H. A. G. A. R. WHAT AILETH THEE?

GENESIS 21: 1- 21

INTRODUCTION:

Hagar is a model representing all single mothers everywhere. Her story displays both the problems and solutions in God’s program for single mothers. It was a time of rejoicing for everyone at Abraham’s residence in Hebron. But Sarah looked over amid the celebration and saw that Ishmael was making fun of her new son Isaac (V.3). Filled with her anger that her son was being tormented, she immediately told Abraham to send the woman and her son away.

Abraham a righteous man was unwilling to comply until God assured him that he would care for Hagar and her son. Filled with assurance, Abraham gave Hagar a skin full of water and loaf of bread and sent her off into the desert. This is the experience of most Single Mothers in the world- ALONE.

Who knows how long they journeyed in the desert, finally the water was gone and the piece of bread finished. Ishmael walked beside his mother until he could not go any further for thirst. Finally, Hagar sat her son down under a scrub of a bush and walked a short distance away.

Her heart was broken as she waited for death. She began to sob and then God showed up. It was harsh but God was there. Life is helpless, painful and unbearable until God shows up.

In Hagar we see God’s love for those women in our world who have been abused, misused, forgotten and forsaken, the woman fleeing abuse and living her children in a shelter. As God blessed Hagar, God will bless each of them. They may be forgotten by the world or by those who made them pregnant but not by God. Many single mothers struggle alone to fulfil both roles of mothers and fathers.

Today Hagar is the mother of all mother of all Arabs and Sarah is the mother of Israel. The family feud continues.

Let us use the acronym of HAGAR to study her life further:-

I.  H- HOPE

• Try to imagine Hagar pushing off into the wilderness, supplies for a day at her side for a journey back to Egypt.
• Her son Ishmael is walking beside her. She has been ousted by the boy’s father. She is now alone, terrified, wondering what to do with the skin of water and a piece of bread for two!
• She runs out of water and bread, the boy is dying of thirst, she leaves him and walks afar hopelessly waiting for her son’s death.

Single mothers deal with feelings of guilt, real or imagined with great feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness.

• Single mothers are also dealing with the reality that this child is going to take the rest of her life to raise.
• It doesn’t matter how they got to be single mothers, teen pregnancy, rape, divorce, being widowed or abandoned, they struggle alone, isolated and scared of the future- They need constant encouragement.

II.   A- ASSISTANCE– Single mothers need assistance.

• Needs come in a hundred different ways.
• There are financial, emotional, moral and spiritual – single mothers need Jesus Christ.
• Single parents need a support system. God intended for children to be brought up by two people, father and mother, but single mothers don’t have that luxury.
• Hagar had no one to turn to, she despaired but she called on God, the ever present help in the time of need.
• The church should provide assistance to single mothers (James 1:27)

III.   G – GOD – SINGLE MATHERS NEED A STRONG FAITH IN GOD.

• Imagine the emotional problems Hagar experienced.
• First, she was an unwilling partner to the pregnancy then she is beaten up by her mistress and later she was ousted by her child’s father at Sarah’s demand.
• Hagar is naturally filled with anger, bitterness and resentment.
• Hagar feels rejected and despaired.
• Only God can heal broken hearts
• We can encourage single mothers to listen to God’s voice.
• No matter how they became single mothers; rape, divorce, death, teenage pregnancy – single mothers need God.

IV.  A – ACCEPTANCE – SINGLE MOTHERS NEED ACCEPTANCE NOT JUDGEMENT.

• Single mothers have a secret fear that they would not be accepted.

V.   R – RELIEF

• Single mother’s relief, they need a safe place for their children. Our society is predatory thus safety for the children is very important.
• Hagar put her son under a bush for comfort as he died
• Single mothers need time alone

CONCLUSION

• God loves single mothers so should we.
• God did not judge Hagar, He provided for her
• Today most children are being raised by single mothers – GOD CARES