At What Point Did You Meet Hagar? The Inanity of Human Judgment (5)

At What Point Did You Meet Hagar? The Inanity of Human Judgment (Final)

The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.” Then he added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count…” Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” – Genesis 16:9-10, 13 (New Living Translation)

As we wrap up our weeklong meditation on the potential absurdity of human judgment, particularly when those judging or forming an opinion about a matter knew very little about the backgrounds, the contexts, or the word of God concerning the person(s) or the development they are passing a verdict on, it is pertinent for us to consider Hagar’s own submission after her encounter with the angel of God.

Because God is omniscient and knew all about all the events that led to Hagar being mistreated by her mistress and her eventual flee from the house, He wasted no time in joining the pity party that Hagar was trying to sell Him with her sorry tale. He did not say anything to reprimand the bosses of Hagar as well. Rather, He told her to return to them and submit to their authority. That was the only solution He offered to her problem.

As difficult as the advice sounded and as bitter a pill it must have been for Hagar and her sympathizers to swallow, that was the counsel of God. And He does not do public opinion.

It is important to note at this point that God rarely asks us to do the easy things. Afterall, who grows by doing such or fulfill their potential just by taking mental candies alone? God formed us and knew all we could be. And He is always asking of us to reach beyond ourselves and do more so we could become the very best version of ourselves. He also allows situations that seem tougher or bigger than us to come our ways so as to bring out the diamond in us. He knows no one attains greatness on a platter.

Now, in the case of Hagar. God asked her to do a very difficult thing indeed – to return to her mistress. As if that was not bad enough, He also charged her to go and submit to her authority, no matter how severe or harsh that might be, in the event Sarah was still upset with her.

Meanwhile, God sent Hagar back with the proviso that therein lay her blessing. He told her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.” Then he added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count” (Genesis 16:9-10). The implication here was that if Hagar refused to go back and submit, she would probably not be able to enjoy this blessing.

Now, to another important point in this scenario. Hagar herself acknowledged her wrongdoing in her response to the instruction given to her by God. Before, she was ready to share her sad story with anyone who cared to listen to her. And she would have raised a horde of trollers who would have raised all hell in her support and dragged her bosses to the gutters for being so mean to her.

Fortunately, she was not met by anyone with low intelligence. She was met by God Himself through an angel, and upon having her tales swept aside and then asked to go back to where she ran away from, Hagar acknowledged the omniscience of her advisor. She called Him the one who truly sees her and cuts beyond the subterfuge of her stories to know what she had done that led her to the situation she found herself in.

In her words, “You are the God who sees me.” She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” (Genesis 16:13). By this, she admitted that she had met someone of higher intelligence than she probably expected. Someone who did not judge matters on the surface value. Someone who knew her past and antecedents  up till that moment and whose judgment and recommendation to her were based on that intelligence.

Someone who was not easily deceived. God!

You Will Succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

• At What Point Did You Meet Hagar? The Inanity of Human Judgment (4)
• Couples in the Bible: The Disobedient Duo
• Ten Ways to Love Others
• Delivered from Multiple Infirmities in One Night