“El Roi” The God Who Sees Me
Have you ever felt abandoned, misunderstood, and completely alone? Like no one sees you, and no one even tries to? If this is the case, know you are not alone. In Genesis 16, we are introduced to a woman who was cast aside, rejected, and left utterly hopeless. Thrown out by her masters and left to fend for herself, but when she felt completely alone, she was rescued by the God who sees. In this post, we will take a look at the story of Hagar, an Egyptian slave, and her encounter with the God who saw her and currently sees you!
Hagar - Flight and Forsaken
The name, Hagar, means flight or forsaken in Hebrew, which is very fitting for who she was and her story. Hagar was Abraham’s Egyptian slave, who was forced into a painful situation. Sarai (later known as Sarah), Abraham’s wife, was barren (Genesis 16:1) or unable to have children. To solve this problem, Sarai decided to give Hagar to Abraham as a way of building a family through her. Abraham was ok with this decision, and Hagar became pregnant with a son. Sadly, this pregnancy did more harm than good. Firstly, it was outside of God's will. Sarai took matters into her own hands and went ahead of God, which always leads to unnecessary pain and destruction. Secondly, this pregnancy caused problems between the two women, eventually leading Hagar to run away into the wilderness. In Genesis 16:4 & 6, it says, “when she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress - then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.”
Can you imagine that? Not only are you forced into pregnancy and being mistreated by your mistress, but you are now alone in the wilderness without food or water or hope. Hagar thought she was forsaken, but El Roi. The God who was there from the beginning, who held her heart in His hands, who saw her was there. He saw her when the child was conceived, when tensions rose between her and her mistress, and now, when she is alone in the wilderness. God called out to her in the midst of her pain, sorrow, and stubbornness.
“The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. 9Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” 10The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” (Genesis 16: 7-8 )
Now, we see here God reaching down to Hagar, scooping her up as a Father would a lost and troubled child. In those days, it was rare for God to speak to people; they did not have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them as we do today, yet God spoke to Hagar in this moment. Not only to comfort and bless her, but also to correct her. Hagar was wrong to despise her mistress. God calls us to love our enemies and to pray for those who mistreat us (Matthew 5:43-48). God tells Hagar to go back to Abraham’s house, which was not an easy thing to do, but He did not just leave it at that. God then went on to bless Hagar with the greatest blessing someone could have during that time period. He blesses her with descendants too numerous to count. This blessing serves as a confirmation that everything will be alright. That all will be well despite the difficulty Hagar may encounter back in Abraham's house. It serves as a reassurance that the God who saw her at the stream will continue to see her and be with her. Hagar's response to God’s blessing confirms this:
13She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” ( Genesis 16:13)
The God Who Sees You
Like Hagar, you may be experiencing trials and hardships. Whether you may feel like Hagar being mistreated by her mistress or the Hagar in the wilderness, the resolution is the same. There is a God who sees you. In her distress, Hagar didn’t seek God; God sought her, and God is seeking you. He is seeking to comfort you, correct you, and give you Hope and a future. ( Jeremiah 29:11) God’s awareness of your pain is just the beginning of His plan to bring healing and hope because the God who sees is also the God who redeems.
“But now, this is what the Lord says, he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1)
