Hagar worked as a servant for Abraham and his wife Sarah. Sarah was unable to have children, and as was a common practice of the time, Sarah offered her servant, Hagar, to Abraham in hopes she would conceive. Hagar became pregnant, but Sarah grew jealous and upset about the situation and threw her out of their home. Hagar was alone in the desert when an angel appeared and promised a blessing on her child, naming him Ishmael, which means \u201cGod hears.\u201d Hagar responded with, \u201cYou are the One who sees me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fourteen years later, Hagar returned to Abraham and Sarah gave birth to her own son. Once again, Sarah forced Hagar and Ishmael to leave. Once again they fled to the desert. Abraham had given them a bottle of water, but soon it was all gone. They were both near death when God again heard their cries and an angel called to Hagar: \u201cDo not be afraid. God has heard the boy crying.\u201d The angel reminded Hagar of God\u2019s blessing and provided a spring of water. Hagar and Ishmael survived and prospered. Ishmael sired a great nation. Genesis 25:12-18 lists his many descendants that were divided into twelve tribes, and, as God had earlier revealed, \u201cThey lived in hostility toward all the tribes related to them\u201d (Genesis 25:18).<\/p>\n
Here is Hagar’s life story in the Bible:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022 Hagar was Sarah\u2019s Egyptian servant<\/strong>
\nNow Sarai, Abram\u2019s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar. (Genesis 16:1, NIV)<\/p>\n