Hagar in the Wilderness

Hagar, pregnant with her child Ishmael and sent away in anger by her mistress Sarai, is left to wander in the wilderness. The angel of the Lord meets Hagar, asking “where have you come from, and where are you going?” The question is rather profound despite its simplicity: it is obvious that Hagar came from the dwelling place of Abram and Sarai and is presumably going to her homeland in Egypt, but it can also be taken as an existential question (especially in light of Christ’s new covenant).

Where have you come from? That is, what are your origins? What is your calling? What did God create you for? And where are you going? Is the direction that you are facing where God has led you? Have you lost your way? Are you sure that the place you have set your heart on is going to bring you ultimate fulfillment?

These questions are often most apparent in our own “wilderness” — when our wandering brings up questions of doubt, fear, and aimlessness. Hagar stops in the middle of her journey and sees two branching paths: the path of obedience, or a path of spiritual drought. It is because of this connection that I found Hagar’s story so compelling.