GENESIS 16
7 The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.” 9 The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.” 11 And the angel of the Lord said to her, “Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has listened to your affliction.12 He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.”13 So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” 14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered.15 And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram. – Genesis 16:7-16
GENESIS 16 HAGAR CALLS ON “EL ROI”
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
After Abram slept with the servant Hagar, she decided to leave her mistress Sarai
While she was fleeing from Sarai, an angel found her by a spring of water
It was in the wilderness that she sought refuge and she called on the Lord
Then the angel announced to her that she is pregnant and shall bear a son.
She was truly grateful that the El Roi, the God who sees have come to her rescue
The angel instructed her to go back to her mistress Sarai and submit to her
She was also told that through her son Ishmael will come a lot of offspring
She thanked God at the well called Beer-lahai-roi and praised “El Roi.”
Can you imagine the predicament that Hagar went through. It must have been a struggle to be used by your mistress to bear a son for herself, but she was also instructed to go back and submit to her after she ran away from her. God proved to her that he is a God who sees what she was going through. Despite her rebellion against her mistress, God heard her affliction and still blessed her.
REFLECTION
- Share a time when you were so distressed and God showed up.
