When Hagar conceived, Sarah her mistress began to persecute her. When Hagar fled from the presence of her mistress, the Angel of the Lord met her by a spring of water in the wilderness on the way to Shur.  The Angel of the Lord asked her to return to her mistress and to submit herself under her hand. Afterwards, the Angel of the Lord gave her promises that He would multiply her descendents exceedingly and that she would bear a son.  Then Hagar called the Name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees for she said, Have I also here seen Him Who seems me.  Therefore, the well was called Beer Lahai Roi.  This means, Well of the One Who Lives and Sees Me (Gen.16: 1-14). 

Hagar was blameless.  However, it is Sarah, the wife of Abraham, the father of faith that was to blame. Sarah not only gave her maid Hagar to her husband to conceive a child but also dealt harshly with Hagar, despite the fact that Hagar served her mistress faithfully. 

But the Lord did not forsake Hagar.  Though Hagar was the bondwoman and Sarah was the mother of the son of the promise, the Lord did have compassion on Hagar.  The Lord Who is rich in His mercies did not forsake Hagar just because Sarah was to give birth to Isaac in whom all the nations were to be blessed. 

Sarah was self-centered and lacked in compassion for the maid who served her faithfully. Today, we may find in our midst some servants of God like Sarah who have, by faith, inherited the great promises of God from His Word but lack in compassion for others.  They condemn and cast out the sheep under their care just because they do not submit to their leadership or their doctrines. 

Do you find yourself in the position of Hagar today, having been condemned by your own people, for no fault of yours?  There is a God Who lives and sees you.  He has seen all your afflictions. Today He meets you by a spring of water in the wilderness.  Oh, you have been in this wilderness for a long time.  Lift up your eyes and see the spring of water there.  Christ Jesus, your beloved Shepherd is standing there with His outstretched Hands to embrace you. It is only Christ Who gives you the Living Waters abundantly in this wilderness. Oh, He wanted you to reach this spring of water in your life. In this place, He gives you promises concerning restoration of the things lost by you.   It is He Who has allowed all this persecution in your life.  All things work together for your good only. He does not want you to flee from the place of persecution immediately.  

Dear sister-in-Christ, your spouse may be likened to Sarah.  God has allowed your husband to persecute you so that you could reach this spring of water in the wilderness and find your Shepherd there.  God teaches us only in the school of suffering so that we may learn His Word in a practical manner.  There is no other school to learn from Christ. Psalmist says in Psalm 119:71, It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.  Paul writes in Col.1: 23-24 . I Paul am made a minister; who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His bodys sake, which is the church.  As a member of His body, every one of us, without any exception, should fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in our flesh. According to Heb.5: 8-9, though Jesus was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered, and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him.  

You have to be in the school of sufferings until the Lord wants you to.  Do not run from the school before time.  God will bless you with a deliverance ministry once He brings you out of this school. He will fulfill His promises concerning restoration of the things lost by you once you step out of this school.  Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God so that He may exalt you in due time. 

Our God is referred to as the Most High God in Gen.14: 18 in the context of the meeting of king of Salem with Abraham who had returned from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, the king of Elam and of the kings that were with the said king. The wicked king had taken captive of Lot, Abrams brothers son, and his goods. When Abram heard this news, he along with his trained servants, pursued the enemies and brought back Lot and his goods and the people held in captivity. On the victory of Abram, king of Sodom went out to meet the former. And Melchizedek, king of Salem, who was the priest of the MOST HIGH GOD brought forth bread and wine, and blessed Abram and said, Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth

In Hebrew 8:20 and 7:1-28, we find that Melchizedek, priest of the Most High God, was, by interpretation, Christ Jesus, the King of righteousness, and the King of Salem (Peace). Melchizedek without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. Melchizedek was considered as a great man unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils (tithes). In Psalm 110:4, Christ was prophetically referred to as a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

According to the law, the sons of Levi were supposed to receive tithes from the people. But Melchizedek whose descent is not counted from the sons of Levi received tithes of Abraham and blessed him that had the promises. The crux of the messages from the book of Hebrew is that perfection was not of the Levitical priesthood but of another priest who should rise after the order of Melchizedek (7:11). Christ sprang not of the Levitical priesthood, but of Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. Under the New Testament, we have only one priesthood, which continues, forever through our Lord Jesus Christ. The Levitical priesthood was done away with on the Cross of Calvary. All of us, who have been washed by the Blood of Jesus Christ and who have been baptized by the Holy Ghost, have become the children of the Most High God through the one Priesthood of Christ Jesus. We are not only children of the Most High God but also are made through the Blood of Jesus Christ a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people (I Pet.2: 9).

These days, everywhere, in the churches of God, we find the Levitical system of priesthood, which was done away with on the Cross of Calvary. All the members of the body of Christ are the priests of the Most High God. However, for ministry to the body of Christ, there are five kinds of ministers i.e. apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers and pastors. The remaining members of His body other than the five types of ministers are also assigned ministerial positions by the Holy Ghost in the body of Christ in diverse ways. They are also equally important. The five types of ministers are also not priests as far as their service to the other members of the body of Christ is concerned. All of us, including the five types of ministers, are priests of God offering praises unto God and intercessory prayers before His throne, on behalf of the lost and on behalf of one another. The New Testament ministers are, in fact, servants. They are not to be ministered to but to minister. What is prevalent in our churches, be it orthodox churches or Pentecostal churches, is quite contrary to the words of truth under the New Testament. There is a clear line of demarcation seen everywhere, thus branding the members of His Body as believers or laity as distinct from pastors or clergy.

Another disquieting factor is demand of tithes from the members of the church by the pastors, quoting the Old Testament books. Under the New Testament, we are supposed to minister to the saints, especially the poor saints, widows, etc who are of the House of God. Every one should be a cheerful giver under the New Testament. Ever man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver (II Cor.9: 7). If we give only to the pastors, what about the other ministers like apostles, prophets, evangelists and teachers, and those other ministers engaged in Gods work in other ways? Perfection is not possible through the system of Levitical priesthood but is possible only through Christ Jesus.

Only those who get the revelation of the truth concerning the eternal Priesthood of Christ Jesus, our Elder Brother, Who was of the order of Melchizedek, can appropriate the Name of God El Elyon for themselves and claim themselves to be the priests of the Most High God.