“Then she 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 sees me?” ” Genesis 16:13 (NKJV)
This is the only recorded instance in the Bible of anyone giving a name to God. In Hebrew culture women definitely didn’t name anyone, let alone God! Yet, the Bible records that Hagar called the name of God – “You are the God who sees.” She had felt invisible and that no one really saw who she was – yet God saw and responded to her in love and compassion.
Remember, this passage in Genesis 16 has Hagar talking with the Angel of the Lord – who many believe because of the context when used, that this was Jesus Christ before he was born on this earth. As such, He is equal with God and has all the qualities of God the Father. He knows the future as well as the past. In verses 11 and 12 he tells Hagar that the baby she is carrying will be a son and even to the details of his personality.
It is after revealing all that to Hagar that she names “the Angel of the Lord” El Roi – the God who sees me. I don’t know your situation – past, present or future. But God does! He sees you in the past, in the present and in the future and He still loves you and calls you His own! You are not invisible. You are not someone to just fulfill someone else’s needs. You are valuable to your Creator and Redeemer.
So, what did Hagar do? She obeyed El Roi and went back to Sarai. When God sees me and I recognize that God sees my afflictions, my trials, my heartaches but tells me to stick out rough situations, my response needs to be that I will do whatever the Lord requires because He knows what is best.
Come and visit Brentwood Baptist Church for a performance of “The God Who Sees.”
Published on MyBibleRoom.com 1/8/24, 6:00 am