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| The Wilderness of Shur is a significant geographical and historical location mentioned in the Bible, primarily in the context of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. It is a desert region situated to the northeast of Egypt, forming part of the larger wilderness area that the Israelites traversed during their journey to the Promised Land. (source) |
I am drawn to strong women throughout history. There is something deeply compelling about those labelled “the weaker sex” who rise above station, status, class, whatever the constraint, and take up the hard work, the strong position, and weather it all, often with very little support. When we look at these women, I often wonder: who is recorded as standing beside them? Who were their allies?
Lately, circumstance has had me thinking about Hagar. Let me say upfront that, like Hagar, I am not innocent in my own story, but still, in many ways, a byproduct of circumstance.
So, about Hagar. Very little is known about her origins. What we do know, from various sources, is that she was Egyptian and brought back as a maidservant for Sarai. In the Torah, rather than being named “Hagar the Egyptian,” she is referred to as “Hagar the stranger.” Stripped of identity, Hagar exists in the household of Abraham and Sarai as a servant. Of all the maidservants Sarai may have had, I often wonder what led her to choose Hagar to give to her husband. Nothing happens by chance; rather, decisions are woven from prejudice, experience, fear, and perception.
Nevertheless, Hagar was given to Abraham to conceive a child. Scripture records that her elevation to bearer of an heir made her proud, which in turn provoked Sarai. Mistreated and overwhelmed, Hagar fled into the desert. There, God met her. And though He sent her back, He sent her back with something powerful: the knowledge that she had been seen. Her cries had not fallen on deaf ears. And, this is where I am. No matter how hard, no matter how much I want to throw in the towel, in response and obedience to God, I return to my post.
Yet, God sent Hagar back to Sarai, only for Abraham to later send her away, along with her son, at Sarah’s request - Sarah who now was living in the fulfillment of God's promise! What is the lesson here? Perhaps this: life is fickle. People are fickle. But God remains the same.
What I am learning from this: God meets me in my desperation, and even though the grief is real and the circumstances often unchanged, I am commanded to go back and complete what I started. Even then, with no guarantees and a greater likelihood of further pain and human abandonment, I return time and time again, armed with the strength of El-Roi, the God who sees me.
