Genesis
16:13 NKJV: “I have now seen the One who sees me.”
Why
would Hagar, an Egyptian woman quoted that she has now seen the One who sees
her? There’s a reason. Let’s read the story of Hagar.
The
story was about Hagar who was Sarai’s handmaid, an Egyptian woman. (Sarai was
named Sarah in Genesis 17:15.) It’s been years since God told Abram (Abram was
named Abraham in Gen. 17:5), and Sarah they would have a son. Sarah became
older and grew impatient for not having a son soon enough. Sarah resorts to a custom of the day. So she
gives her slave, Hagar, to her husband, and Hagar becomes pregnant.
Soon
after a few month, there conflict between Hagar and Sarah. So Sarah mistreats
Hagar, who runs away. Alone in the deserts, she meets the Angel of the Lord. New Century Version in Genesis 16:7 “The
Angel of the Lord found Hagar beside a spring of water in the desert, by the
road to Shur. V8. The Angel said, “Hagar, Sarai’s slave girl, where have you
come from? Where are you going?” Hagar
answered, “I am running away from my mistress Sarai.”
V9.
The Angel of the Lord said to her, “Go home to your mistress and obey her.” V10. The Angel also said, “I will give you so
many descendants they cannot be counted.”
V11. The Angel added, “You are now pregnant, and you will have a
son. You will name him Ishmael, because
the Lord has heard your cries. V12. Ishmael will be like a wild donkey. He will
be against everyone, and everyone will be against him. He will attack all his
brothers.”
V13. The slave girl gave a name to the Lord who
spoke to her, “You are ‘God who sees me,’” because she said to herself, “Have I
really seen God who sees me?” v14. So
the well there, between Kadesh and Bered, was called Beer Lahai Roi. [Note: This means “the well of the Living
One who sees me.”]
I
want to stop there and ask again, “Why would Hagar, an Egyptian woman quoted
that she has now seen the One who sees her? There’s a reason. This slave girl
came from Egypt which had a culture of worshiping the multiple gods in images that
could not see nor hear. And now she met the Angel of the Lord. [The note from Amplified Bible quoted an
Angel of the Lord is identified as Christ Himself in Gen. 48:16, where He is
called “the redeeming Angel,” or “the Angel the Redeemer.”]
The
‘gods’ that Hagar was so familiar with and now she met an Angel of the Lord and
said, “You are God who sees me.” And the difference between god, an image who
can’t see nor hear prayer and the God who sees her. The Angel names Hagar’s son, Ishmael, which
means “God hears” (v.11). The Angel of
the Lord had heard her anguish cries.
Dorothy: What impressed
me? “In
response, this slave from a culture with multiple gods that could neither see
nor hear gives God the name “You are the God who sees me” (V.13). [Quote from Tim Gustafson, Our Daily Bread] It was an eye opening for Hagar to know that there
is a God who truly cares, who truly hears and sees her. Reading this story
about Hagar makes me want to say, “Thank You, Lord, that You are the God who
sees us, and yet we can still run to You, to praise You, to love You and to
worship You.” Here’s a song that I found
has truly inspires me. God bless you!
Song: How Can I Help But
Love Him
Down
from His splendor in glory He came,
Into
a world of woe;
Took
on Himself all my guilt and my shame;
Why
should He love me so?
Chorus:
How
can I help but love Him
When
He loved me so?
How
can I help but love Him
When
he loved me so?
2.
I am unworthy to take of His grace,
Wonderful
grace so free;
Yes,
Jesus suffered and died in my place,
Even
for a soul like me. (Chorus)
3.
He is the fairest of thousands to me,
His
love is sweet and true;
Wonderful
beauty in Him I now see,
More
than I ever knew. (Chorus).
(Lyrics & Music: Elton
Menno Roth, Sing His Praise)
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