Bible Study
In the Old Testament, women are depicted as beautiful, endearing, dedicated, and supportive. However, in other sections, they are depicted as conniving, jealous, aggressive, and indecisive. The book of Genesis has many stories within stories showing women as wives, sisters, daughters, mother's and friends.
Hagar and Ishmael were cast out of their own family because Sarah was jealous and afraid. Sarah was not wrong for feeling jealousy and fear, but she chose to stay in these emotions, to act within them, and therefore, turning against others. The consequences of her actions were loss and pain.
Sarah obviously feels that the lord has prevented her from having children; that she was not given that gift. In turn, she gives her handmaid, Hagar to Abraham, so she can have a child through her gift of God. This act along seems strange in my eyes, as a woman. I live in the age of freedom for women, as opposed to years of oppression. What I am living goes against everything they stood for. Sarah could take her handmaid and tell Abraham to go into her; to take her as his wife.
Abraham does not find this strange or bizarre. He goes into Hagar and she conceives a child from him. Hello, is Hagar a human being or not? I do not comprehend the fact that Hagar had no say in any of this. Sarah made the decision, but Abraham and Hagar obeyed without argument. However, as soon as Hagar conceived, Sarah became jealous of her. I find it hard to believe how Sarah could force Hagar to participate in an act and then feel loathing for her. Hagar acted like an obedient Handmaid; she did as she was instructed to.
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