Reflection: The Pharaoh's Concubine and the Egyptian Slave by Jody Stowell

Quite often when we start to look at the thorny issue of the place of women in the Church, we forget that this debate is intensely personal.  It is easy to talk ‘theologically’, by which we really mean ‘theoretically’.

So, if you might indulge me, I would like to briefly look at the stories of two women who might tell us a little of how God values his daughters.

Sarai – Genesis 12:10-20

Traditionally, this story is about Abram, but let us listen to Sarai whose silence speaks to highlight the other characters’ behaviour.

Abram makes a choice to sojourn somewhere he believes his life may be endangered, he goes down down to Egypt – so what he does there with Sarai, he is responsible for .

He arrives in Egypt where he ‘suddenly’ realises that Sarai, being so beautiful, will bring about his death (or alternatively Abram has discovered a way to be rid of his barren wife!)  In reality Abram, in his fear, worries not about Sarai’s honour, life, or even his relationship with her, but instead he ‘sacrifices Sarai on the altar of his own fear and self interest .  And so Abram convinces Sarai to tell a story which leads her to Pharaoh’s court.

Sarai is discarded by Abram, but what is God’s response? – ‘the LORD plagued Pharaoh…because of Sarai…’ - Sarai is given worth by God.  Abram did not understand that the promise given in Genesis 12, is hers too .  Abram did not honour Sarai, but God did .  This story tells of the LORD’s faithfulness; to his promise, to Sarai in her vulnerability, to Abram in his wrong choices and to his creation of ‘male’ and ‘female’ as being together included in the promise of God.

This powerfully shows the sinfulness of Abram’s actions– far from the ‘one-flesh’ hope of Genesis 2, for the male and female creatures – and the worth with which God credits Sarai.  God is her rescuer, interested in her honour and her humanity; she is not to be used as Pharaoh’s wife, she is the ancestress.  The LORD shows Abram that he was not faithful to Sarai, as his wife and joint inheritor of the promise.

Hagar – Genesis 16:1-15 and 21:8-21

And so now, we turn to Hagar, ‘the Egyptian’. She belongs to Sarai, both her foreignness and her slavery lead to her suffering .

Hagar has ended up in Sarai’s hands, but how?  Perhaps from Sarai’s time in Egypt – ‘where she learned that women can be sold to protect the lives of family members and make them rich regardless of the impact on the woman.’   Sarai’s story impacts negatively on the story of another woman, because of her own treatment and education she received about the place of women in God’s story.

So Sarai gives Hagar to Abram to provide an heir, Hagar is a mere captive to the story of Abram.  Once she conceives, she behaves badly towards Sarai , and so Sarai is given free reign by Abram to mistreat Hagar.

Hagar flees and we might take heart to see God ‘show up’, to feel that the LORD is indeed interested in Hagar; she is not simply a bit-part.  When Hagar reaches the desert, she encounters the messenger of the LORD.  This is the first time Hagar is called by her name, this is the LORD who knows her – and by invoking her name, He suggests an intimate knowledge of this foreign, female slave.

But it is also this LORD who calls her ‘servant of Sarai’ .  This LORD who wants her to go back to Sarai and Abram! To submit herself under them.  And it is then that Hagar is given a promise, a promise in which her child will be free, albeit as a wild donkey, and in which she is promised descendents too numerous to count; something extraordinary for a woman to be promised  – a foreign woman, an Egyptian!

And extraordinarily, we also see a beautiful mutuality in the encounter – Hagar has been able to see the LORD, because he first sees her, and so she names him.  The LORD comes to Hagar in her need, he shows intimacy in using her name and he includes her in the story of the LORD with His people.

We are invited to see that the LORD is with the Egyptian female slave as He is with Abram.

However, Hagar’s story has more horrors to come.  Hagar returns to Abram and Sarai, but because of the mucky relationship between the two women and the two sons, Hagar and Ishmael are sent away again, to die of hunger and thirst in the desert.

And again Hagar encounters God.  He reminds Hagar of the promise already made, a promise that Hagar has given up on.  God opens Hagar’s eyes and she sees the well of water that will sustain her child in order to fulfil the promise and bring hope and life to Hagar.

And it is also at this point that we realise that Hagar is free.

Look what God did for this woman!

Hagar’s story is by no means easy to navigate.  There is plenty in the narrative to make us wonder whether God cares.  However, I believe that to look at the story closely shows us that God honours the Egyptian woman slave.

God gives Hagar a promise, a place in the story and a provision for life – and He places her alongside Abraham (and Sarah).

The place of the foreigner and the oppressed is always alongside God’s people.

Jody Stowell is an ordinand at Ridley Hall, Cambridge. She blogs at www.radical-evangelical.blogspot.com and is on the leadership team of Fulcrum.

Comments

[Le Tattz]

brilliant. we men need to hear more of this.