Hagar flees Sarai: 7 And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. 8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. 9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. 10 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. 11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. 12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. 13 And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? 14 Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. 7 And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. 8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. 9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. 10 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. 11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. 12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. 13 And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? 14 Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. Genesis 16:7-14 (KJV)
God is referred to by many names in Holy Scripture, not because He acts with different motives, but because He is a God of all Power and Resources. He is:
1. God, or Elohim
2. Lord, or Jehovah
3. God Almighty, or El Shaddai
4. Most High God, or El Elyon
5. Lord, or Adonai
6. Everlasting God, or El Olam
7. Lord of Hosts, or Jehovah Sabaoth, and many others.
But in every instance, He is the same unchangeable God that He has been from Eternity Past. The various names we ascribe to God merely define a particular characteristic that is manifested in His dealings with man.
Hagar was a young Egyptian slave to whom Pharaoh likely gave Abraham as a token of trust and fidelity. She may have been of simple and natural beauty. But Hagar was wrongly used by her mistress, Sarai, to help God keep His promise of a seed to Abram. In so doing, Sarai’s misguided actions serve as a perfect example of what great calamity can arise when mankind attempts to trespass on the work and will of the Lord. We have an abundant example of this today in man’s attempt to control; populations through the sinful means of abortion of innocent babies and the abomination of homosexual marriage. In some countries, such as south Korea, this has resulted in a critical imbalance between male and female children – male children being preferred in Asia to female, and wrongfully so. The young men are desperate to find wives among a small female population.
As Sarai grew old in age, the dream of childbirth faded as a distant candle in the forest window. But the Lord had said to Abram: “Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.” Genesis 15:5 (KJV) Unable to imagine the power of the Lord to give her, miraculously, a child of old age, Sarai undertook to do God’s work in His stead. She gave Abram her innocent attendant, Hagar, by whom she intended the promise of God to be fulfilled in giving him a son. Abram accepted without argument. In actuality, there was only one innocent party among the three in this sordid deal – and that was the maiden, Hagar.
When Hagar had conceived, she bore resentment to Sarai, and Sarai treated the maiden harshly. Hagar ran away into the Wilderness of Shur. Not by happenstance, the Angel of the Lord found Hagar there by a fountain of water. He comforted Hagar and confirmed that she would, indeed, have a son whose name would be called Ishmael (God who hears).
Hagar bore Abram a son and called His name Ishmael according to the counsel of God. But Ishmael was not accounted the heir and only begotten son of Abram because he came by way of the will of man and not of God. God gave us a dire prophecy of Ishmael: “And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.” This prophecy has been fulfilled before our very eyes. Ishmael is the father of the Arab nations who band together in tight proximity in the Middle East, and they wage war constantly – if not against a foreign foe, than against each other. God counselled Hagar to return to her mistress which she did. She called the name of the place where the Angel of the Lord had found her, Beerlahairoi – ‘Fountain of the God who Sees Me.’ And that is yet another characteristic of our Lord. He is the One who sees us in every venue of life – in troubled, as well as pleasant, times. “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.” Psalm 34:15 (KJV)
Our Lord is the God who sees us always. Neither cloud nor darkness can hide us from His sight. “If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.” Psalm 139:11-12 (KJV) It is both a comfort and a cause for careful consideration to know that the eyes of the Lord are forever fixed upon us – no danger comes to His elect without His knowledge, but, as well, no sin goes unnoticed in His sight. “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9 (KJV) “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.” Proverbs 5:21 (KJV)
In conclusion, allow me to illustrate a very hurtful moment when the eyes of the Lord beheld one whom the Lord held dear to His heart. On the night of our Lord’s betrayal, we read of this incident outside the court of the high priest: “Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off. And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.” Luke 22:54-62 (KJV)
Imagine with me the shame, hurt, and heart-wrenching misery Peter felt when he looks into the eyes of His Lord at the very moment of his denial of Him. Peter wept for three days and three nights. But even from the Tomb, our Lord was aware of Peter’s pain and assuaged it through the message the Angel of the Lord gave to the disciples at the Garden Tomb: “And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. Mark 16:5-7 (KJV) I hope the amazing beauty of this last message of the angel did not escape your notice. Peter having suffered in bitter remorse for three days would now be comforted by this very message. It was only Peter who was named specifically as a comfort to Peter after days of mourning. Our Lord is full of mercy and love. He is the God who sees us – BEERLAHAIROI!
