What Aileth Thee, Hagar?
A. G. Brown. Genesis 21:17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, What ails you, Hagar? fear not… I. Now first, "WHAT AILETH THEE, HAGAR?" And to that question we give three answers. The first answer is this — she thought her son was given over unto death. Poor Hagar had a grief that swallowed up all other griefs. She had a sorrow that made all other sorrows appear utterly insignificant. What cared she if she had lost an Abraham's home? She was losing her boy, that was something infinitely worse. What did it matter to her if all her hopes for the future were blighted and blasted? What a picture we have here of the anxious inquirer — the experience of the sinner when first awakened to the consciousness of his soul's danger. The grief of the anxious inquirer is a grief that swallows up all other griefs. How little does it matter to him whether he has trouble in business or not. The trouble of his soul has made him oblivious to all other trouble. The one all-absorbing thought of the anxious soul, the thought that drives all others out of the mind, is — not "my son," but "my soul is dying." But observe, that Ishmael was her only son, and this added to her trial. If she had had another boy, it would have been bad enough, but poor Ishmael — if he was gone, her all was gone. No other hope. Lose him, and she had lost everything. Here again I see the sinner's sorrow, for he also argues, I have but one soul, and if that is lost, it is a loss indeed. I think there was a third drop of bitterness in her cup, and that was her previously bright expectations. I do not know what exact future Hagar pictured for her boy, but doubtless it was a happy one. He was Abraham's son; he would be Abraham's heir. Likely enough, that often before Isaac was born, she used to pat the head of Ishmael, and say, "Ah, my boy, you are born to a fortune; you will never have to slave for your bread like some poor wretches. Thank God you are not like others." And so the sinner, when convinced of sin, feels the painfulness of his condition all the more because of his previously bright expectations. Ah, he used once to think his soul was so well to do, it could never be in want. Often would he say, "Oh, soul, thank God thou art not as other souls. Thou art a good, moral, well-meaning soul, and thou needst never have a doubt about resting in the bosom of father Abraham above." But, oh, when the light of God streamed into his soul, then he saw how utterly deluded he had been. 2. The second thing that ailed Hagar was, that she was powerless to aid him. Not only was the case bad, but she could not make it better. All human resources had now failed. The bottle is as dry as the desert itself, and she has flung it aside in despairing rage. The dry sand rattles in it unmoistened, and the skin is cracking in the heat. Here again I see the sinner's case exactly photographed; all his hopes frustrated, and all his wonderfully clever expedients proving utterly futile. There was a time when he managed to satisfy or stupify his soul with the expedients of formal worship — outward reformation and life alteration. But there comes a time when he gets to the end of all his old resources, and a blessed time it is, although he does not think so. 3. The third thing that ailed Hagar was that she was stupefied with despair. Frantic effort had given place to despairing quiet; and that was a more fatal sign. "If the boy is to die, let him die, and I cannot help it." So she takes the poor, emaciated lad and casts him down in the sand, saying, "Let him have the little benefit that the shadow of a shrub can give, and I will go and sit with my back towards him, for I cannot see him die." She is so stupefied with her sorrow — so utterly benumbed by it, that she could not even pray. Is this thy case? Has frantic effort with thee given place to the quietude of despair? Art thou now found saying, "There is no hope for me, I am the man with the unclean spirit in me. Better I never can be. Saved I never shall be. It may be said of many a sinner who thinks he is dumb with despair, "God has heard the crying of thy soul." Your lips could not pray, but, unconsciously to yourself, your heart did. 4. Now, we observe here, that sad as was the case of Hagar, yet there were many favourable signs about her, using her as an illustration of the sinner; and the first favourable thing I notice is that all indifference was gone. If there ever had been any it was clean gone to the winds now. Indifference! Why Hagar was ready to die for the salvation of her boy. Art thou like Hagar? Is thine indifference broken through? It is a grand moment when a man finds out he has a soul. And the next hopeful thing I observe in Hagar was — she was completely humbled. What a difference between that broken-hearted woman sitting under the shrub, and the jaunty maid of Sarah. Who would recognize in her the one that used to be so pert and quick with her answers, and who gaily laughed at her mistress? Sinner, is that the case with you? There was a time when you had plenty of excuses to offer about yourself. And then we notice that a third favourable sign was — she had come to the end of her own resources. When Hagar came to the end of the bottle, she was very near finding the well; and he who comes to the end of his own expedients is very near finding out God's grand plan of salvation. II. HAGAR AILED A GREAT DEAL MORE THAN SHE NEED HAVE DONE. She need not have been so miserable after all. And the first reason why she need not have ailed so much is this: Her son was not appointed to death, he was appointed to life. God had said to Abraham, "I will make of him a great nation." When a broken-hearted sinner says, "My poor soul is appointed unto death," we say to ourselves, "He is mistaken; God has not appointed his soul unto death, but unto life." She ailed more than she need have done, for the very thing that she wanted was already prepared. "What aileth thee, Hagar?" She answers, "Want of water." Why, Hagar, there it is. And oh, blessed truth, dear anxious soul, everything you want is already prepared. Do you want an atonement? The atonement was made eighteen hundred and seventy-two years ago. Do you feel you need cleansing? There is the blood already shed. Do you need forgiveness? There are with our God plenteous pardons. And observe next, the water for which her son was dying was within — what distance? Why, within a bow-shot of her — nearer than that, for I am inclined to think that the well was just between Ishmael and Hagar, and that was the reason she did not see it. Oh, friend, Christ is nearer to thee than the well was to Hagar. III. I conclude by showing you HOW HAGAR LOST ALL HER AILMENTS. 1. She lost them I think, first, through prayer. "I have heard the cry of the lad." These are the sighings of a soul that God can understand, and He saith to thee, poor, despairing sinner, to-night, though you say you cannot pray, "I have heard the praying of thy soul." 2. And then notice, He opened her eyes to see what was already provided. He did not strengthen Hagar to do anything fresh, He only opened her eyes to see what was already done. And that is just how God deals with souls now. He does not ask the sinner to do anything further, but simply says, "Look this way." At the command the sinner's eyes are turned into the right direction, and the soul says what in all probability Hagar said, "Why, there it is! — there is what I want — there is the well — there is the water." Yes, there it is; and oh, why did not the sinner see it before? 3. And then, lastly, God used her pitcher. The very thing that had been no use came in very handy now. While she trusted to the pitcher it was a worthless thing, but the moment she made it subservient to the well it became valuable. It was useful as a means. Do not trust in the sermon, or you will be like Hagar, trusting to her bottle. Do not rest on the service; you will be as bitterly disappointed as she was when that bottle, all dried and cracked and sandy, lay at her feet. But, oh — may God open thine eyes to see the well, and may He make the words of tonight the pitcher to carry the water to thy dying soul! God grant it for Christ's sake! — Amen. (A. G. Brown.) Parallel Verses KJV: And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. WEB: God heard the voice of the boy. The angel of God called to Hagar out of the sky, and said to her, "What ails you, Hagar? Don't be afraid. For God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.