El Roi “The God Who Sees Me”
Genesis 16
Hagar’s Past
Hagar came from Egypt and probably worked at the palace of Pharaoh.
When she met Abraham, he was a recovering backslider.
Abraham had lied and called Sarah his sister to Pharaoh. Pharaoh took Sarah to be one of his wives. At the last minute, God spared Sarah and protected her. The Pharaoh gave Sarah back and sent Abraham on his way, with presents. One of these presents was more then likely an Egyptian servant named Hagar.
Shortly after traveling with Abraham, he got totally right with God and sold out and obsessed with following after God.
Hagar’s Predicament (vs. 1-6)
Hagar probably started to hear the gossip going on around camp about the promise that was made to Abraham by God that he was going to have a son. The problem was both of them were too old to bear children.
Vs. 2-3 She was offered by Sarai unto Abram to bare a child for her. This was a legal tradition offered in the ancient world, to have a woman to have a son by proxy.
Vs. 4 After Hagar conceived, she despised Sarai.
Vs. 5-6 Sarai began to treat Hagar harshly, until finally Hagar left to go back to Egypt
Instead of being a Christian example, Abraham and Sarah used and abused Hagar.
Hagar’s Promise (vs. 7-16)
Near the fortress of Shur the Angel of the Lord met her.
Vs. 9 The Angel told her to return to Sarai and submit. To trust and obey.
He also promised her that her son would be very important, though not good.
Vs. 13-14 She addressed God by His name El-Roi, the God who sees me
She named the well where she was at Beer-la-hai-roi “The well of him that liveth and sees me”
Vs. 15 She went back and endured the cross of an employer who wasn’t right, a family that used and abused her.
Vs. 12 A son was born and like God knew, Ishmael was a wild man. The main thing was that he would not learn his rebellion from his mother. His mother by example taught to trust and obey. To return and submit.