God "Sees" Us!

             In stark contrast to the power and position of Sarah, we find Hagar, Sarah’s maidservant.  We like to think of her as a “servant” but in reality, she was a slave, little more than property with no control over her life or her body.  That became apparent when Sarah decided to help God out and offered Hagar to Abraham to produce an offspring.  The result was the birth of Ishmael, and then the trouble began.

            When Hagar became pregnant, for the first time in her life, she realized that she had value.  After all, she was carrying her master’s child.  Unfortunately for her, Sarah still had the power and position and Hagar suffered as a result.  Hagar responded by running away. 

            Hagar’s first journey in the wilderness was short-lived but it had a profound effect on her and her soon-to-be-born son.  It was during her time there that an Angel of the Lord appeared to her.  He made several promises to Hagar.  First, that the child she was carrying would have descendants too numerous to count but that he would live in hostility toward his brothers (Genesis 16: 9 – 12).  He also told her to return to her master.

            That’s a lot for anyone to take in, so how did Hagar respond?  She became the first woman in Scripture to give God a name.  She called Him “the God who sees me” (Genesis 16: 13 NIV84).  Hagar was Egyptian so we don’t know how much she knew or understood about God but at this critical moment in her life, she recognized that God saw her as a person not as property.  She was not insignificant to Him!

            Years later, after Isaac was born, the rivalry between the two sons became so great that Hagar was sent away.  This time, it was not her choice, and with little provision for her son, she was faced with the prospect of watching him die.  Once more, God saw her pain and her situation.  God renewed His promise that He would make Ishmael into a great nation (Genesis 21: 18) and He provided water so that they could continue to live in the desert (Genesis 21: 19 – 20).

            So, what can we learn from Hagar? 

            God “sees” us!  We may seem insignificant to those around us.  We may be poor or uneducated or dealing with heartaches or failures or just struggling to get by.  No matter the situation, He not only “sees” us but also responds to our needs.  Just as He provided for Hagar, He will provide for us.

            We also learn that there are consequences to our disobedience.  Sarah took matters into her own hands rather than wait on God.  The result was pain for Hagar, Ishmael, and multiple generations to come.  Sometimes our sin impacts others even more than it impacts us. 

Finally, God had a plan of salvation and hope from the very beginning.  In Galatians 4: 22 – 24, Paul explains that Ishmael represented the people of the Old Testament Covenant, who were slaves to the law and sin.  Isaac represented the people of the New Testament covenant, who are free from the law of sin and death.  Isaac was the child of God’s promise. 

Whatever problem or crisis you may be facing, take heart in knowing that God “sees” you.  He “sees” your pain and He will provide.  We may not always understand His ways, but we can trust that He is in control and His plan will not be thwarted! 

Genesis 16 & 21: 8 – 21

Galatians 4: 22 - 24