A Severe Price 82 (Do Not Be So Distressed About The Boy And Your Maid Servant) [Gen 21:8-21] / Anne's Faith Column

 

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A Severe Price 82

(Do Not Be So Distressed About

The Boy And Your Maidservant) 

[Gen 21:8-21]

 / Anne's Faith Column 

 

 

/ By Priscilla 

 

 

When Sarah saw Ishmael

mocking Isaac, Sarah

was so furious,

 

 

and she drove her maidservant

Hagar and her son out, however,

surprisingly, God took care of them.

 

 

In fact, Abraham's wife Sarah,

knowing that her womb

was closed,

 

 

and urged Abraham to sleep

with her maidservant Hagar,

and she bore him a son Ishmael. 

 

 

However, the son was just

a by-product of a human method.

 

 

Abraham became worried about

Hagar's arrogance after her

conception,

 

 

and the relationship

between Sarah

 

 

and her maidservant Hagar

was worsened after Hagar

gave birth to the son Ishmael,

 

 

and eventually he was so

distressed about two children

from his two wives.

 

 

As a result, their decision became

a harsh punishment caused by

them choosing their own

human method.

 

 

Even after receiving

God's answer for his offspring,

he could not wait and endure

and took a human method.

 

 

The price for it is the discord

and conflict between Isaac

and Ishmael that has been passed

down for thousands of generations.

 

 

In other words, the religious

war caused by the conflicts

between the two brothers

never cease to this day,

 

 

so is there a harsher

punishment than this?

 

 

There's one lesson we

should take from above.

 

 

It is that we human beings

should not make hasty

judgments about God's will

and proceed with the work.

 

 

On the contrary,  although

Hagar and her son were driven 

out by Abraham's wife Sarah,

 

 

God showed mercy and allowed

the maidservant's son to become

a great nation because he was

also an offspring of Abraham.

 

 

God's supreme love and

consideration!

 

 

Our good Heavenly Father

who sometimes reluctantly grants

our petition when we throw a tantrum! 

 

 

Therefore, we should all be

children who do not break the

 heart of our Heavenly Father.

 

 

Even though Sarah caused

the troubles, there is no record

in the Bible that she regretted

being hasty herself.

 

 

But in reality, Sarah did not

express it but I can imagine

 

 

how hard she must  have been

mentally because of the conflict

that resulted from her

hasty decision?

 

 

She must have shed many tears

as she wet her pillow each night,

who had already paid the

severe price.

 

 

Her life, where she had to

endure a very painful time

by blaming herself in a difficult

situation where she was despised

by a maidservant each day!

 

 

Even though

we say we are children of God,

I think impatientness is an easy action

we are likely to take when we are

faced with a problem.

 

 

We come ro learn that

a wife's impatience can

make her husband distressed.

 

 

"Do not be so distressed about

the boy and your maidservant..."

 

 

As I read these words,

I am touched at God's love

for giving proper solutions

to those in distress.

 

 

Then, what should we do?

 

 

1) We must not do anything

that grieves the Lord.

 

 

2) We should be careful

when making a decision.

 

 

We should not act rashly like

Sarah so as not to regret

and not to pay a severe price.

 

 

Therefore, when making

a decision, do not rush

according to our judgements

and tell God first. 

 

 

Don't make mistakes with

unthoughtful judgments,

 

 

we must wait for an answer

from God and act carefully

before making a decision.

 

 

Prayer

 

 

Lord!

 

 

I give thanks only to

you God of comfort.

 

 

May I be your child who always

follows your will and does not

worry you with my hasty decisions.

 

 

 

Amen

 

- To Be Continue - 

 

 

14/06/2010

 

 

/ By Priscilla