We tend to think this problem is fairly recent. In actual fact it is nearly 4000 years old.

If we get out of the will of God it is not always easy to get back. Sometimes the results are lasting.

Abraham (Abram) had left Ur of the Chaldeans, had stopped at Haran and finally reached Canaan.

Everything seemed alright until a famine arose and he decides to go to Egypt. Remember that God had already promised him descendants as numerous as the stars in the heavens and the sand on the seashore. Therefore he wouldn't have died of starvation anyway. On arriving in Egypt, other problems arose. The danger was that Sarai could be taken into a harem (possibly Pharaoh’s) and Abraham conveniently killed. So Abraham tells Sarai to say he is her brother (they were distantly related).

The result was that Sarai was taken into Pharaoh’s harem and Abraham was treated very well as her "brother". This could have ruined all God's prophecies, and so He intervened. Pharaoh summoned Abraham, accusing him of deception, having not realised that Sarai was Abraham's wife. He tells Abraham to collect his wife and leave. It is always a bad thing when a person of the world (Pharaoh) has to reprove a follower of God (Abraham).

When leaving Egypt they chose to take Hagar to be a servant to Sarai. But Sarai was barren and yet God had promised descendants from her, so, Sarai became impatient and we don't read that she and Abraham had made it a matter of prayer. Instead they decided to "jump the gun" and use Hagar. We should remember that if God's will for us is clear, we should obey at once. But if it is not clear we should wait on God until He shows us plainly what to do. Abraham did not do this. This seemed alright until Hagar actually became pregnant. Hagar became a bit proud and Sarai ill-treated her. As a result Hagar ran away.

On her journey Hagar sat down by a well and The Angel of the Lord appeared to her. This was really Jesus, and it is the first of many theophanies (visible manifestations to humankind of God) in the Old Testament. Other examples happened to Abraham later, Gideon, Samson's parents, Isaiah and as the fourth man in the furnace in Daniel Chapter 3.

The Angel told Hagar to return and the boy to be born would lead to a great nation. It is interesting that the first theophany after Genesis 3 was not to a prophet or a king but to a badly treated slave girl. God is no respecter of persons. The boy that was born was called Ishmael and he and Hagar remained in the home of Abraham and Sarai for about 15 years.

Then Isaac was born to Sarai. Abraham held a great party, but Hagar and Ishmael were excluded. This led to further tension but God solved the problem by telling Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away.

She stopped on the way back to Egypt. There was no more water in their bottle and Hagar believed that they were both going to die. God intervened once again and she was shown a well. She and Ishmael revived and went to live in Egypt.

Note the comment on this story in Galatians Chapter 4, where Paul points out that we are accepted by God because of our faith and not by our good works. In this allegory Sarai is made to represent faith and Hagar to represent law-keeping as a means of approach to God. This illustrates a great principle but, it is no personal reflection on the character of the two women involved.
 

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