Genesis c. 21

v. 17-20 God heard the boy crying, and from heaven the angel of God spoke to Hagar, "What are you troubled about, Hagar? Don't be afraid. God has heard the boy crying.
Get up, go and pick him up, and comfort him. I will make a great nation out of his descendants." Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well. She went and filled the leather bag with water and gave some to the boy. God was with the boy as he grew up; he lived in the wilderness of Paran and became a skillful hunter.

Abraham and Sarah had sent Hagar and Ishmael away for it was Isaac where Abraham’s offspring will be reckoned. But God did not forget Hagar and Ishmael.

Is God unfair?

A story like this is difficult to understand. Hagar and Ishmael were wrongly treated by Abraham and Sarah and yet God took their side. I remember the old and worn illustration of the white paper with a small dot in the middle and the first thing that people notice is the dot and not the white paper.

As I was trying to ask myself the question, is God unfair? The thing that comes into my mind is that of Abraham and Sarah banishing a mother and her child with so little provision that in reality it can only be called murder, and yet God still took Abraham and Sarah’s side and allowed the banishment of Hagar and Ishmael.

Now I’m seeing the dot and not the whole paper.

Maybe God allowed Abraham to banish Hagar and Ishmael because God knows that Hagar and Sarah will not be able to live together. Maybe this story teaches women that being a second wife has consequences, maybe this is all about family, maybe this is about Abraham and his leadership, maybe and maybe…

Maybe God is telling me that despite Hagar’s condition as the second wife and not deserving of anything at all, God still comforted her and made her son into a great nation.

God is not unfair. He will not forget the work you did or the love you showed for him in the help you gave and are still giving to other Christians. Heb 6:10

Is God unfair?

Maybe it’s me who’s being unfair to God.

Now I’m starting to see the paper.

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Pray for one of our hardworking pastors, Pastor Pete Caderon, the Pastor of Ahon Evangelical Christian Baptist Church. Pastor Pete needs to undergo medical operations and he needs money for the procedure. Pray for God’s provisions and healing.