“In the Wilderness,” by Rev. Dr. Mark Caggiano,
Genesis 21:9-19; John 10:1-10
So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave
woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac.”
In the reading from Genesis, we heard a difficult story. Sarah has given birth to a son, Isaac, from
whom the nation of Israel would come. But Sarah was jealous of Abraham’s other son, Ishmael,
whose mother was Hagar, the maidservant of Sarah. When the words “maidservant” or
“handmaiden” are used in the Bible, it can almost always be translated as “slave.” It is a polite
way in older translations to skate over a dark truth.
Hagar had been given over to Abraham for this purpose by Sarah. This was an ugly
circumstance from the onset, as Abraham needed an heir, but Sarah had been unable to conceive.
Hagar was ordered to serve as a concubine. In case you ever wondered where the author Margret
Atwood got her dystopian material for the Handmaid’s Tale, here it is.
Hagar gave Abraham a son, who was named Ishmael. But matters worsened after, of all things, a
miracle. Sarah became with child at the age of 90, while Abraham was then 100. The original
reason for Ishmael was no longer pertinent, and what was once a blessing in the eyes of Abraham
became a curse in the mind of Sarah.
The name Ishmael, like most names in the Bible, is interesting. It means “God has harkened” or
“God has listened.” It could refer to his birth, meaning God has listened and finally given
Abraham a son. It could also refer to Ishmael’s salvation in the desert, where God saved him and
Hagar from death. In any case, we are reminded that God has heard the needs of someone, either
Abraham or Ishmael, or both. God listened.
What about Hagar? What does the name “Hagar” mean? It could be translated as “flight,”
“stranger,” or “immigrant.” In that sense, it is a descriptor more so than a name. There is also one
minority tradition of translating her name a “reward.” A reward for being able to join the
household of Abraham and possibly the reward of being saved after being abandoned by
Abrahm’s household in the wilderness. I might describe that as the “cup is half full” version.
Which sounds better than the “you left someone to die in the desert alongside with your first-
born son” version. Has a nicer ring to it…
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