God Sees (Genesis 16)

 God Sees

Hagar had a hard time. She went through a lot of affliction and she had part of the blame.
Now she was in the wilderness fleeing for her mistress Sarai. Sarai had come up with the idea for Abram to get a child with Hagar since Sarai didn’t get any. In this way Sarai would get a child through Hagar, her maid.
But when Hagar actually conceived Hagar began to despise Sarai and the end result was that Sarai became frustrated, dealt harshly with her and that Hagar fled from her home. 
Sarai was to blame for coming up with the idea to use polygamy here, but when God came to Hagar to talk to her He told her to submit herself to Sarai again. Hagar was to blame for despising Sarai and agreeing with the plan. Instead of just speaking about Sarai’s guilt Hagar had to make the first step and submit herself.
But God was not there just to give her a tough decision to make. No direct rebuke came from Him. He only commanded and made Hagar search herself. 
And after that He showed Himself very merciful to someone who had made mistakes and wouldn’t have an important role in the covenant He had made with Abram.
Instead, He shows compassion.

[Gen 16:10-12 NKJV] 10 Then the Angel of the LORD said to her, "I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude." 11 And the Angel of the LORD said to her: "Behold, you [are] with child, And you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, Because the LORD has heard your affliction. 12 He shall be a wild man; His hand [shall be] against every man, And every man's hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren."

God promised Hagar would get a son and would be the mother of a great multitude too. A prophecy is given about the character of this child, Ismael. 

Why did God do all this?
“Because the LORD has heard your affliction.”

He hears.

And Hagar experienced it this way:


[Gen 16:13-14 NKJV] 13 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?" 14 Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; observe, [it is] between Kadesh and Bered.


She was in the wilderness fleeing for Sarai for which she was partly to blame herself.
And yet it was here of all places that she saw God.

It was in this situation that God had compassion on her and He showed her once and for all that He is the God Who sees.
He hears our affliction. He sees every tear, every pain. And He knows our mistakes very well. Our sins are open and naked before Him. He also sees the injustice done to us.

And in all this God is somehow merciful.
He sees, He cares.

And He is still that same God that spoke to Hagar. God may not speak to us as He spoke to Hagar, but His fundamental character has not changed.
He sees us. He cares about us. He hears our affliction. He would love to make things right in His time despite our mistakes. 

He is a God of blessing, promises and care. When He commands and gives us something to do that may seem tough, let us remind ourselves of this side of His character too. 

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