A Boy and an Empty Bottle

Hagar, an Egyptian woman banished by Abraham's wife, Sarah, finds herself in a desperate situation in the wilderness with her son, Ishmael. They are without water and Ishmael is near death. But God hears Ishmael's cry and intervenes, promising to make him into a great nation. He shows Hagar a well of water and provides for them. This story teaches us that even in our darkest moments, God can step in and transform our situation. He hears our cries and has the power to bring hope and a future. Today I want to speak to us on this simple topic, a boy and an empty bottle, a boy and an empty bottle. Coming out of the book of Genesis, the 21st chapter, I'm going to read from verse 15 on to verse 19, Genesis 21, 15 to 19, here's the word of the Lord. It says, When the water in his skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bull shoot. For she said, Let me not look on the death of the child. And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation. Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy to drink. One of the things I want us to pay attention to is in verse 15 it says, The water in the skin was gone. This creates the imagery of an empty bottle. The second part of verse 15 tells us, She put the child under one of the bushes. In other words, she literally abandoned the child. Then she went back and she went away from him. She stood back, because in verse 16 she says, It was just too much for her. Let me not look on the death of the child. It brings the idea that Hagar had reached the point of desperation, and it was quite hopeless. But where we're going to focus on today is verse 17, it says, And God heard the voice of the boy. I want us to pay attention to this, God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of the Lord called to Hagar from heaven and said, What troubles you? I want us to spend some time around this part of verse 17. What troubles you, Hagar? What is the affliction? What is that grieving you? What is causing you so much pain? If you're not familiar with the narrative that we've just read, it comes out of the experience of Hagar and Ishmael who had been banished from the house of Abraham and Sarah and Isaac. The time happened that Hagar and Ishmael were no longer accepted. They were no longer regarded as part of Abraham's household. And the command of Sarah, Abraham's wife, Hagar was tossed out as a reject, as a refuse, as a nobody. She was given some supplies and she was told to leave, don't come back. Now this is very graphic, this is a very painful thing to go through. I do understand that in life that we may have to cut ties, we may have to make decisions that are tough. This one in particular, raised out of the book of beginnings, raises first questions but at the same time there's a very rich amount of encouragement and insight that we're going to learn from today. As I speak to us, I want to speak to us on that theme again, a boy and an empty bottle. A boy and an empty bottle. So I want you to see what has happened to this point. Hagar is thrown out. Hagar is expelled. Hagar is fired from her job. She has also lost, not just her wages, but she has lost her lodging. She lived with Abraham, she worked for them as a slave. She did not know if there was any kind of money involved but she could no longer be part of that household. Her entire sense of security had been stripped away instantly. The life that Hagar knew for herself and for her son Ishmael was disrupted. It was total disruption. Things had turned upside down for Hagar. Perhaps the summit may not seem to be quite that way because Hagar was given some food and she was given water and she was released into the wilderness. She was said by Abraham, you know what, that's your abortion, go on your way. The Bible does not tell us that Hagar had anywhere to go and I want us to lean into this for a quick second. The Bible does not say that Hagar had an address to return to. The Bible does not tell us that Hagar had a network that she could reach out to. There is nothing in scripture that says that there were social services or any body of that matter who were willing to house a lodge or to welcome Hagar who was an Egyptian. Hagar was not a Canaanite, she was not from Ur of the Chaldeans, she was not Hebrew, she was an Egyptian. So now I want you to get the picture. She's an outcast, an outcast in the wilderness away from what she had grown to perhaps appreciate, away from what she was accustomed to. Hagar found herself on a nomadic journey, going away from the comfort, away from perhaps civilization, perhaps the community, perhaps the commodity. Hagar was disjointed, she was disconnected. She was uprooted and violently thrust into the element, thrust into the unknown. She was thrown in the expression of the day under the bus. She was given very little time to get it together and to even perhaps relocate in the entire community that she was a part of and she was driven out of Abraham's sight. And as much as the picture, and as much as the events are so heavy to handle emotionally and it continues to build, there is something that we can learn from this, from a personal level and at the same time perhaps from a communal level where we can help and we can be directed how to minister to people effectively who find themselves in a situation like this. The Bible does not tell us, the Bible does not tell us that Abraham is even blamed for anything. We don't see it in scripture, but when we encounter Hagar and Ishmael, we encounter them in a very, very, very miserable situation. The Bible tells us that the water in the skin or the sack or the pouch that she had with water, as if it was a wineskin, it was a container, a leather container that could either hold a wine or water or even grain, depending on what you wanted to put in that. But in Hagar's case, it was water, there was no water left in that container. I want you to think about it for a quick second, Hagar is not alone, she's actually taking that journey with a boy, with a son. And one of the most important elements for human life and survival is water, that water is no more, empty bottle, empty bottle, not only that she has an empty bottle, now she has a child that is exhausted, she has a child that is tired and hungry. And according to the text, it suggests to us that Ishmael was on his last leg physically, because the text tells us that she literally thrust him under the bush, suggesting that he was at the verge of dying, he was at the verge of, you know, there was nothing else that she could do for Ishmael. So she literally gave him up to the element, she gave Ishmael up to whatever would happen and she stepped back, she stepped back because she did not want to see or look on the death of the child. As we observe this scripture a little bit deeper, what we realize is that in Hagar's hand was a bottle of water at one point. Several days or perhaps weeks, that water is gone. The water connects Hagar to Abraham's household, the water connects Hagar to where she knew him. The water was Hagar's and Ishmael's yesterday, their support, their source. But in the wilderness, what was helpful, what was resourceful, what was valuable, was no more. So the question is, what do you do when something that you depend on is no longer there? Which way do you turn? Where do you, where do you go next? This was so important to Hagar and it's not there anymore. What does Hagar do? What does Hagar say? In despair, in total desperation, she abandons her son. Not only she doesn't have connection to Abraham's house through the water or through her yesterday, but now she has disconnected herself from her son, which is representative of tomorrow. Two important elements of Hagar's life seem to be rushing quickly to an end. And while these things are unfolding, the Bible says in verse 7.10, that the Lord heard the cry of the boy. It's clear to us that Ishmael was crying and could not be consoled. It is clear to us that out of that tragic event that was happening before them, that nothing could be done for Ishmael, but God, Elohim heard the voice of Ishmael. And because God heard his voice, let's hear this, because God heard his voice, the Bible says the angel of the Lord, the angel of the Lord showed up and built a conversation through a question with his mother, Hagar. The first question or the question, rather, which is asked of Hagar is, what is bothering you? What is troubling you? What has grieved you? What has disappointed you? Where are you right now in all of this, Hagar? What is hurting you? What sort of anguish that has overwhelmed you, you're overwhelmed on? And that's a question that the angel of the Lord asks of Hagar. There is no indication that Hagar answers. There is no indication that Hagar had an opportunity to respond, but it is clear that the angel of the Lord asked the straightforward question, and then proceeded in verse 17 to respond. Sometimes in life, when everything that we have held dear to us, and some of the things that we depended on no longer works, and even that which we hoped for, and a bright future and a bright tomorrow, seem to be slowly disappearing, slowly going away from us, and we are quietly losing our grip on things, yet there is the voice of the Lord that comes. There is the voice of the Father which speaks, Elohim Adonai shows up, and He asks, but He also answers. He asks, but He also speaks, He also makes a declaration. And here's what happens. He said to Hagar, don't be afraid, don't be afraid, fear not, that's verse 17, because I'm about to do something for the boy, I'm about to do something with Ishmael, I'm about to make him into a great nation, hold on a minute, I'm about to move Ishmael from under the tree. I want you to think about a boy in an empty bottle, and then you begin to wonder, a boy that is near death, to put it quite simple, and there's no water nowhere, the angel of the Lord, the voice of the Lord speaks, and the Lord speaks to Hagar, and says, I'm going to transition this situation, I'm going to fix it, I'm going to straighten it, I'm going to change it. This is what God does for everyone who has ever been in a situation like or similar to that of Hagar. Anyone who's been in a situation where with, suddenly, without notice, without any kind of perhaps formal or even formal word, that things change, and sometimes that is life. But sometimes it's not life, sometimes it's just injustice that prevails in our communities and our societies and organizations, and things that we actually have to do with. And what happens is that, what do you do, how do you process, how do you go on from there, how do you make sense of it? A total disruption, total upheaval, and then God says, in the midst of this, in the midst of this is what's going to happen. In the midst of you being in a situation where you are in the wilderness, there is no covering over your head, there is no safety, security, it's literally torn. And water is gone, and your son, that which you hope for, is an inch closer to death. God says, I can do something about this. God stepped in and said, I can do something about this. God says, I'm going to put my hand on this. And this is so significant, because if you've ever been in a situation where that which you hoped for, that which you placed your trust in, that which you believed in, that which you expected to work, and for some reason it seemed like it's not working, then that's the time we really need to understand that only the hand of God can change it. Only the hand of God can transform it. Only the power of the Lord can bring it back. Now I want to make a point here, and I want us to look at this, I want us to listen to that. As I prepared to share with you, one of the things that came into my spirit forcefully, is that Hagar was not a Christian, as a matter of fact, there was no Christianity around those times. Hagar was not of the Hebrew lineage, and she was not Christian, so she was Egyptian. Nevertheless, despite her race, and despite her ethnicity, and despite her background, God, God moved favorably towards Hagar. God said to Hagar, I am stepping in because there is something I am going to do in the life of this boy. It's amazing that God will step in when the bottle is empty. It's amazing that the Lord will step in when the boy, when the future is so uncertain. Because that's what it was, being left, being thrown onto a tree and stepping back. Hagar was saying, there is no future in Ishmael. And sometimes that's how things appear, that's how things look. There is no future in this, there is no future in this, and perhaps the best option is to let it go. The best option may be to throw it away. The best option may be to walk away from it. But then that's the time that the voice of Elohim Abunai speaks, that's the time that God intervenes, that's the time that God intercepts over pain with a promise. I want you to hear this, that's the time that the Lord intercepts over pain with a promise. Right now, I know that there are those who may be listening, and you are in this liminal state, you are in this limbo, this place of yesterday and present at the same time tomorrow. And it seems like nothing is making sense, and like Hagar, you stand back, like Hagar, you step back, like Hagar, you throw up your hands, like Hagar, you are hopeless. And that's the time that we want to hear the voice of God, that's the time that we want the Lord to hear or cry, like the psalmist declares, hear my cry, oh God, and attend, hallelujah, to my prayer. That's the time that the Lord will look in your direction, because that's what He did with Hagar. That's what He did. He paid attention. He came and He sat with Hagar in the wilderness, He sat with her wherever she was sitting, a bow shoot away from Mishmael. And isn't it wonderful that God will sit with us even when the resources have run out? I want to say this again, isn't it wonderful that God will sit with us even when the resources have run out? When there is nothing coming together, when the wilderness can't respond, when you can't go back, because Hagar could not go back to Abraham for more water, I want us to understand this. There is nothing in scripture that says Hagar could not tap into a connection that she had built along the way. There is nothing about it. There's nothing. In other words, Hagar is isolated and Hagar is cut out from everything and everyone. But God steps in and God says, I'm going to fix it. And that is what God is constantly doing for His people and that is what God wants to do for you today. God wants to fix it. Even if you find yourself with just an empty bottle and a boy, or perhaps whatever your situation is, that's how God steps in and fix things. That's how God steps in. I know you may be wondering, but why did He, why did the Lord allow the bottle to run out? Why did God allow the water to, you know, to dry up or to finish? Why did God allow this to happen to Hagar? It's because God uses these moments to prove to us and to show to us that there is no situation. There's nothing that we can actually go through in life that He's not able to hear and intervene and intercept and to respond to and to change and to transform because that's who God is. That's who God is. He will transform anything. He will transform anything. So at the end of the road of what Abram was able to provide, and when it seems like there was nothing that would work for Hagar or Ishmael, God gives a premise in the midst of her pain. God shows up and says, this is what I am going to do for you. This is what I'm going to do for your son. This is what's going to happen in the future. It's not about what is taking place now. It's what I'm going to do next. I need to say that again. It's not about what is taking place now because it is very easy for us to focus on things that are happening now. It's very easy for us to see that certain things are cut off. It's very easy for us to see that certain things are not added up. It's very easy for us to see that certain things are not working, but that's not where God is focused. God wants us to focus on what He's about to do next. It's what He's about to do around the corner. What He's about to do around the turn. What He's about to do from the valley upward. What He's about to do out of the wilderness because God was not going to pull Hagar out of the wilderness to give a word. It's in the wilderness that God spoke to Hagar. It's in the disturbance, it's in the grief, it's in the pain, it's in the burden, it's in the hopelessness, it's in the state of panic, in the state of disbelief, and in an atmosphere as if, is this going to work? And that's where God shows up and God speaks. God lets His voice soothe the soul. God allows His word to enter her heart. And this is what the Father wants to do today. This is what the Father, I believe, is doing right now. Because it's very easy for us to magnify and to make bigger what we're dealing with. But God has a way of stepping into a situation, stepping into the ugliness of a situation, stepping into empty bottles, stepping into lands that are thrown under the shrubs, stepping into situations that people said will never be able to be resuscitated or recovered. And God says, when I come into that situation, this is what's going to happen. I'm going to speak life into it. Because He did not say, God did not say in verse 17, I am going to, you know, make sure that this child has food and things of that sort. No, God went for something that is much bigger than what was happening. It was a water situation, it was a food situation, it was a life or death matter. But God did not dwell on this. God took it beyond the immediate. He took it beyond understanding. And that's what God does. He says, I am going to work from here. I'm going to let you see that Ishmael is going to become a nation with a man. How does it happen? How does God take such a messy situation and create a nation out of it? How does God use an empty bottle and a dehydrated child and a destroyed mother? How does God enter into this context and transform them? It's because He is God, because He is Elohim, because He is the Creator, He is the self-existent One. He is the mighty Yahweh. He is the One who is able to do this, and as long as we rely on Him, as long as we listen, as long as we hear His voice, He will do exactly what He said He would do. I am really encouraged by the Scripture, and I trust that you are encouraged by it. A man does not come to the aid of Hagar, and I'm going to share this point with you right now. A man does not come to the aid of Hagar, but God Himself, every now and then, God will take us to the place where nobody will speak to us, nobody will speak for us, nobody will be able to handle things for us, but God Himself will do it. This is really amazing, because the voice of the Lord is powerful, and the voice of the Lord was that which, it was that element that would pull Ishmael from under the tree. It was that element that was about to take an empty bottle and put it again, because as we've done from the 17th and 19th, what you realize is that God now shows Hagar that there was water, shows Hagar how to catch water and lift up the lad and give the lad water, give Ishmael water. This is what God does, and I believe that God will do exactly that for you. I believe that the Lord will show you, listen, I know that the Lord will show you, glory to God, how to bring a nation out of chaos, how to bring a nation out of this disturbance, how to bring a nation, it's not that Ishmael is just going to walk out and he's going to be okay. No, a nation is coming out of this boy, a nation is coming out of this boy, because this empty bottle, it's not going to be empty anymore, because something is about to change in this situation. Beloved friends, I know there's a lot of teaching on the whole narrative of Hagar, Abraham, Ishmael, but I wanted to come and to share with you this part, that so many people often miss, it's where God invades Hagar's possibilities, it's where God steps into Hagar's disbelief, it's where God steps into own doubts, it's where God steps into own fears, notice in verse 17 where Hagar is told fear not, it's because she was already afraid, whenever you see in scripture that God says fear not, it's because the element of fear has already taken root, has already set in, and we need to understand that even in fear, God will speak, even in fear, God will reassure, even in fear, God will tell us that he's about to do something mighty, he's about to do something great, he's the word of the Lord today, he's the word of the Lord today, I want you to see that every empty bottle is an opportunity for God to do something mighty, I'm gonna say this again because you need to remember this, every empty bottle, every empty basket, every empty house, every empty ministry, every empty home, every empty cupboard, every empty, everything that is empty, it's God's opportunity to fill it, every empty heart, every empty life, it's God's opportunity to fill it, because once that is filled, then nations, you see on one end was a boy on the street, on the other end was an empty skin, empty bottle, but if the bottle can be filled, glory to God, then this boy will be pulled out from under the tree, and that's the beauty of how God uses things to create faith in us, and to give us hope, and to bring us to the place where we will see, glory to God, how he puts things together, he weaves them together, he bakes them together, because I'm gonna put water into the bottle, and when I'm finished putting water into the bottle, out of this, out of this young man, is gonna come a nation, hallelujah, what is that God may be working on right now in your life, that when he fills one aspect of your life, it's actually a nation that's going to explode from the other aspect, something that you can dismiss and discard, it's gonna be a vehicle, it's gonna be the vehicle where these nations are gonna actually come out of, did you hear what I just said, don't throw away the bottle because it's empty, don't cause Ishmael to die because you have an empty bottle, oh glory to God, but let Ishmael live, let Ishmael live, I want you to hear this word, hallelujah, let what God has blessed you with come alive, let what God has blessed you with be resuscitated, let what God has blessed you, glory to God, walk out and rise up from under the tree, simply because, simply because, glory to God, God is still able to fill empty bottles, wherever you are right now, I thank God and I know, I know in my heart that God is showing, not that he will, but he's showing you, he's showing you exactly how to get this bottle filled, listen to this, it is my prayer today, hallelujah, that God will direct you in such a way that a bottle that you may think that you should discard, you no longer going to discard because God is going to refer it to your water, I'm not talking about a physical water bottle, I'm talking about this figurative term, because a bottle can mean anything, a bottle can mean a job, a bottle can be a family, a bottle can be a community, a ministry, a business, I want you to get the idea that anything that is empty, anything that is empty, anything that is lacking, God will fill it, because in the process, hallelujah, a nation will come out of this experiment, a nation will come out of this transaction, a nation will come out of this transaction, a nation will come out, not a village, a nation, a nation, glory to God, a nation, say it with me, a nation will come out of this one, hallelujah, blessed be the name of the Lord, glory to God, a nation will come out of this one, blessed be the name of Jesus, I want you to take this word, hide it in your heart, exercise what this word is saying, in spite of who he was culturally, God said, I am going to do something mighty, through your situation, listen to me, it's amazing how God is able to take the very negative situations, the very disunfortunate situations, and get glory out of this, and do something so mighty, out of the situations, well family, that's all the time we're going to spend here today, it is my prayer, that the God that we serve, hallelujah, fill your bottles, fill your bottles, lift up, glory to God, lift up your boy, lift up whatever it is, hallelujah, that you have cast aside, whatever it is that you've thrown aside, it is my prayer that God will give you the grace, to water it.