Compounding Unrighteous Behavior: Genesis 16:4-6

Godly people have the responsibility to doing the right thing, especially when it is easier to just react.  Anyone can react through instinct.  Anyone can lash out in anger.  Anyone can look upon another with pride or jealousy.  The godly person responds in love rather than doing what everyone else can easily do.

Hagar conceives and begins to look down on Sarai.  At this point in time, Hagar knows she bears Abram’s only heir.  Sarai feels Hagar’s pride and becomes angry.  She takes her problem to Abram, and Abram tells Sarai to solve her own problem.  Sarai treats Hagar harshly because of her pride, and Hagar runs away.  In the end, Sarai’s decision to produce an heir by her own scheming produces a grand mess.

This shouldn’t be the case.  In the last couple of chapters, Abram has modeled godly living.  After stumbling in Egypt, Abram returns, worships God, and then submits to Him.  This is how the righteous live.  In opposition to righteousness, this story has three examples of worldly decisions.

Hagar should not have looked upon Sarai with contempt.  Hagar should not have allowed God’s blessing to become a place for pride to enter her life.  God does not bless us for the purpose of allowing us to think we’re better than others.  He blesses us so we can bless others, not treat them with contempt.

Sarai should not have turned her anger upon Abram.  Hagar’s pregnancy was her idea, not Abram’s!  Sarai could have come to Abram and sought his wisdom or asked for help in dealing with Hagar.  Instead, she passes the blame onto her husband.

Abram shouldn’t have abandoned his wife in her time of need.  He could have done the mature thing and brought Hagar and Sarai together.  He could have been a mediator and tried to be a part of the solution.  Instead, Abram removes himself from the situation and lets someone else solve it.  Instead of being a godly leader, Abram steps out of the story.

Sarai should not have treated Hagar harshly.  From a worldly perspective, it is understandable why Sarai would treat Hagar harshly when feeling Hagar’s pride.  The godly thing to do would have been to talk to Hagar and Abram and come to resolution under God’s grace and peace.

Hagar shouldn’t have run away.  While she’s ultimately in this situation because of Sarai’s scheme, she feels Sarai’s wrath because she acted scornfully.  Had Hagar handled the situation with grace, Sarai wouldn’t have felt the need to respond in anger.

This story is full of righteous people making bad choices.  One bad choice naturally leads to another even worse choice.  At any point along the way, turning to God and responding like righteous godly people would have broken the chain of events.  Godly people have the responsibility of doing the right thing, especially when it is easier to just react.