Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people.
Speaker 2: You've drawn the attention of Pharaoh's officials, and because of
Speaker 2: that we should be prepared to tell them. You're my sister,
Speaker 2: not my wife. This is for your protection as well
Speaker 2: as my own. If you've drawn the eye of a
Speaker 2: prominent Egyptian as your brother, my life would be spared.
Speaker 3: So you'd lie.
Speaker 2: It's not an outright lie. We do share a father, Abram.
Speaker 3: You would tell a half truth and deny me the
Speaker 3: protection of my husband. Lie to spare yourself and ship
Speaker 3: me off to an Egyptian warlord.
Speaker 4: My name is Hagar. Is there anything else I can
Speaker 4: get you?
Speaker 5: Master Abram, as my servant piqued your interest, consider her
Speaker 5: a part of my daddy, a gift for bringing me
Speaker 5: such a life wife.
Speaker 1: She fumed that the only kindness her husband seemingly had
Speaker 1: to spare was for some stranger and not his own wife.
Speaker 1: Abram couldn't bring himself to fully admit what had happened
Speaker 1: in Egypt, certainly not to Sarah, perhaps some day, but
Speaker 1: the failure still haunted him deeply.
Speaker 6: And you speak often for your legacy and the nation
Speaker 6: you are building. I do not mean to overreach, but
Speaker 6: how do you plan to secure your line of inheritance
Speaker 6: without a son or any children, for that matter, have
Speaker 6: you named an heir?
Speaker 7: Abraham, do not be anxious, and do not worry about
Speaker 7: the opinions of others. I have not forgotten about the
Speaker 7: promise I have made.
Speaker 2: You, God Most High, I know what you have promised me.
Speaker 8: But how can.
Speaker 7: You count the stars? Abram? You cannot, for there are
Speaker 7: too many. It is impossible. It is to be the
Speaker 7: same with your offspring. The great nation I shall make
Speaker 7: through your air would be as innumerable as the stars
Speaker 7: in the night sky.
Speaker 1: That night, under a canopy of stars and uncertainty, Sarai,
Speaker 1: despite her tears, felt comforted. Abram had failed her, but
Speaker 1: the God of Abram wouldn't.
Speaker 9: Under the desert searing sun, two women's lives intersected, and
Speaker 9: the seeds of destiny were sown in the soil of
Speaker 9: human sorrow. Shallo, my friends from here in the Holy Land,
Speaker 9: i'm ya l Extein with the International Fellowship of Christians
Speaker 9: and Jews. Welcome to the Chosen People. Each day we'll
Speaker 9: hear a dramatic story inspired by the stories, filled with
Speaker 9: timeless lessons of faith, love, and meaning. Through Israel's story,
Speaker 9: we'll find this truth that we are all chosen for
Speaker 9: something great. Take some time after this episode to follow
Speaker 9: and leave a review. These small steps ensure that you
Speaker 9: don't miss an episode, and it helps us get discovered.
Speaker 9: So let's begin. What happens when faith falters in the
Speaker 9: face of unfulfilled dreams? How do we reconcile the heartache
Speaker 9: of waiting and the urgency of desire? Can a sacred
Speaker 9: promise coexist with human impatience? In this dramatic and heart
Speaker 9: wrenching story inspired by Genesis sixteen, we dive into the
Speaker 9: lives of Sarai and Hagar, to biblical women who represent
Speaker 9: our own struggle to cling onto God's promises and to
Speaker 9: trust in his plans.
Speaker 1: Sarah's hands slightly as she grasped the clay pitcher. Whether
Speaker 1: from age or pure apprehension, she was not sure. That
Speaker 1: morning she had known. At daybreak, she opened her eyes
Speaker 1: to find the sun screaming through a jagged tear in
Speaker 1: the tent roof. She had watched the black goat hairs
Speaker 1: of the tent fabric slowly lose their luster and then
Speaker 1: deteriorate a little more each day, until a slender scene
Speaker 1: began to form. She eyed the scene every morning and evening,
Speaker 1: wondering when it would finally burst open. And today it
Speaker 1: finally happened. Yes, today was going to be the day.
Speaker 1: She felt the anxiety building in her bones and her
Speaker 1: patience raveling like the fabric above her head. She could
Speaker 1: not let it go on a moment longer. Action had
Speaker 1: to be taken.
Speaker 3: Begar, come here, Yes, Marid, I must speak my husband,
Speaker 3: but you are not dismissed yet. I will have need
Speaker 3: of you, so do not go far.
Speaker 1: Yes, my lady, ten years That's what that hole in
Speaker 1: her tent had come to represent. These nomadic tents had
Speaker 1: become their home while they waited on a promise from
Speaker 1: Abram's god, her god too. She had seen his power
Speaker 1: when he rescued her from the hands of Pharaoh himself.
Speaker 1: But she wondered as the walls around her began to
Speaker 1: crumble and her body steadily declined of old age. If
Speaker 1: there had been some kind of mistake. Was there some
Speaker 1: sign or direction they had missed along the way. Incalculable
Speaker 1: scores of descendants and possession of this land were what
Speaker 1: was promised to Abram, But a nagging suspicion had begun
Speaker 1: to worm its way into her mind. Was she to
Speaker 1: be a part of this grand design? Was she perhaps
Speaker 1: the roadblock? Was she the hold up, the mistake? She
Speaker 1: pushed the thoughts away, stuffed them deep inside herself.
Speaker 8: Lady Sirrih, I received word that you sent for me.
Speaker 3: Yes, Eliezer, I did. I would like you to intercept
Speaker 3: my husband before he makes plans to join his friends
Speaker 3: for dinner this evening. I would like him to dine
Speaker 3: with me. I must speak with him. This is very important, Eliezer.
Speaker 8: Yes, Lady Sirrih, I understand. I will do as you ask.
Speaker 1: Sarah shakily set the pitcher down on the table and
Speaker 1: began gathering the cups and readying the table for their meal,
Speaker 1: losing herself once more in her brooding. Not having children
Speaker 1: had long set her apart. Other women simply didn't know
Speaker 1: what to talk to her about. Their whole worlds were
Speaker 1: oriented around their children, and men didn't quite know what
Speaker 1: to make of her either. She was the wife of
Speaker 1: a p dominent clan leader, without the responsibilities of child
Speaker 1: rearing to occupy her time. It was a life of
Speaker 1: solitude she had never asked for. She had even lost
Speaker 1: her reluctant companion in Lot's wife when they decided to
Speaker 1: settle miles away in Sodom. Even more than the loneliness
Speaker 1: of her life and station, the overwhelming feeling of inadequacy
Speaker 1: gnawed at Sarah. She had buried the wound of her
Speaker 1: infertility deep within herself long ago, but what she would
Speaker 1: never dare speak aloud was this. She had never felt
Speaker 1: like a whole person because of it. So she hid
Speaker 1: behind her mask of self sufficiency and duty. She ran
Speaker 1: her household, honored her husband, and oversaw their affairs. She
Speaker 1: was the portrait of her Hebrew wife.
Speaker 3: Lady Sarah, the meal is almost ready for you, and
Speaker 3: Master Abram, thank you. Marret.
Speaker 1: With nothing else to nervously fill her time, she began
Speaker 1: to pace the length of the tent back and forth.
Speaker 1: For ten years. She wondered at the promise spoken over
Speaker 1: their lives. Fear that she had done something wrong, or
Speaker 1: perhaps had not done enough, manifested her creeping doubt in
Speaker 1: her heart. Old insecurities clawed their way to the surface,
Speaker 1: refusing to stay where she had long ago lobbed them away.
Speaker 1: They ate away at her faith, Like the fraying of
Speaker 1: their tent. They demanded action. They gave her a sense
Speaker 1: of urgency and need to take matters into her own hands. Maybe,
Speaker 1: just maybe she had to be the one to fix it.
Speaker 1: She refused to be the cause of failure. She could
Speaker 1: not stomach this being her shortcoming. An idea had taken root,
Speaker 1: and the more she stewed on it, the more sure
Speaker 1: she felt.
Speaker 8: Lady, sir I, I have found your husband. Will you
Speaker 8: be requiring anything else before I tell the servants you're
Speaker 8: ready for your meal?
Speaker 4: No?
Speaker 3: Thank you, Eliezer, that will be all.
Speaker 2: Sir I. I am always honored to dine with you,
Speaker 2: But what's with all the urgency informality?
Speaker 8: Are you well?
Speaker 3: Abram? I have something I need to discuss with you.
Speaker 1: Sarah paused as the servants brought in food and wine.
Speaker 1: She knew Abram could detect her nervousness immediately, after all,
Speaker 1: they had been married for over fifty years, but he
Speaker 1: respectfully held his silence and allowed her to take the
Speaker 1: time to prepare for what she had to say. Sarah
Speaker 1: I only resumed her conversation with her husband once the
Speaker 1: servants were gone.
Speaker 3: Abram, I have been giving this a lad of thought.
Speaker 3: It has been ten years since we arrived in Canaan,
Speaker 3: and God has promis must you a mighty legacy and
Speaker 3: possession of this land. You told me that he confirmed
Speaker 3: this promise in the most binding method of our culture,
Speaker 3: through covenant. You said that your offspring would come from
Speaker 3: your flesh and blood. I have never been able to conceive,
Speaker 3: and in the ten years since we heard this promise,
Speaker 3: that hasn't changed.
Speaker 1: Abram reached over the table to grasp her trembling hand.
Speaker 1: Abram's touch did not ease her discomfort. It had been
Speaker 1: fifty years of reassuring glances, squeezes of the hand, and
Speaker 1: words of affection, but never once did Abram ever say
Speaker 1: the words she desperately longed for. You are enough for me.
Speaker 1: She swallowed, steeled herself, let go of her pride, and said, I.
Speaker 3: Would have you achieved this promise another way. I would
Speaker 3: present my maid to you so that you could conceive
Speaker 3: a child with her. The child would be of your
Speaker 3: flesh and blood, and you would only have to adopt
Speaker 3: him as your heir. In that way, we would achieve
Speaker 3: God's promise to us. We could build our family through
Speaker 3: this child you would conceive with another.
Speaker 8: Sorry, you would do that for us.
Speaker 3: I would. It is the most logical path forward, and
Speaker 3: you would have the authority to make it so according
Speaker 3: to our laws.
Speaker 1: Sarah watched as Abram considered her words. She knew the
Speaker 1: events in Egypt had affected him deeply. He had come
Speaker 1: very close to losing her entirely. He was as stubborn
Speaker 1: as she was in admitting his own failures. She supposed
Speaker 1: he found it easier to bury them as well. He
Speaker 1: had been doing his best to mend what had been lost.
Speaker 1: She could acknowledge that it had taken a great deal
Speaker 1: of time to walk back the trust between them. They
Speaker 1: had made progress, and Abram still seemed unsure at times
Speaker 1: about how to re engage, and she, in turn did
Speaker 1: not know what to tell him or where to begin.
Speaker 2: Sorry, this offer is very generous. You have moved me
Speaker 2: greatly in your commitment to what our God has promised us.
Speaker 8: I will do what you have asked of me. I
Speaker 8: will accept.
Speaker 1: Sharp pangs of emotion welled up unexpectedly from within her.
Speaker 1: This wasn't what she wanted. Yes, this was what she
Speaker 1: had planned, and she thought she had the resolve to
Speaker 1: see it through. But it wasn't until now that she
Speaker 1: realized she didn't want him to grant her this request,
Speaker 1: and so readily she knew her suggestion was logical and strategic,
Speaker 1: But what she had failed to consider was her desperate
Speaker 1: desire for validation. To her great surprise, she realized at
Speaker 1: this moment that she craved comfort, the very thing she
Speaker 1: could not bring herself to ask for outright. All she
Speaker 1: wanted was for him to tell her that she was
Speaker 1: a whole person, with or without a child, that she
Speaker 1: was enough. Promise or no promise of a legacy. These
Speaker 1: thoughts screamed at her from the depths of her very soul.
Speaker 1: She had tamped down those old hurts, but here they
Speaker 1: were threatening to burst out of her. At long last,
Speaker 1: she was right. She wasn't enough. Her husband's acceptance of
Speaker 1: her plan proved all her insecurities right. The realization stopped
Speaker 1: her in her tracks and rendered her silent. She had
Speaker 1: laid this trap for herself, and now she was snared
Speaker 1: like a rabbit. She had no choice but to go
Speaker 1: through with it. She could not now deny her husband
Speaker 1: the very solution he had been looking for. She could
Speaker 1: not fail him in this. She would not fail him
Speaker 1: in this, and so she stayed silent. Hagar now stood
Speaker 1: before her lady and her master. She had never held
Speaker 1: an audience with them both before. She had been given
Speaker 1: to Abram in Egypt, and he in turn gave her
Speaker 1: to his wife, Sarah. Hagar had been her maid ever since.
Speaker 3: Abram, I present you with Hagar, as you once gave
Speaker 3: her to me as a gift. I now present her
Speaker 3: to you so that we may build our family.
Speaker 1: Hagar blinked in surprise, but kept her head bowed politely.
Speaker 1: She peered up at her master and lady in the
Speaker 1: tense silence. This exchange seemed so formal, so restrained between them.
Speaker 1: Perhaps this was yet another strange custom these Hebrews held.
Speaker 1: Hagar had always found it strange that Abram had not
Speaker 1: taken an additional wife or concubine. She was equally so
Speaker 1: that Abram had not made advances toward her, as all
Speaker 1: her previous masters had done. All her life, Hagar had
Speaker 1: been a slave and came to understand that nothing, not
Speaker 1: even her own body.
Speaker 7: Was her own.
Speaker 1: Hagar barely remembered the village she came from, or even
Speaker 1: the faces of the parents who sold her. All she
Speaker 1: remembered was that they told her it was a great
Speaker 1: honor to be selected for pharaoh, but even that honor
Speaker 1: had been taken away from her when she was given
Speaker 1: away without a second.
Speaker 3: Thought, Hagar, you will go with my husband and lie
Speaker 3: with him until you conceive a child. I will relieve
Speaker 3: you of your duties until the child is born. The
Speaker 3: child you bear him will become our heir. Do you
Speaker 3: understand what I am asking of you?
Speaker 4: Yes, Myldia, I understand as you command me. I will
Speaker 4: do as you ask.
Speaker 1: And so Hagar did as her lady instructed. That very night,
Speaker 1: she was escorted to her lord's tent. Her lady say,
Speaker 1: I was there to open the entrance. As Haiger entered,
Speaker 1: she saw her lady's face illuminated by torchlight. Hatred was
Speaker 1: painted on the creases of her eyes. Was that hatred
Speaker 1: toward her or perhaps to Abram?
Speaker 7: No.
Speaker 1: Hager had lived in hollow palaces long enough to recognize
Speaker 1: a woman who hated herself. Her night with Abram was
Speaker 1: a gentle and brief affair. She was not abused or belittled.
Speaker 1: Amid it all, Hagar could not help but wonder if
Speaker 1: this was the beginning of something good for her. Perhaps
Speaker 1: she could be more than a slave. True to her word,
Speaker 1: SyRI I relieved Hagar from her duties, ensuring that she
Speaker 1: would be looked after for the duration of her pregnancy.
Speaker 1: For the first time in Hager's life, she had meals
Speaker 1: brought to her, She had some one else to mend
Speaker 1: and wash her clothes, and her living space was kept
Speaker 1: neat and clean. Most crucially, there was no one telling
Speaker 1: her what to do. To someone who had never had anything,
Speaker 1: this was everything she felt significant. It gave her a
Speaker 1: glimpse into a future where she wasn't a slave to
Speaker 1: the whims of others. She began to dream of things
Speaker 1: that had never been accessible to her before, a family,
Speaker 1: and perhaps even a legacy of her own. If Abram
Speaker 1: and sarah I could hope for such a thing, why
Speaker 1: not her?
Speaker 8: Was she not.
Speaker 1: Bringing this about for them? In fact, they couldn't do
Speaker 1: this without her. If Abram could adopt her son, why
Speaker 1: could he not legitimize Hager as well. Time passed and
Speaker 1: the pains of pregnancy began. First, she noticed the fatigue.
Speaker 1: Hagar knew the tiredness that came from a long day
Speaker 1: of work, but this was a lethargy she had never known.
Speaker 1: But when the nausea began, she knew with certainty. As
Speaker 1: her belly grew, so did her resentment of Sarah. She
Speaker 1: hated that she would be denied the child growing inside
Speaker 1: of her. She hated that she would return to the
Speaker 1: life she had before. But most of all, she hated
Speaker 1: that Sarah would get everything she wanted and Hagar again
Speaker 1: would be left with nothing.
Speaker 3: Good morning, Hagar, I received word that you are now showing.
Speaker 4: I am, lady, as you can see well.
Speaker 3: I came to see you and see how you are progressing.
Speaker 4: I am how you see, lady? The baby grows each day.
Speaker 3: And the midwife says, the baby's healthy. Are you heeding everything?
Speaker 3: She says?
Speaker 1: Hager's hatred of Sarah I could be contained no longer.
Speaker 1: Sarah came to her and asked these questions and similar
Speaker 1: ones almost every day. Hager's frustration at her fraud situation
Speaker 1: boiled over.
Speaker 4: Why nothing but a mayor to you to be broken
Speaker 4: in bread. However you see fit, you will snatch this
Speaker 4: child of mine the moment it is free and claim
Speaker 4: it as your own. But why should you have a
Speaker 4: say at all? It is Abrahm who chose me, and
Speaker 4: it is I who was up to this task when
Speaker 4: you were not. Why should I not be.
Speaker 1: Rewarded with that? Hagar stormed off before Sarah could open
Speaker 1: her mouth to say a word. Hagar's words hung in
Speaker 1: the air moments after she left, and Sarah I was
Speaker 1: rendered utterly speechless. Would this woman take her child? Would
Speaker 1: Abram in fact come to favor Hagar once she bore
Speaker 1: a child of his flesh? Fear surged through her veins
Speaker 1: and kicked up fury in its wake. Sarah I had
Speaker 1: done the noble thing. She sacrificed her pride in granting
Speaker 1: her husband this path toward a child, and this was
Speaker 1: to be how she was to be repaid. Her anger
Speaker 1: crackled toward her husband. He had, without a moment's hesitation,
Speaker 1: set her aside. The boldness of her handmaiden could be
Speaker 1: dealt with later, but first her husband. Sarah knew Abram
Speaker 1: would be heading out toward the fields to day. She
Speaker 1: marched back to their tent and cornered him as he
Speaker 1: prepared to leave.
Speaker 2: Abram, Sir, I, what's wrong?
Speaker 3: Tell me the truth? Have you given Hagar any reason
Speaker 3: to believe that she may keep our child?
Speaker 5: What?
Speaker 8: Of course not? Why would you ask me such a thing?
Speaker 3: Have you told her that you prefer her to me?
Speaker 2: Of course, not where is this coming from. I've only
Speaker 2: done what you've asked me to do, what I.
Speaker 3: Asked you to do. But oh, how quickly you agreed.
Speaker 3: Not a moment's hesitation for your wife, not one moment
Speaker 3: to consider why I asked you to do it or
Speaker 3: how I felt about it.
Speaker 2: Sarah, you asked me to do this. Why would you
Speaker 2: ask this of me if you didn't want it? I
Speaker 2: wanted to please you, so I did what you requested
Speaker 2: of me.
Speaker 3: Oh is that why you did it to please me?
Speaker 3: That is why you swiftly and gingerly took the slave
Speaker 3: to your bed to please me?
Speaker 2: Sure, Abram, you were so sure, you were so bold
Speaker 2: and confident with this plan. How was I to know
Speaker 2: you were holding back your true feelings? Was it a
Speaker 2: trap you laid for me? I've been trying desperately to
Speaker 2: be a better husband, a better man for you. I
Speaker 2: was moved that you were so invested in the promise.
Speaker 2: How God made us Ah, I thought this would make
Speaker 2: you happy. This business with Hagar will give us a
Speaker 2: child at last.
Speaker 3: No, Abram, this business with Hagar will give you a child.
Speaker 3: It's your child, your promise your legacy, your divine calling
Speaker 3: with some god I have yet to hear from. Perhaps
Speaker 3: in the midst of it all, I would have a
Speaker 3: consolation prize, a husband who loves me and won't ship
Speaker 3: me off to Pharaoh or leave me into the arms
Speaker 3: of some slave.
Speaker 2: Sir I, I am not leaving you.
Speaker 8: I am not.
Speaker 3: Whatever kindness you have shown this woman has made her
Speaker 3: hate me and desire you. This woman who should have
Speaker 3: been our ally has become my enemy. She hates me.
Speaker 3: You agreed to this plan, so I hold you responsible.
Speaker 3: What I had hoped would help has only come back
Speaker 3: to harm me. May God judge between.
Speaker 2: Me and you, Sir I, these are strong words. You
Speaker 2: give me no choice but to give you justice. Do
Speaker 2: what you please with the girl. You can decide what
Speaker 2: is to be done with her.
Speaker 1: Sarah I turned on her heel and left their tent.
Speaker 1: Satisfaction was not complete in her eyes, not even close,
Speaker 1: but at least she would have her justice. She found
Speaker 1: Hager and confronted her, rage roaring in her ears.
Speaker 3: You there, Hagar, how dare you speak to me as
Speaker 3: you did earlier? Who do you think you are?
Speaker 4: You have given your husband to me, and I have
Speaker 4: done what you could not. Why should my station not
Speaker 4: be elevated? Who is to say that Abram will not
Speaker 4: decide between us.
Speaker 3: I am your lady, and you are mine to do
Speaker 3: with as I please. Even the child growing inside you
Speaker 3: is mine to do with as I please. I have
Speaker 3: given you nothing. You are nothing.
Speaker 1: Sarah struck Hagar with her final words. Hagar fell to
Speaker 1: the ground, and Sarah felt the leash on her anger
Speaker 1: slip even further As she continued her assault on a
Speaker 1: defenseless Hagar. Over and over again, she yelled, you.
Speaker 3: Are nothing, You are nothing, You are nothing.
Speaker 1: Sarah was too enraged to know if she was yelling
Speaker 1: these insults at Hagar or herself. Panting and exhausted, SARAHI
Speaker 1: finally collapsed to her knees, trembling. The air between the
Speaker 1: two women was still taut, like the string on a bow.
Speaker 1: Haiger winced as she uncurled herself from the protective ball
Speaker 1: she had formed around her head and pregnant belly. She
Speaker 1: peered up at Sarah, tears brimming in her eyes. Sarah
Speaker 1: I was still panting and glaring at her, but still
Speaker 1: as death. Hager tentatively propped herself up with her elbow
Speaker 1: weighing how Sarah would respond to her movement. Sarah stared
Speaker 1: at her in lethal silence, but didn't move to strike
Speaker 1: or stop her. Haiger pushed herself to her feet, shaking.
Speaker 1: Sarah watched her but made no movement. Sensing this may
Speaker 1: be her only opportunity, Hager turned and stumbled away as
Speaker 1: quickly as she could. She did not want to allow
Speaker 1: her lady time to change her mind. Hager broke into
Speaker 1: a limping run as she fled from Abram and Saya's camp.
Speaker 1: She had no plan and nowhere to go, but instinctively
Speaker 1: ran east toward Egypt. Sarai stared after Hager for a
Speaker 1: long while until her limping figure disappeared from view on
Speaker 1: the horizon. When she was gone, regret and shame flooded Sarai,
Speaker 1: flashing out her fury. She hated Hagar, she hated Abram,
Speaker 1: but most of all, she hated herself. Hagar staggered along
Speaker 1: the road to shore. On the way to Egypt. She
Speaker 1: had covered miles and miles since her confrontation with SARAHI.
Speaker 1: Black and purple bruises flecked with a yellowy green began
Speaker 1: rising from her skin where Sarai had struck her. She
Speaker 1: wandered with nothing but the clothes on her back. Her
Speaker 1: stomach growled and her throat was dry. She hoped she
Speaker 1: would happen upon travelers who would take pity on her
Speaker 1: and give her shelter and protection, but she had seen
Speaker 1: no one on the road since she fled that morning.
Speaker 1: First buzzed in the back of her mind like a pest,
Speaker 1: and even the dull, throbbing headache could not be quieted.
Speaker 1: She saw a modest spring up ahead off the road
Speaker 1: and quickened her pace. She carefully navigated the steep drop
Speaker 1: off the road to access the trickling water. She protectively
Speaker 1: held her belly as she sidestepped down the hill. She
Speaker 1: collapsed to her knees, cupped her hands, and greedily dreamt
Speaker 1: the water from the stream. After several gasping gulps of water,
Speaker 1: she realized how quiet the world around her had become.
Speaker 1: The insects, birds, and even the breeze around her had ceased.
Speaker 1: She looked over her shoulder up toward the road and
Speaker 1: beheld an other worldly being staring at her. She yelped
Speaker 1: in surprise and fell backward, catching herself on her elbow.
Speaker 7: Hagar, you do not know me, but you know the
Speaker 7: God of Israel. I serve I come to you now
Speaker 7: on his behalf.
Speaker 1: Hagar was too stunned to say anything and dumbly gaped
Speaker 1: at the figure. The messenger came down the hill and
Speaker 1: stretched out his hand to Hagar. The gesture was so
Speaker 1: kind and so human that, despite the messenger's appearance, Hagar
Speaker 1: hesitantly took his hand, and he helped her to her feet.
Speaker 7: Hagar, tell me where do you come from? And where
Speaker 7: are you going?
Speaker 4: How is it that you know my name?
Speaker 7: I know many things. You come from Egypt, and you
Speaker 7: are a handmaiden to Sarah. But now I ask you,
Speaker 7: so tell me where did you come from? And where
Speaker 7: are you going?
Speaker 4: I am running away from my lady, said I.
Speaker 1: The messenger smiled at Hagar. He seemed to take in
Speaker 1: her measure. Knew she should probably be afraid. That she
Speaker 1: was struck by the kindness of his presence. She could
Speaker 1: sense power as well, great power, but she knew instinctively
Speaker 1: that no harm would come to her.
Speaker 7: Hagar, the God I spoke of, I am here to
Speaker 7: speak to you on his behalf. He would have me
Speaker 7: tell you two things. First, I would ask something of you.
Speaker 7: You are to go back to your lady and submit
Speaker 7: to her authority.
Speaker 1: Hagar's eyes widened at this, but the messenger continued, second,
Speaker 1: I would give you something. Hagar's heart leaped to be
Speaker 1: given anything by such a figure of authority. She sucked
Speaker 1: in her breath. The God Most High will give you
Speaker 1: a great family. He will greatly multiply your offspring, and
Speaker 1: they will be too ready to count. The child growing
Speaker 1: in your wound now will be a son. You are
Speaker 1: to name aim him Ishmael. The God most High has
Speaker 1: seen everything that has happened to you. He has heard
Speaker 1: both the longings of your heart and seen the abuse
Speaker 1: that has befallen you. Hagar started at that. She was
Speaker 1: humbled to have drawn the attention of Abram's God.
Speaker 7: I will tell you more about the son you will
Speaker 7: bear Ishmael. When he grows to be a man, he
Speaker 7: will be like a wild bulgie. His hands will be
Speaker 7: against everyone, and everyone's hands will be against him.
Speaker 1: Hagar did not understand the full meaning of what the
Speaker 1: messenger was telling her, but she assumed that she would
Speaker 1: come to understand in time.
Speaker 7: His great family will be settled, from Havilah to Shur
Speaker 7: and they will all be together.
Speaker 1: Hagar was amazed at the words of the messenger. She
Speaker 1: wondered at the power and authority of his God.
Speaker 4: I am honored you would come to me that your
Speaker 4: God even knows who I am. You have said his
Speaker 4: name is God most High, and I have called him
Speaker 4: the God of Abram. But now I will give him
Speaker 4: a new name. Your God has seen me something so
Speaker 4: few have done, so I would call him Eleroy, the
Speaker 4: God who sees.
Speaker 1: Hagar did as the messenger of Elroy, as she named
Speaker 1: him bid. She returned to her lady Sarah and submitted
Speaker 1: herself to her authority. Sarah's anger had simmered, and an
Speaker 1: icy indifference settled in its place. She took Hagar back
Speaker 1: into her care to await the child's birth, but the
Speaker 1: rift between the women had been said. Abram had struggled
Speaker 1: with his decision as to what to do in the
Speaker 1: conflict between his wife and the would be mother of
Speaker 1: his child. When Hagar ran away due to Serah's harsh
Speaker 1: dealings with her, Abram was overcome with guilt. He felt
Speaker 1: that he had failed again. He cried out to his
Speaker 1: God about what to do or how to proceed, But
Speaker 1: when Hagar returned. He rejoiced and took it as a
Speaker 1: sign that he was to continue with the plan to
Speaker 1: adopt the child as his heir. When the day finally
Speaker 1: came for Hagar to bear her son, she sent word
Speaker 1: to Abram about the name.
Speaker 8: Master Abram. Congratulations, Hagar has born your son.
Speaker 2: That's wonderful news. Eliezer, thank you.
Speaker 8: Yes, it is Master Abram. But there's more. What is it?
Speaker 8: Hagar has asked me to relay the message that the
Speaker 8: boy's name will be Ishmael. What did you say? Her
Speaker 8: name is to be Ishmael? Why would she ask for
Speaker 8: anything else? The name is to be Ishmael. Why would
Speaker 8: she ask for the name to be a Hebrew name?
Speaker 8: If anything, I would think she'd ask for one that's Egyptian.
Speaker 2: The name means God hears.
Speaker 1: Abram wondered at the name. He had thought that everything
Speaker 1: had been said right and that his God was affirming
Speaker 1: his decision. How strange that this significant name would come
Speaker 1: through the woman he and his wife had treated so badly.
Speaker 1: Abram could not shake the feeling that, in taking matters
Speaker 1: into their own hands, they had indeed fallen short.
Speaker 9: When I first heard the story of Sarahi and Hagar.
Speaker 9: I was struck by its raw humanity. Here we have Sarai,
Speaker 9: a woman with deep aching desires, longing for a child,
Speaker 9: a legacy, and the love of her husband. And then
Speaker 9: there's Hagar, a servant caught in the middle of someone
Speaker 9: else's desperation. The whole narrative feels so raw, it feels
Speaker 9: so human. I feel the way of Sarai's hope turned
Speaker 9: to despair. Her dream is tangled and frustration. I feel
Speaker 9: Hagar's confusion and fear, thrust into a role she never
Speaker 9: even wanted. And through it all, I feel God's presence,
Speaker 9: not absent in the entire messy situation, but intimately involved.
Speaker 9: God heard Hagar's cries. God felt Sarai's pain. This story,
Speaker 9: with all of its imperfections and struggles, reminds me that
Speaker 9: God is there for us, not only in the easy times,
Speaker 9: but in the messy times, despite our humanity and our brokenness. Now,
Speaker 9: let's take a moment to explore the significance of Sarai
Speaker 9: and Hagar's names, names that are rich with meaning and insight. First,
Speaker 9: there's Sarai, which in Hebrew means my princess. Her name
Speaker 9: evokes images of nobility bearing and someone destined for greatness.
Speaker 9: Sarai carries the promise of what is to come the
Speaker 9: lineage of kings. Let's look a little closer. A princess
Speaker 9: holds great potential, but often has to wait for her
Speaker 9: kingdom and her future. Sarai's journey is marked by this
Speaker 9: tension between the future promise of royalty and the present
Speaker 9: reality of barrenness. Sarai is a woman caught between what
Speaker 9: is and what will be, struggling to hold on to
Speaker 9: faith in the face of long years of waiting. She's
Speaker 9: been promised that she will be a mother of the nations,
Speaker 9: but the promise has yet to be fulfilled. Sarai is
Speaker 9: caught in the in between, and that is where so
Speaker 9: many human mistakes can be made. In the margin between
Speaker 9: God's future promises and are current suffering. Then we have Hagar,
Speaker 9: whose name, literally in Hebrew, means flight. Her name tells
Speaker 9: a story of movement, of escape, of a journey from
Speaker 9: one place to another. Hagar's embodiment, of displacement, of being uprooted,
Speaker 9: of being cast into uncertainty. In flight, Hagar navigates the
Speaker 9: harsh realities of her existence, finding herself seen by God
Speaker 9: in the wilderness. It is in these names that we
Speaker 9: can understand the depth of their personal stories and what
Speaker 9: they're coming to teach us. Why are we so impatient?
Speaker 9: Why do we struggle with waiting? In our fast paced world.
Speaker 9: We're often told to take control, to make things happen
Speaker 9: to our own strength and our own terms, But all
Speaker 9: too often God's timing doesn't fit our schedules or plans.
Speaker 9: Isaiah forty thirty one says, but they that wait upon
Speaker 9: the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up
Speaker 9: with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary,
Speaker 9: and they shall walk and not faint. Waiting on God
Speaker 9: isn't passive. It's active, and it's about trust. It's about
Speaker 9: surrendering our timeline to God. And when we wait, we
Speaker 9: are acknowledging that God is God, He is perfect and
Speaker 9: well we are not just like Sarai. We face a
Speaker 9: choice to take matters into our own hands or to
Speaker 9: trust in God's perfect timing. I know it's easier said
Speaker 9: than done, but remember God's promises are never late, they
Speaker 9: are always right on time. And while we wait for him,
Speaker 9: God works on us and in us, preparing us for
Speaker 9: what's to come. But aside from what Sarai in Hagar's
Speaker 9: story tells us about our relationship with God, it also
Speaker 9: looks at some pretty profound moral and ethical issues. Abraham
Speaker 9: and Sarai's use of Hagar is a stark reminder of
Speaker 9: how humans often treat each other in their quest for
Speaker 9: what they believe is right. Think about it. Sarai offers
Speaker 9: Hagar to Abraham, not considering Hagar's voice, choice, or dignity. Hagar,
Speaker 9: a servant, finds herself used her body means to an end.
Speaker 9: It's a disturbing glimpse into the human tendency to use
Speaker 9: others for personal gain, and is not just an issue
Speaker 9: from the Bible, no, from the days of servants and enslavement,
Speaker 9: from times when such actions were more common. These same
Speaker 9: human tendencies are very much alive and well today. Unfortunately,
Speaker 9: we see such actions everywhere in the corridors of power,
Speaker 9: in the workplace, in our communities, and sometimes even in
Speaker 9: our homes. Humans have a dark tendency to exploit others
Speaker 9: while pursuing their own selfish goals. Convinced that the ends
Speaker 9: justify the means, Sarai and Abram's actions while driven by
Speaker 9: a deeply personal and painful longing crossed ethical boundaries. They
Speaker 9: inflicted harm on Hagar, causing strife and suffering. We would
Speaker 9: expect more from our matriarchs and patriarchs. Don't you think
Speaker 9: the great men and women of the Bible should be
Speaker 9: better examples? No, But, as we've already seen throughout Genesis,
Speaker 9: Jewish tradition doesn't consider our patriarchs and matriarchs have been perfect.
Speaker 9: Although they did exist on a much higher level and
Speaker 9: they were directly connected to God, they were also imperfect,
Speaker 9: just like us. And as this story about great people
Speaker 9: acting not so greatly points out our human imperfections, it
Speaker 9: also asks us to look at those who, like hug
Speaker 9: Our feelus, feel discarded and feel voiceless. The story reminds
Speaker 9: us both that we, even though we're imperfect, could still
Speaker 9: have a connection to God that's deep and real and meaningful.
Speaker 9: And it also reminds us of our call to see
Speaker 9: and treat every person as an image bearer of God,
Speaker 9: deserving of dignity and respect. Because even as Hagar was mistreated,
Speaker 9: the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob saw her in distress,
Speaker 9: he didn't turn his eyes when Hagar fled into the
Speaker 9: wilderness feeling used and abandoned. God actually went to meet her.
Speaker 1: There.
Speaker 9: God saw Hagar, and he called her by name. God's
Speaker 9: tenderness towards Hagar is a powerful reminder of his heart
Speaker 9: for the marginalized, the used, and the abused. It shows
Speaker 9: us that no one is beyond his sight or a
Speaker 9: care in the vast expanse of human suffering. God's compassion
Speaker 9: reaches out to those who feel most forgotten, the very
Speaker 9: same people who the Fellowship works each day to help
Speaker 9: to bring food to and say you're not alone. We
Speaker 9: do that here in the Holy Land, across the former
Speaker 9: Soviet Union, and anywhere around the world where God's people
Speaker 9: need help. We help over two million people a year
Speaker 9: who feel alone, and we tell them God has not
Speaker 9: abandoned you nor forgotten do and either have we. There
Speaker 9: was a teacher from Nazareth who understood these principles that
Speaker 9: we see in Genesis sixteen. And to speak more on
Speaker 9: that is our good friend, Bishop Paulinier.
Speaker 10: Thank you, yeah, El, You've done such a masterful job
Speaker 10: speaking to this chapter sixteen. Can you believe I can
Speaker 10: barely get past verse one because it's unfortunately such a
Speaker 10: common anguish for some women and couples to suffer.
Speaker 8: It says that Sarah.
Speaker 10: Could not conceive, she could not become pregnant. You look
Speaker 10: back at the book of Genesis when God speaks to
Speaker 10: Eve and he prophesies through her and says that ultimately
Speaker 10: deliverance is going to come through pre mensi, through conception,
Speaker 10: through a child, a baby who's heel will be pressed
Speaker 10: against the enemy's head and crush him. God had spoken
Speaker 10: prophetically to this seventy five year old Abraham's sixty five
Speaker 10: year old Sarah that through them would come a nursery.
Speaker 10: And to the Christians listening, now you understand that through
Speaker 10: the nursery would come the nation of Israel, and through
Speaker 10: the nation would come Jesus, and through Jesus we'd come
Speaker 10: his Church, and through his Church the ultimate manifestation of
Speaker 10: His kingdom. But we can't get out of verse one.
Speaker 10: She can't conceive, And it's a tragic motif or theme
Speaker 10: we keep running into in this Covenant conversation. Rebecca and
Speaker 10: Isaac couldn't conceive, and Jacob and his Rachel could not conceive,
Speaker 10: and Hannah and we get over to the Christian scriptures
Speaker 10: of the New Testament, and Elizabeth in her old age,
Speaker 10: and her husband and his old agent wanted a child,
Speaker 10: and they couldn't conceive. And in each one of these situations,
Speaker 10: their husband caressed them and braced them, their husband poured
Speaker 10: their own flesh, seeded themselves into their wife, and stelled
Speaker 10: their bodies betrayed them, and they could not conceive. And
Speaker 10: so I'm thinking sitting here now about something miraculous. Over
Speaker 10: in the Christian scriptures of a young Jewish girl named Mary.
Speaker 10: The Bible says that no man touch'd her, no man
Speaker 10: had embraced her, caressed her, no man had seeded his
Speaker 10: own flesh into her. But miraculously she conceiv'd and brought
Speaker 10: forth her son and laid him in a manger. We
Speaker 10: know his name to be Jesus. That whole scenario I
Speaker 10: can't conceive. Though I've been touch'd and Mary I have conceiv'd,
Speaker 10: yet no man has touched me the miracle. And I
Speaker 10: would say to those who are Christian who believe in Jesus,
Speaker 10: the only thing more miraculous than the virgin birth.
Speaker 7: Is the new birth.
Speaker 10: Almighty God, I thank you for the miraculous in your
Speaker 10: covenant conversations with your people in the Hebrew scriptures, in
Speaker 10: the Christian scriptures, and that all of us who believe
Speaker 10: in this one God of Israel, we rest in you
Speaker 10: and the promises you've spoken, and we know that with God, all.
Speaker 6: Things are possible.
Speaker 9: In the tension between the now and the not yet,
Speaker 9: let's remember to trust in the tension between the ends
Speaker 9: and the means. Let's remember justice in the tension between
Speaker 9: the known and the unknown. Let's remember to seek peace.
Speaker 9: Here's a final blessing for you. Ivareh Hashem vishmerechra ya
Speaker 9: heer hashempanave e lehra verron nera y sa haschempanave e
Speaker 9: lehra shllon. May the Lord bless you and keep you.
Speaker 9: May the Lord make his face shine upon you. May
Speaker 9: he be gracious to you. May the Lord turn his
Speaker 9: face towards you and give you peace.
Speaker 1: Amen. You can listen to the Chosen People with Isle
Speaker 1: Eckstein Ad free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey
Speaker 1: dot Com app today. This Prey dot Com production is
Speaker 1: only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents.
Speaker 1: Steve Gattina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger, and Ben Gammon are
Speaker 1: the executive producers of The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein,
Speaker 1: edited by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are
Speaker 1: voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan,
Speaker 1: Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced
Speaker 1: by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by
Speaker 1: Bree Rosalie and Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier,
Speaker 1: Robin van Ettin, kaylab Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team
Speaker 1: at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. You can hear
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Speaker 1: If you enjoyed The Chosen People with Yeiel Eckstein, please
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