Motherhood is often painted as a joyful and fulfilling journey, but for many women—both in biblical times and today—it can also be marked by trials, heartbreak, and uncertainty. Hagar, the Egyptian maidservant of Sarah, found herself thrust into a situation beyond her control, yet her story is a powerful testament to God’s faithfulness in the midst of rejection and isolation. In Genesis 21:8–21, we witness Hagar’s struggle to survive in the wilderness with her son Ishmael after being cast out. Her story speaks deeply to mothers who feel forgotten, forsaken, or overwhelmed, reminding us that God sees, hears, and provides.
Scripture(s) in this Episode:
Genesis 21: 8-21(NASB)
The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking Isaac. Therefore she said to Abraham, “Drive out this slave woman and her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be an heir with my son Isaac!” The matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son Ishmael. But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the boy and your slave woman; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named. And of the son of the slave woman I will make a nation also, because he is your descendant.” So Abraham got up early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water, and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and gave her the boy, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba. When the water in the skin was used up, she left the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away, for she said, “May I not see the boy die!” And she sat opposite him and raised her voice and wept. God heard the boy crying; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Get up, lift up the boy, and hold him by the hand, for I will make a great nation of him.” Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. And God was with the boy, and he grew; and he lived in the wilderness and became an archer. He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
Key Takeaways:
- God hears the cries of the suffering
- God provides even when all seems lost
- Mothers are not fogotten by God
- Divine purpose can emerge from painful experiences
- Faith requires us to rise even in adversity
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