4 So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes.
5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The Lord judge between you and me.”
[Genesis 16:4&5]
The behaviour of Hagar is typical of so many humans. They are only humble when they are down below. Once the tables turn, you see their true colours. If you were humble when you were poor, you must still be humble when you become rich. If you have changed, then you were never humble, to start with. If becoming a lawyer or medical doctor, accountant or any other professional is the reason you’ve become proud, then you’ve always been proud. The profession only gave you the opportunity to fully express yourself. Jesus was humble; we, His followers can’t be otherwise.
Previously, we saw that both Abraham and Adam bore the ultimate responsibility and not their wives. Other examples of ultimate responsibility include the following:
🌺 Joseph. In Genesis 39:22, we’re told: “And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing“. Joseph was the Senior Prefect in Pharaoh’s maximum-security prison. He was ultimately responsible for whatever the prisoners did.
🌺 Saul. God asked him to annihilate the Amalekites in battle. He was to destroy everything, both human and beast. Saul however brought some of the choicest animals back to Israel in order to sacrifice unto the Lord. When Samuel asked him why he did so, he put the blame on the people.
Saul said, “They [i.e. the people, the soldiers] have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.” (1 Samuel 15:15)
King Saul put the blame on the people. However, when God pronounced judgment, it fell heavily on Saul. He lost the kingship. The people didn’t lose their citizenship. In fact, God didn’t look in the direction of the people at all. Saul was held responsible for everything.
🌺 A CEO for a multinational company once received instructions from the International Headquarters to implement some decisions. He did so and the company sustained serious losses. Guess what? They sacked him! The CEO protested vehemently that it was their idea, so he wasn’t to blame. The response of the HQ was that they didn’t put a gun on his head. He was on the ground and should have known better. They sacked CEO. That sounds very unfair, but that the reality.
The Lord direct our steps and deliver us from decisions, actions and choices that make the burden of ultimate responsibility unpleasant. May we be counted as good and faithful servants. Amen
