So she named the Lord who spoke to her, “You are El Roi,” for she said, “In this place, have I seen the one who sees me?” Genesis 16:13-14 Christian Standard Bible
Has there ever been a time you felt unnoticed, forsaken, misunderstood, angry, hurt, or betrayed? Or perhaps the pain is so severe that you begin to wonder if the Lord is aware of your pain. Have you ever prayed a prayer similar to this one during a trial: “Lord, where are You? I don’t understand why You’re allowing me to go through this pain. Does this sound familiar? I’ve said this prayer many times.
I was falsely accused in 2018 of doing something at work that I did not do. However, my emotions ruled over me, and I was unable to find a way out of a situation that seemed hopeless. Just like Hagar, my initial reaction was to run and hide someplace where I wouldn’t be seen. But that wasn’t His plans for me. He was trying to turn my disaster into His message. I was able to abide in Him and rely on Him as my anchor because of this trial. It was during this storm that He called me to write what He has done in my life so that others can find encouragement. I give thanks to God for all my brothers and sisters who helped me get through it.
Genesis 16 tells the story of Abram, Sarai, and Hagar. This is the story of two women who were in constant rivalry. I’m sure we’re all familiar with the story. Sarai was unable to have children, so she thought she would give God a helping hand. Without giving any thought or prayer, she gave her handmaiden, Hagar to her husband to take as his wife and bear him a child.
Abram accepted his wife’s request without first seeking God. In ancient times, it was not uncommon for women to give their handmaids to their husbands as surrogate mothers who would carry the baby; this child would then become Sarai’s child to raise.
Unfortunately, Hagar’s attitude toward her mistress changed—and not in a good way—as soon as Abram slept with her and became pregnant with Abram’s child. As a result, Hagar and Sarai were constantly at odds. That is what happens when we try to help God, believing He can’t or won’t handle the situation. Unfortunately, when people try to help God, things never work out well.
Abram was the person who was later praised for his faith and friendship in the Lord. Then you might ask, “Why did Abram agree to sleep with Sarai’s maid? Did Abram understand who God was? He was Elohim, the God of the universe, and nothing is impossible for Him. But like Sarai, we have a tendency to give God a helping hand. Oh, sisters, how wrong we are. God doesn’t need our help to bring order out of chaos. That’s what He did in the beginning—in creation.
So, it is in Genesis 18 that we see Hagar’s story unfold. After being mistreated by Sarai, Hagar chose to run away. “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?” (Gen. 16:17)
These were two profound questions. It reminds us of the time when Adam and Eve tried to hide from God after having sinned. Here’s the exciting part: God was well aware of what was happening with Adam and Hagar. When she finally replied to the Angel, she said,
I’m running away from my mistress, Sarai. The angel of the Lord said to her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her authority. The angel of the Lord said, “I will greatly multiply your offspring, and they will be too much to count. The angel of the Lord spoke to her, ‘You have conceived and will have a son. You will name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your cry of affliction. This man will be like a wild donkey. His hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hands will be against him; he will settle near all his relatives. So she named the Lord who spoke to me. You are EL Roi, for she said, “In this place, have I actually seen the one who sees me? Genesis 16: 8 – 13.
Can you imagine returning to the place where she was mistreated and not seen? That’s hard. When my lawyer told me to return to the location where I spent nine months being humiliated and on the verge of being destroyed, I wanted to run and quit. I did not want to go back to that place. Let me tell you, friends, it was tough. But I made the choice to be faithful to God and let Him direct my path.
Let’s return to Hagar’s conversation with the Angel of the Lord. The angel of the Lord said to “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” Of course, Hagar, like many of us, didn’t want to return to her mistress. She discovered then and there that even when we don’t feel Him, God is still there to see us in the lowest moments in our lives. He not only sees us, but He also is aware of our pain and sorrows. He had not only heard Hagar but He spoke to her. She called Him “El Roi, The God who sees me. The Hebrew word “Ro’iy” means shepherd, or seeing or looking. Just as He was watching over her, just as He is watching over us today.
Psalm 56:8 says, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” El Roi is the God who sees each of us individually. We can rest knowing that El Roi, our Almighty God, sees us. Even though He sits outside gravity and time, He transcends time and space to see every hurt, pain, betrayal, tear, anger, etc. El Roi saw Hagar. He saw her pain and heartbreak. When He saw Hagar, He didn’t promise a simple solution to all her problems. Why? Because El Roi was able to see the wider picture. God is Omnipresent and Omniscient. He knew the role that Hagar’s child would play in the future.
But why did the angel ask Hagar, “Where have you come from? Where are you going?” If God saw Hagar, He knew the answer. He did the same to Elijah when Jezebel persecuted him and went to hide in a cave, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (See 1Kings 19:9 CSB) Sometimes, asking ourselves questions can help us in figuring out how we arrived at our situation. God can help us identify how we got to our places of disappointment, discouragement, and heartbreak.
God uses His questions to help us identify the root of the problem and to guide us—through the Holy Spirit—so that we can better understand our situation. Only then will we be able to draw lessons from it, and address it as a child of God should.
I wonder whether you can relate to Hagar at all. Indeed, I can. When I am in a difficult season, I turn to prayer rather than trying to solve the problem on my own. God sent Hagar back to her situation and promised her that blessings would follow. He heard her cry of distress, and although her circumstances may not have changed, her hope did.
Friends, I love how God uses the flaws of biblical characters to teach us, mold us, and reveal Himself to us—especially in those areas that we need to get rid of so God can continue the work He set us apart to do.
Beloved, God sees our pain and sorrows, just like Hagar. He knows when we cry uncontrollably and when we aren’t even sure why we are sad or angry. God sees me and you in the same way that He saw Hagar. He met Hagar in her place of despair. We may not see any change in our situation; rest assured, El Roi sees you and me. God cares about the same things that we do.
We are never alone because El Roi is the God who sees you and me.
El Roi, thank You for seeing me even when I can’t see You. You know, every tear I cry, every pain, every worry and uncertainty, what makes me sad or brings me joy? I praise You because I’m not just one in a million; You love me and see me as an individual. Please help me to keep my eyes on You constantly. And remember that You, El Roi, will never leave me alone. Amen.
Reference
Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible. Holman Bible Publishers 2017
The Holy Bible, New Living Translation. (1996). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Foundation.