BRAGADAYJAH 43

“And Abram hearkened unto the voice of his wife Sarai.” Abram was clearly good clay; clay that needed a little moistening and a little squeezing, but good clay nevertheless; for clearly God looked upon him as a remarkable man. But what would have been even more remarkable would have been for Abram to say like Job said centuries later, “O foolish woman.” Many venal minds would no doubt come to the conclusion that Abram was glad for the offer of sexual pleasure; but I feel sure that no such lustful considerations entered his mind. The Lord God had promised him an heir; but God did not tell him by what woman; surely, Abram, having regard to the continued promises, and the respective ages of his wife and himself would have looked upon the idea as not at all outside God’s plan for an heir. So he accepted his wife’s offer and accepted his wife’s maid Hagar as a second wife. In course of time Hagar became pregnant, and with her pregnancy, trouble began to brew; for as soon as Hagar realized she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress Sarai. So now Sarai had reason to complain to her husband and even to question the wisdom of her decision for which she was prepared to take the full blame. More..