Thou God Seest Me

This morning I spent time reading in Genesis, from chapters 12 through 16.

The Lord's involvement, investment, and intervention is so clear in the life of Abram. He guides him, instructs him, yet allowing him to make mistakes along the way from which we still feel the consequences today.

Hagar, for example. The Lord affirms His covenant with Abram in the most serious way yet, through an Eastern ritual in which the Lord essentially says, "I will die if I do not keep my covenant with you." As God is eternal and holy, separate from sin and its effects, He cannot die and thus the covenant is sure. This covenant takes place after a victorious battle in which Lot is saved, Abram rejects the spoils of war offered by the king of Sodom and the priest of the most high God, Melchizedek, subsequently blesses Abram by God. Abram's outlook on life at that moment had to be wonderful!

Sarai, however, must have not "seen the light" as Abram did. She must have felt a great deal of pressure as the covenant and the blessings of it hinged upon the birth of a child -at least one- and she was past the age of child-bearing. She saw no reasonable or earthly way by which the Lord would bring about these promises and as such she intervened. By offering Hagar to Abraham, perhaps the promises of God would then be realized and enjoyed. It did not work so well as intended. Hagar, probably feeling used to accomplish Sarai's ends, would not have been keen on the idea, but as a servant had no other choice. She conceived immediately, which was a stark contrast to Sarai's barrenness and she despised Sarai. Understandably so. Sarai in turn despises Hagar and complains to Abram, who in turn delegates the responsibility to make a decision to Sarai.

Sarai deals harshly with Hagar, probably driving her to tears and certainly driving her away. When driven away, Sarai may have felt relief, that she had solved the problem. Abram may have even hoped that things could "return to normal." Yet, they both forgot that the Lord had promised to Abram to bless his seed, and even to multiply his seed. And, as God is no respecter of persons, the promise would apply indiscriminately to Abram's seed, including Ishmael.

The angel of the Lord (a Christophany here) came to Hagar, instructed her to return, blessed her and even named the child for her, "Ishmael," which means "God will hear." She then gives a name to God, calling Him "thou God seest me." An interesting transaction, to say the least. The whole event is thought-provoking! Here are a few of mine:

1) God loved Hagar and Ishmael, though Sarai did not.
2) God involved, invested and intervened when Abram would not.
3) A conceived life is a precious life, as God gave a name to Ishmael and made promises to him before he was born.
4) When we name our children, we do so often by looking for a name with a meaning. The names of God reveal to us His nature and character, do we know what those names mean?
5) Our actions which are a contradiction to the will of God may have far-reaching impacts.
6) God saw Hagar and tended to her when all seemed hopeless for her. As a servant with an "illegitimate" child, she had no rights and could expect nothing but impoverishment, enslavement, starvation, or certain death. Yet God saw her.

God is good, all the time.