Who can know the heart of a man or his true hidden nature? This is a question that probes many minds, especially in their dark days of disappointments. Particularly when they have become disappointed by people they once trusted, loved, and respected. Jeremiah summarizes a response to this question thus: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings” (Jeremiah 17:9-10).
Hagar, a servant of Sarah, the wife of Abraham, was an Egyptian who might have been obtained by Abraham’s family while they were sojourning in Egypt when famine broke out in Canaan. As a servant, we hear nothing about the character of Hagar… until her position changes. It so happens that Abraham and Sarah struggled to get a child after decades of marriage. Hence, Sarah suggested to Abraham to take Hagar as a secondary wife and use her to get a child in their name. Abraham listened and took in Hagar, who then became pregnant and gave birth to Ishmael.
On becoming pregnant with Abraham’s child, Hagar changed or rather, her true character surfaced. From a humble servant to a wife of a rich and powerful man, she became proud, insubordinate, and jealous of her own mistress, Sarah. This led to confusion and disharmony in the home as the two women battled it out. The enmity and fights between them became too intense that Sarah even asked Abraham to throw out Hagar while she was pregnant. It is obvious that Sarah regretted her decision immediately: even blaming Abraham for the disrespect she suffered at the hand of Hagar.
When Abraham failed to listen to her, she became mean and ruthless towards Hagar, forcing her to run away from home. God sent an angel to meet her in the wilderness, who advised her to return and submit herself to Sarah her mistress (Genesis 16:7-15). Even though she returned and gave birth, her character did not change. It surfaced again when Isaac was born. She passed on her jealousy to her son, Ishmael, and Sarah again asked Abraham to banish them. Although Abraham refused, God sided with Sarah (as the rightful wife) and Hagar was banished.
This story shows how human nature change with circumstances. The true character of a man is only seen when he has power, money, and influence or when he is under extreme pressure, pain, poverty, or affliction. This is especially seen in politics and war. How many men have not descended into bestial beings during war and famine, ignoring the pleas of their fellow men? How many reports of rape and torture are not heard during times of anarchy? When a man is tortured like the early Christians, can he remain faithful and loyal? When he has unmeasured power, can he remain reasonable and humane?
Before Saul was anointed King of Israel, he had a low opinion of himself and did not even want it from the start. Saul told Samuel in I Samuel 9:21 “…am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin?” Even on the day of his inauguration as king of Israel, he was nowhere to be found (1 Sam. 10:24), for he hid himself.
Indeed, Samuel later referenced this to Saul: “…When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?” (1 Samuel 15:17). Why did Samuel reference this? Because Saul began displaying pride and disobedience after getting that high position. God told Samuel: “it repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments.” (1 Samuel 15:11).
This same Saul who was so shy of the kingship and even hid when he was being inaugurated, later became so jealous of his position that he determined to kill David and all who supported David. He even tried killing his own son Jonathan because of David. He killed all the priests and their families (women and children included) in Nob (I Samuel 22:6-23) just because David got bread and a sword from Ahimelek. That is how far Saul was willing to go just to secure his throne: a throne he shied away from in the beginning.
Yet, David, who had been anointed king by that time, did not use that opportunity to fight for the throne. He run away and even desisted from killing Saul when he had the opportunity. He waited for God’s own time. Power did not corrupt David: for when Nathan exposed his sin to him, he immediately repented and confessed his sins. Even when his own son Absalom came for his throne, he was still merciful towards him: he left Jerusalem with his men to seek safety in the land of Reuben. He was merciful to those who caused him pain and deferred their judgements to his son Solomon. It is no wonder that God said of David, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will” (Acts 13:22). Is it any wonder that Jesus is called the Son of David?
Very few men can rise to the pinnacle of power and remain unsullied with corruption. Men like Daniel, Joseph, and Moses, are rare indeed in our days. “The greatest want of the world is the want of men—men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall. But such a character is not the result of accident; it is not due to special favors or endowments of Providence. A noble character is the result of self-discipline, of the subjection of the lower to the higher nature—the surrender of self for the service of love to God and man.” E. G. White, Education page 58.
Further reading: The Weaponization of Fear. Also watch our video on how fear rules the world.
