At this point of the story, Abraham is 100 and Sarah 90 years old! But, just as God says, Sarah gave birth to a child – a son, called Isaac. God then appeared to Abraham and told him that he would have another child, but this time by Sarah. Then Sarah badly mistreated the pregnant slave – just before she gave birth to Abraham’s son, Ishmael. Sarah became deeply jealous, while Hagar flaunted and revelled openly in her pregnancy. Abraham went along with the plan.īut when Hagar conceived, the relationship between the two women soured. Initially, the two women seem to have lived side-by-side in harmony – so much so that when Sarah was unable to conceive a child of her own, she told Abraham that he should raise an heir with Hagar. Sarah was wife to the patriarch, Abraham, and Hagar was their Egyptian slave. Let’s begin with a quick sketch of their tale. This is the key message: The story of Sarah and Hagar teaches us to be understanding. Their own relationship, sadly, was a fraught and bitter one – and yet their story offers a useful lesson, one at the heart of Christian teachings. One a free woman, the other enslaved, each played an instrumental role against the patriarchal backdrop of the ancient world. Early in the Bible we encounter two women – Sarah and Hagar.
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