The Chosen People – "Sarai vs. Hagar"

Podcast by Pray.com | Episode date: October 27, 2025

Overview

This episode of "The Chosen People" explores the complex dynamic of Sarai, Abram, and Hagar, diving deep into the emotional, spiritual, and societal ramifications of Sarai’s barrenness, Hagar's servitude, and the promises made to Abram. Through vivid dramatization and intimate narration, the show reveals the personal struggles, motivations, and pain that underpin the biblical story found in Genesis 16. The episode centers on themes of faith, inadequacy, jealousy, power, and the difficult consequences of taking destiny into one’s own hands.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Previous Events & Context ([00:34]–[02:50])

• Recap of Abram and Sarai’s time in Egypt and the partial truth Abram told Pharaoh about Sarai.
  • "You'd tell a half truth and deny me the protection of my husband, Lie to spare yourself and ship me off to an Egyptian warlord?" – Sarai ([01:05])
• Introduction of Hagar as an Egyptian slave, added to Abram's household as part of Sarai's dowry.
• God’s promise to Abram reiterated by the Messenger: his descendants will be as innumerable as the stars.

2. Sarai’s Struggle with Barrenness ([05:33]–[09:30])

• Sarai’s growing sense of anxiety and inadequacy; her infertility sets her apart.
  • "She had never felt like a whole person because of it. So she hid behind her mask of self sufficiency and duty." ([08:07])
• Ten years in Canaan, tent leaking—a metaphor for her fraying patience and hope.
• Growing urgency leads to Sarai devising a plan.

3. The Proposal: Hagar as Surrogate ([10:35]–[13:59])

• Sarai proposes Abram conceive a child with Hagar, in keeping with contemporary customs.
  • "You achieve this promise another way. I would present my maid to you so that you could conceive a child with her." – Sarai ([12:27])
• Abram hesitates but accepts Sarai’s practical, if painful, offer:
  • "Sarai, this offer is very generous. You have moved me greatly... I will do what you have asked of me. I will accept." – Abram ([13:45])
• Sarai’s emotional turmoil, wanting comfort rather than simple compliance.

4. Hagar’s Perspective and New Status ([15:57]–[20:46])

• Hagar is formally given to Abram by Sarai:
  • "Hagar, you will go with my husband and lie with him until you conceive a child... The child you bear him will become our heir. Do you understand what I am asking of you?" – Sarai ([17:10])
• Hagar’s unique experience with Abram—she is not abused, for the first time feels dignity and possibility:
  • "Perhaps she could be more than a slave." ([17:31])
• Sarai relieves Hagar of her duties during pregnancy, a significant shift in Hagar’s life and self-worth.

5. Tension, Jealousy, and Confrontation ([22:30]–[28:41])

• Hagar's rise in status breeds resentment and defiance; Sarai’s daily inquiries fuel Hagar’s anger.
  • "Am I nothing but a mare to you, to be broken and bred however you see fit?... It is Abram who chose me. And it is I who was up to this task when you were not." – Hagar ([23:08])
• Sarai’s fears for her own place in Abram’s life and in the covenant.
• Sarai and Abram’s heated argument about agency and responsibility:
  • "What I asked you to do? But, oh, how quickly you agreed. Not a moment's hesitation for your wife..." – Sarai ([25:09])
  • "You were so sure. You were so bold and confident with this plan. How was I to know you were holding back your true feelings?" – Abram ([25:50])
• Sarai’s fury turns towards Hagar; harsh words and violence:
  • "You are nothing. You are nothing." – Sarai ([28:37])

6. Hagar’s Flight and Divine Encounter ([28:41]–[35:28])

• Hagar flees into the wilderness, wounded and desperate.
• At a spring, an angelic messenger appears to Hagar:
  • "Hagar, the God I spoke of. I am here to speak to you on his behalf. He would have me tell you two things..." – Messenger ([33:11])
    • Instruction: return and submit to Sarai.
    • Promise: Her son will also father a great nation; he will be named Ishmael ("God hears").
  • "Your God has seen me, something so few have done. So I would call him El Roi, the God who sees." – Hagar ([34:54])
• Hagar returns, empowered by her encounter, but with the rift in the household unresolved.

7. Birth and Naming of Ishmael ([35:28]–[37:02])

• Hagar bears a son, naming him Ishmael by divine instruction.
• Abram and Sarai react to the name; it is a Hebrew name, not Egyptian.
  • "The name means 'God hears.' ...How strange that this significant name would come through the woman he and his wife had treated so badly." – Narrator ([37:02])
• Abram reflects on his and Sarai’s actions—the sense they have fallen short by trying to fulfill God’s promise their own way.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Sarai’s internal struggle:
  "She had buried the wound of her infertility deep within herself long ago. But what she would never dare speak aloud was this. She had never felt like a whole person because of it." ([08:07])

• Sarai’s plan and heartache:
  "I would present my maid to you so that you could conceive a child with her. The child would be of your flesh and blood, and you would only have to adopt him as your heir. In that way, we would achieve God's promise to us." – Sarai ([12:27])

• Abram’s acceptance:
  "Sarai, this offer is very generous. You have moved me greatly in your commitment to what our God has promised us. I will do what you have asked of me. I will accept." – Abram ([13:45])

• Hagar’s awakening:
  "Perhaps she could be more than a slave." ([17:31])

• Sarai and Abram’s confrontation:
  "No, Abram. This business with Hagar will give you a child. It's your child, your promise, your legacy. Your divine calling with some God I have yet to hear from." – Sarai ([26:21])

• Sarai’s attack on Hagar:
  "I am your lady and you are mine to do with as I please. Even the child growing inside you is mine to do with as I please. I have given you nothing. You are nothing." – Sarai ([28:02], [28:37])

• The angel’s message to Hagar:
  "First, I would ask something of you. You are to go back to your lady and submit to her authority. Second, I would give you something. The God Most High will give you a great family. He will greatly multiply your offspring, and they will be too many to count. The child growing in your womb now will be a son. You are to name him Ishmael." – Messenger ([33:11]–[33:43])

• Hagar’s revelation:
  "Your God has seen me, something so few have done. So I would call him El Roi, the God who sees." – Hagar ([34:54])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Recap & Setup: [00:34]–[02:50]
• Sarai’s Isolation & Plan: [05:33]–[13:59]
• Abram & Sarai’s Agreement: [11:27]–[13:59]
• Hagar’s New Life & Pregnancy: [15:57]–[20:46]
• Sarai & Hagar’s Clash: [22:30]–[28:41]
• Hagar in the Wilderness & Divine Encounter: [28:41]–[35:28]
• Birth and Naming of Ishmael: [35:28]–[37:02]

Tone and Language

The language throughout the episode is emotive, introspective, and rich in biblical drama, seeking to place listeners inside the fraught minds and hearts of its characters. The tone balances reverence for scripture with a willingness to probe the agony and imperfection of its heroes.

Conclusion

"Sarai vs. Hagar" unflinchingly portrays the difficulty of wrestling with faith, personal pain, and communal destiny. It asks profound questions about agency, obedience, and being seen—by God and by each other. For listeners, it breathes new life into an ancient story, inviting empathy for all three central figures in their suffering and longing for hope.