Passage Read: Genesis 13-16
Meditation Verses: 16:5-6
Thought
It's interesting that Sarai didn't immediately discipline her maidservant, but first complained to Abram. When Sarai gave Hagar to Abram, it became unclear what her status had become. Did Hagar have freedom to despise Sarai? Was she now Sarai's equal? When Abram affirmed that Hagar was indeed still Sarai's servant, then Sarai began mistreating her. Surely this was not the first example of concubinage, so that there was no established custom and rule for slaves taken as wives or used for childbearing. But Sarai did not immediately seek to discipline her maidservant. Hagar lost sight of her position in the household, until Abram affirmed Sarai's authority. And when Hagar fled, the Lord too affirmed that Hagar remained Sarai's slave and needed to submit herself to Sarai. This whole thing was not God's idea or plan or desire, but one thing becomes clear: God doesn't support rebellion and despising authority, but expects all people to submit themselves to whomever is over them. Hagar did wrong to her mistress, and Sarai is characterized as treating her harshly, but Hagar was the first to do wrong, and only her actions are rebuked.
Application
Regardless of the circumstances, whether they are good and right, whatever reason I find myself under another person's authority, if I despise them and resist them, I am the one in the wrong. If I don't accept rebuke, then I provoke the one over me to treat me harshly. That's not their wrong but mine. That's what I deserve as punishment for my sin of rebellion. Even if I'm perfectly submissive and quick to obey, if the one over me treats me harshly, God doesn't accept that as justification for me to resist and dishonor my authority. Even then, I'm expected to submit respectfully to my authority, and I'm commended by God for my submission. I need to be careful to check my own behavior, if ever I have a harsh authority. If they treat me harshly because I despise them in my heart and it shows in my attitude and behavior toward that authority, then I'm in the wrong even if they respond with harshness. I deserve that, and I should be grateful nothing worse has happened, because my rebellion deserves even stronger consequences. An authority is not automatically wrong for being harsh with me; I need to make sure I don't deserve the rebuke for a rebellious heart or behavior.