In this episode we continue studying the Book of Genesis. In this episode Sarai gives Hagar, her handmaid to be Abram's wife. After Hagar conceived, she began to despise Sarai and treated her with contempt.

This led Sarai to accuse Abram of wrong doing. She said she would ask God to intervene but what would God say about the matter? Would he be on her side? Was Abram in error?

Polygamy was not against the law, so he was not in error. Although it wasn’t ideal it was allowed.

Abram was caught in the middle, he knew Hagar was out of place for disrespecting Sarai. So he told Sarai, "she’s your maid, do what you want with her."

He did not strive with her, even though he could have, because although she was her maid, she was also his wife. He didn’t say anything else about it but He probably went somewhere to pray Hagar.

Sarai felt she could finally, defend herself against this young woman, who scorned her because she was pregnant with her husbands child. The text said, she treated her hardly, she was probably like, you may be his wife but you are still my maid, just because you are pregnant doesn’t mean you can’t work.

Hagar thought the treatment was unfair so she ran away.

The angel of the Lord found Hagar, "And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai".

Notice he called her "Sarai's maid/" He wanted her to be mindful of this. She had sought to exalt herself above Sarai. So he told her to return and submit to her.

If she submitted to her things would go well, but perhaps, Hagar, felt she shouldn’t have to submit to Sarai because she was his wife too.

First wives ran the household, so in either case Hagar would have to humble herself.

We note that, sometimes we are set in humble positions and don’t like it, thinking we deserve better. This often causes us to exalt ourselves over those in authority over us, and we become oppressors, we began to scorn and revile others, causing us to sin.

To alleviate this we need to become like Paul who said, he learned to be content in whatever situation he found himself in.

Philippians 4:11  Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

Philippians 4:12  I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

We can be content in whatever situation we find ourselves in because Christ will help us do it.