The One who Sees Me

Many times, when suffering a difficult relationship, a failure, or a heartbreak, it becomes very easy to isolate. Dealing with draining emotions leaves little energy for yourself, let alone anyone else. As life rushes on, it can seem no one sees you and no one cares.

Not surprisingly, there were women in the Bible who felt the same way at one time or another. One such gal was Hagar. We first meet her in Genesis 15. An Egyptian, she was a servant to Abraham’s wife, Sarah. As you may know, Abraham was chosen by God to become the founder of a new nation of God’s people. And God promised it would come through Abraham’s own heir, a son. Sounds awesome, except there was one problem. Abraham’s wife Sarah was passed the age of having children and seemingly couldn’t conceive.

Months and even years went by and Sarah continued to remain childless. Growing impatient, Sarah decided to “help” God fulfill His promise by coming up with her own idea for a child. The plan? Her servant, Hagar, would be the surrogate. Though not practiced today, it was an ancient custom in biblical times to ensure the birth of a male successor.

When Hagar became pregnant, the relationship between her and Sarah deteriorated quickly. Filled with jealousy and envy, Sarah complained to Abraham. Never mind it was her idea in the first place. Abraham, of course, wanted to stay clear of the conflict, and told Sarah to do whatever she wished. Considering this his consent, Sarah’s mistreatment escalated.

The cruelty soon became unbearable. So, Hagar, several months pregnant, decided to leave and run away into the desert. Alone and facing certain death, we come to the most important part of Hagar’s story. Genesis 16:7-13:

The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And 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. Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” The angel of the Lord also said to her: “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” She 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.” 

 Hagar’s story is not often explored. Yet, she is one of the few people in the Bible who heard directly from God. Most importantly, she is the only person who gave God a name. She called Him El Roi, “the God who sees me.” 

When we find ourselves isolated and alone, we may feel the same way; abandoned and invisible, doubting God’s promises. Yet just like Hagar, He still sees us, and loves us for who we are. After God rescued Hagar in the desert, He told her to return to camp and stay with her masters. Difficult to say the least, she did what the Lord commanded.

We learn from Hagar’s story that she didn’t die in the desert alone, but she did not live happily ever after. That’s because we live in a real world, a world broken by sin. Difficulties will continue. Relationships will remain conflicted. Life will constantly be untidy. And even though we live with emotional abandonment, tough times, and critical chaos, we are not alone. God sees everything going on in our life. He knows every detail and the depth of our pain. And He has promised to always be with us. Life and circumstances will disappoint us, but God will not. He is El Roi, the One who sees us. And in Hebrews 13:5(b) He promises: “I will never leave you or forsake you.”