Sarai schemed and convinced Abram to take her maid to obtain children. She didn’t wait for God to fulfill His promise to them. When Hagar conceived, Sarai became despised in her eyes. So Sarai dealt harshly with her and sent her away.

The Angel of the Lord met her, and told her to go back to Sarai. He explained she would have a son, and to call him Ishmael. Note what God said. Genesis 16:12 says, “He shall be a wild man; his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him…” Hmm.

Verse 13 says, “Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-The-God-Who-Sees; for she said, Have I also here seen Him who sees me?” Does that comfort you? I love Psalm 139. David’s words remind us that we are never out of the Lord’s sight, from conception to our last breath on this earth.

Abram was 86 when Ishmael was born. God made a covenant that He would establish with Isaac. Genesis 17:21 says, “…whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.”