Writings by Barri Cae Mallin

She was Sarah's Servant

Thursday 24 February 2005 - 13:38:04

She was Sarah's servant, an Egyptian. No claim on herself. Wherever her master wanted her to be, there she was. In Genesis 16, Sarai wanted Abram to have a son so she sends her slave Hagar into the arms of Abram. Hagar was an obedient slave. What choice did she have in the matter?

She obeyed her mistress, and conceived and bears a son, Ishmael.

When Ishmael makes fun of Isaac (Gen. 21:9), probably teasing him (and the Arabs have taunted the Jews ever since), Sarah took issue and went to Abraham, begging him to send Hagar and Ishmael away. Abraham struggled and was distressed. Yet God encouraged Abraham to listen to Sarah, send Hagar and Ishmael away, yet don't worry, as "the son of the maid I will make a nation also, because he is your descendent." (Gen. 21:12). So early in the morning, Abraham takes prisoner food, bread and water, and sent Hagar and Ishmael away. They wandered in the Beersheva wilderness.

What must have gone through Hagar's mind? All she was doing was obeying her master and mistress, and now she finds herself out in the wilderness.

They ran out of water. Thirst, parched lips, despair, desolation.



Tamar was a beautiful woman, a virgin, the daughter of David. Her mother was Maacah, and her brother was Absalom. She had a half-brother Amnon, whose father was David and whose mother was Ahinoam. Amnon was first-born in the household of David. He was heir to the throne. Everything he wanted, he could have. EXCEPT, his half-sister Tamar. He lusted after her, he coveted her. He could not control his lust.

Amnon schemed, pretending to be ill. He requested of his father David to allow Tamar to come to serve him cakes, that he might eat from her hand and recover (2 Samuel 13:6). Tamar obeyed her father, and went to Amnon's side and served him. Amnon sent all of the servants away, and as she was there ministering to him, he seized her, violated her and raped her. Then he hated her and threw her out. Even the servants cast her away. And she went weeping and wailing before God. She tore her clothes, mourning the loss of her virginity, and she remained desolate in her brother's home.


She was a beautiful queen to the King of Shushan, in Persia, modern-day Iran. Even her name Vashti means beautiful, excellent. She was a noble woman, and had made a feast for the women in the royal palace. Likewise, the men had enjoyed weeks of feasting, and were in the midst of a 180-day banquet (Esther 1:4). No doubt it was peacetime. The king loved to display the riches of his glory. Food was plentiful and so was the wine.

On the seventh day, the king was merry with wine, and he comanded his eunuchs to bring the queen Vashti before him and his guests, to display her beauty. Perhaps Vashti was modest, maybe she was occupied with the women. But when the king ordered her to appear, possibly nude before the people, she refused. The king was very angered, his ego had been assaulted. He had been rejected by his wife, and would not stand for that. So not to set a further example for the women in the province, the king divorced and dethroned Vashti. One moment she had power, prestige, nobility, and riches; the next moment she is divorced, dethroned and out on the streets.


Have you ever been rejected? Rejected to the point of finding yourself in the barren wilderness, all because of obedience?
Or maybe you were hurt by a brother or a sister, in the church? All because you obeyed? And now you find yourself in desolation of spirit.
Or maybe you once had power at work or in the ministry, yet because of your character, you found yourself unemployed, demoted or divorced? Above we see two accounts of obedience, and one disobedience. Many world changes came forth from the choices of these three women.

God cares for you.
Yeshua knows what it is like to be misunderstood, even as He obeyed His Father. He knows what it is like to be cast out, rejected, shamed. He was crucified as a thief, most likely He hung there naked. The Son of God, killed outside the gate of the city. Shame, reproach.

Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Heb. 13:12.

But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him. isa 53:5-6

Hence, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.
Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.
And do not neglect doing good and sharing; for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls
Heb 13:13-17

Copyright © Barri Cae Mallin.