The book of Genesis tells about different people who heard directly from God. God spoke face to face with Adam and Eve in the Garden. He spoke to Noah and gave him instructions about building the Ark. Then you can see how God spoke with Abram and made a Covenant with him. This lesson, we are going to look Hagar --- a woman who never thought God would take notice of her. Hagar was not an important person. She was not wealthy. She was not full of faith. In fact, her only claim to fame was that she ended up in the middle of a big, ugly, complicated, mess. Hagar’s story is not a pretty one. But we can learn some important lessons from her story in Genesis chapter 16.
After ten years of futile waiting upon God, Sarah became convinced that she would never bare any children to Abraham. She opted for a last resort and followed the general custom of the day, which was adopted in similar circumstances. She asked her Egyptian servant Hagar to bear a son with her husband in surrogate fashion. According to the law, the child that Hagar bore for her mistress would eventually become Sarah’s. While Hagar was pregnant, she began to flaunt the advantage that she had over her mistress, resulting in tremendous tension between these two women. As a result, Hagar could not handle the conflict no longer; she fled into the desert where she was met by the angel of the Lord.
Think with me about her situation: She was away from her family. She was away from her friends. She was alone and without shelter, food, water, help, or sustenance. She had none of the things she needed. Then the Lord’s angel appeared to her and rescued her. There are two first in this text: This is the first time the term, “the Angel of the Lord” is used in Scripture. Normally, this term is associated with the appearances of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. Secondly, Hagar refers to God as “Jehovah Roi” or the God who sees me. God reveals himself in a brand-new way, and Hagar, the least likely person receives a brand-new revelation of God. This is an indication that everyone is important to God and that God is not willing that any should perish. There are several lessons to be learned from this text.
The first thing we can learn is also the first thing Hagar learned. And that is, quite simply, that life is a struggle.
1. Life is a Struggle Genesis 16:1-6 …Have you ever watched that old classic Christmas movie, It’s a Wonderful Life? Most of the movie shows how Jimmy Stewart’s life was NOT so wonderful … but then it has a happily ever after ending. Well, the story of Hagar is NOT a story of a Wonderful Life. And it doesn’t have a happy ending. That’s how it is with a lot of stories in the Bible and with a lot of our lives. The Bible doesn’t sugar-coat reality. Consider the following scriptures: Job 5:7 says, “Man is born into trouble as the sparks fly upward.”
Job 14:1 says “Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.” Jesus said, in John 16:33, “In the world you will have tribulation…” .
At its best, life can be a struggle. And no one would say Hagar had an easy life. For one thing, when Hagar was sold as a slave to Abraham’s household … far removed from her own country of Egypt. The good news is that Abram treated her well. God had promised that Abraham’s descendants would be as numberless as the stars. But now years came and went, and Sarah became desperate. She decided to choose a surrogate to have a child for Abraham. Back then, that was a common practice --- but it wasn’t God’s plan.
There’s plenty we could say about the mistake of Abraham and Sarah here. But this is Hagar’s story today, so let’s look at it from her perspective. Hagar had very little control over what happened to her. She was a slave. She was far away from family and friends. She may have thought her life was going to get better when she conceived a child --- but instead things got much worse. Hagar evidently decided that … since she was going to have Abraham’s child … she no longer had to show respect to Sarah. As you might expect, Sarah complained to Abraham about Hagar’s attitude. And, as you might expect, Abraham tried to stay out of the middle. Abraham told Sarah to handle it any way she wished. If only giftedness and humbleness came in the same package! The Bible describes the end result in one short, telling sentence, “Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so, she fled from her.”
If you ever feel like life is out of your control --- if your situation seems hopeless --- if you feel like no one understands, no one can help, and no one even cares --- then look at the story of Hagar. Hagar teaches us that life is a struggle for the privilege and the unprivileged, the haves and the have nots. Secondly, Hagar teaches us that God sees us in our struggles.
2. God Sees Us in our Struggles. Genesis 16:7 says The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.
Hagar was homeless, hungry, broke --- all alone and pregnant in a vast wilderness. She was a “nobody” with nothing to offer. Worst of all, the very people who should have helped her … Abraham and Sarah … the people who knew God … they were the ones who were hurting her. But God did not abandon Hagar. God went to her … right where she was. Notice how specific this verse is. God knew exactly where Hagar was, and He knew just the moment when she would be ready to listen to what He had to say. In your darkest moment, when your problem seems too ugly and twisted and complicated to solve, God sees you. God knows exactly where you are --- and He will come to you. Hagar didn’t expect it. Genesis 16:13 tells how she reacted: She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me."
Hagar gave God the name “El Roi” – the God who sees. This is the only time this Title is applied to God, and it came from a runaway slave who found herself in the middle of a hopeless, tangled mess. God sees your heartache. He sees your struggles. He understands your turmoil. God is there with you at your lowest point. He is YOUR El Roi – He is the God who sees you. Of course, God does more than see you. God will offer you a SOLUTION to all your problems. .
3. God offers a Solution Genesis 16:8 He said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?" And Hagar answered honestly: "I’m running away from my mistress Sarai.” Genesis 16:8. It doesn’t matter how tangled and messed up your life is, God knows the next step you need to take. In the case of Hagar, God started with a question: He said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?" And Hagar answered honestly: "I’m running away from my mistress Sarai.” Genesis 16:8.
I like Peanuts cartoons. I remember one where Linus and Charlie Brown are chatting with one another. Linus says, "I don’t like to face problems head on. I think the best way to solve problems is to avoid them. In fact, this is a distinct philosophy of mine. No problem is so big or so complicated that it can’t be run away from!" .
A lot of people probably feel that way. If they don’t like their job, they want to quit. If their marriage is difficult, they want a divorce. If their parents are too strict, they want to sneak out of the house. Drugs and alcohol and gambling and even working or shopping --- can all be ways of running away. We usually run away because we don’t think there is any solution. Sadly. Even if we successfully run away from the problem, we cannot run away from ourselves. Like Hagar, we must answer the same questions: where have you come from, and where are you going? No matter where we have come from, God is trying to get us back where we belong. God is seeking a genuine relationship with all of him creation.
God always knows the changes we need to make. He knows exactly what will make things better … and He knows exactly what will make things worse. In Hagar’s case, the angel of the LORD told her, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her." Genesis 16:9
4. God’s Solutions are Often Unpopular - Genesis 16:9 the angel of the LORD told her, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her." God’s solutions are often unpopular because they require us to humble ourselves. Humility requires us to admit that we might be wrong, or we don’t understand all the issues of the situation. Pride can keep us in the deserts of life. Consider the following Scriptures: Pr 11:2 “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.” Pr 13:10 “Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom. Pr 14:3 “In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them. Pr 16:18 “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Pr 29:23 “A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.”
Hagar was gifted, but proud. Hagar did part of what God told her to do. She did return to Sarah. But Hagar did not do ALL God told her to do. If she had truly submitted to Sarah, things would have gone a lot better for her. As it was, hatred grew between Hagar and Sarah. Eventually, Hagar and Ishmael had to leave the protection of Abraham’s home. They ended up back in the wilderness … in the same desperate situation Hagar was in before. (We’re still suffering the ramifications of all this in the Middle East today!)
Sarah was privileged but proud. She never allowed Hagar to forget that she was her servant and she didn’t belong. Sarah views Hagar and her son as outsiders. Sarah confessed this boy cannot inherit with my son. Ishmael grew up with this attitude. He was proud of his strength, his age. After all he is the firstborn Son of Abraham. So, he made sport of his little brother until they were put out of the home. Abraham sends them away with a piece of bread and a bottle of water. A war began that day that still rages. We must beware of the pitfalls that come with giftedness, privilege and position. Some of us are fighting battle today that we did not start.
Micah 6:8 “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
I know all of us will agree that Life is a Struggle; God Sees our Struggles; God offers a Solution and God’s solution is Often Unpopular but necessary. Hagar’s story provides several take-aways. The main thing I want you to hear today is this: no problem is too big for our God. You will never hear God say, “I can’t see any solution to this big mess. Why don’t you just give up!” God knows exactly what you need to do to turn your problem around.
I’ve known people whose lives were completely transformed after they “Consulted” with God and followed His advice. On the other hand, I’ve met people who started out doing what God said. But then --- after things got better --- they decided they didn’t need God anymore. And --- like Hagar --- they ended up right back where they started. When you face difficulties in your life, are you aware that somewhere above you is the watchful eye of “El Roi,” the God who sees? Will you allow God to be your Consultant? Will you obey Him?
No matter how ugly or complicated or hopeless your situation seems, remember that God sees YOU. He will show you what to do --- step by step --- if only you will listen and obey.
Notice that Hagar believed that even though Abraham and Sarah were the covenantal parents of the people of God, yet He saw her, an individual, single Egyptian slave and loved her enough to provide a future for her. With all the odds against her she made a claim on the character of God whom she called El-Roi. God is no respecter of persons and because He created you, He certainly has provided a future for you. Receive encouragement from these scriptures, the Word of God - His promises to you :
Jer 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” .
Ps 139:14, 15 “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.”
2Ch 16:9a “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…”
