How wonderful to have devotional thoughts from Vicki Weimer this week! Want to learn more about her? Just stop by the contributors page!
“No, Sarah! Don’t do it!” “Stop, Abraham!”
My heart cries out every time I read the Genesis account of Hagar, but the story never changes. Abraham and Sarah hurt Hagar. These two heroes of the faith, example believers, messed up. Did God forgive them? Yes. Did He use the situation for His glory? Again, yes. Were there cultural differences back then? Of course. Did that make Hagar feel any better? I doubt it. Despite her pain, though, Hagar left a testimony that God hears and sees.
In today’s terminology, Hagar could describe herself as misused, abused, neglected, and victimized by Abraham and Sarah. While difficult to think of biblical heroes in that light, we have to read the account with honest eyes. Sarah offered Hagar up to Abraham. As an old man, he had relations with her so that she became pregnant. When Sarah realized that Hagar resented her, she mistreated Hagar with Abraham’s blessing. Hagar did what anyone might do; she ran away.
When she found herself standing next to a fountain out in the wilderness with nothing but the clothes on her back and the baby in her womb, an angel came to her.
Allow me to paraphrase their conversation.
“Hagar, Maid of Sarah, how did you get here? Where are you going?” he asked.
Through tears, she answered, “I just know that I had to get away from Sarah.”
“Go back,” the angel said, “and submit to her leadership.”
I can imagine Hagar thinking, “Are you kidding me right now!? Does no one hear my cries!? Does no one see what I have been through!?” Then maybe even, “Does no one care?”
Knowing her thoughts, hearing her cries, seeing her distress, the Lord’s messenger replied. “Actually, Hagar, you are going to have a son. You will name him Ishmael which means, ‘The Lord has heard your affliction.’ God heard you, Hagar. Every time you say your son’s name, you will be reminded that He heard you.”
Then he went on to describe Ishmael´s future, but Hagar was still rejoicing that God had heard her cry of affliction.
She immediately said, “El Roi,” or “God, You see me.” She realized that though she had been hurt by people who should have known better, God had not ignored her pain. He had heard her cries and seen her tears.
Hagar went back and stayed for about fourteen years before getting kicked out and then rescued by God again in the wilderness. You can read her story in chapters 16 and 21 of Genesis. Two meaningful names come from Hagar´s story of pain. Ishmael, God heard your affliction. El Roi, God sees me.
God hears and sees.
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