woestyn op pad na Sur gekry. 8Die engel sê vir haar: “Hagar, diensmeisie van Sarai, waar kom jy vandaan? Waarheen gaan jy?”
“Ek loop weg van my meesteres,” antwoord sy.
9Toe sê die engel van die Here vir haar: “Gaan terug na jou meesteres toe en wees aan haar onderdanig.” 10Die engel van die Here sê ook: “Ek sal vir jou ’n groot nageslag gee wat nie getel kan word nie.”
11Die engel van die Here sê toe weer vir haar: “Jy is nou swanger met ’n seun wat jy in die wêreld gaan bring. Jy moet hom Ismael noem, want die Here het jou noodkreet gehoor. 12Hierdie seun van jou sal ’n wilde mens wees, soos ’n wildedonkie. Hy sal teen almal wees en almal sal teen hom wees. Hy sal in konflik lewe met sy broers.”
13Van toe af het Hagar die Here wat met haar gepraat het, genoem “die God wat my sien”, want sy het gesê: “Ek het die Een gesien wat my gesien het!” 14Dit is hoekom hierdie put Lagai-Roï-fontein genoem word. Dit is nog steeds tussen Kades en Bered.
15Later het Hagar vir Abram ’n seun in die wêreld gebring. Abram het hom Ismael genoem. 16Abram was 86 jaar oud toe Hagar Ismael vir hom in die wêreld gebring het.

Hagar was in baie moeilike omstandighede – ‘n slavin, beveel om by haar meester te slaap om ‘n kind vir haar eienaar te baar. Om swanger te raak en hoogmoedig te word. Sy word sleg behandel as gevolg van haar houding. Geen wonder dat weg hardloop baie beter lyk as om te volhard nie. Dan ontvang sy ‘n woord van die Here oor haar ongebore kind. Sy ontvang visie oor wat die toekoms vir haar seun inhou. Dit gee haar die krag om terug te gaan en te volhard. Maak nie saak wat ons omstandighede is nie, niks dra jou deur soos visie – ‘n woord van die Here – oor waarheen jy op pad is nie. Perspektief.

Gebed – Visie

Liewe Vader
Maak U plan vir my lewe aan my bekend
Ek bid vir ‘n vars woord van U, Here
Laat my dinge in ‘n nuwe lig sien
Wys my die groter dinge wat voorlê
Heilige Gees gryp my en lei my verder op die pad
Gee my die krag om voort te gaan
Raak my aan met U wonderlike krag
En volharding om van dag tot dag aan U oor te gee
En U te verheerlik terwyl ek dit doen

In Jesus naam

Amen