The God Who Sees Series

THE GOD WHO SEES

Week 4: I AM Series - From Burning Bush to Bethlehem

Genesis 16:13

Psalm 139:1-4, Hebrews 4:13

INTRODUCTION

Picture a young Egyptian woman walking alone through the scorching wilderness. No water. No protection. No hope. Her name is Hagar. She fled from abuse and mistreatment. She carried a child in her womb but carried no promise in her heart.

Hagar was a servant who became a pawn in someone else's plan. Sarah gave her to Abraham to bear a child. When Hagar conceived, pride filled her heart. She looked down on Sarah. Sarah retaliated with harsh treatment. The household that should have protected Hagar became the place of her pain. So she ran.

She headed toward Shur, retracing her steps back toward Egypt. Back toward slavery. Back toward the gods who could not see her. She fled from one terrible situation straight into another. She walked through a desert with no clear destination. She faced certain death.

But something remarkable happened in that wilderness. The God of Abraham found her. He spoke to her. He made promises to her. He saw her when no one else did. This encounter transformed everything. Hagar went from being a forgotten slave to being a woman who met the living God.

Before this meeting, Hagar saw herself as disposable. After this meeting, she knew she mattered to God. Before, she ran from her problems. After, she returned with courage. Before, she felt invisible. After, she named God "El Roi, the God who sees me."

The same God who saw Hagar sees you today. Your wilderness does not hide you from His eyes. Your pain does not escape His notice. He knows where you are. He knows what you face. He sees you. This truth is directly connected to Jesus' declaration in John 10:14, "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own." The God who saw Hagar is the same God who knows you personally through Christ.

1. ALONE IN THE DESERT

Genesis 16:1-8

Hagar's story begins with other people's decisions. Sarah chose to give her to Abraham. Abraham agreed to take her. Sarah chose to mistreat her. Abraham refused to protect her. Hagar had no voice in any of these choices. She became a victim of their plans, their pride, and their problems.

When Sarah dealt harshly with her, Hagar made her own choice. She fled. Genesis 16:9, The angel found her by a spring on the road to Shur. He asked her two questions. "Where have you come from?" and "Where are you going?" These questions exposed her situation. She came from conflict. She headed toward nothing.

Hagar's desperate flight shows us what happens when pain overwhelms us. She ran from immediate suffering without considering future consequences.

• Egypt meant slavery.

• Egypt meant paganism.

• Egypt meant abandoning the God of Abraham.

But pain clouds our judgment.

• When we hurt deeply enough, we stop thinking clearly.

• We just want the pain to stop.

The wilderness represents those seasons when life strips away every comfort.

• You lose your job.

• Your marriage crumbles.

• Your health fails.

• Your child rebels.

• Your friend betrays you.

• You stand alone with your pain.

• No one understands.

• No one helps.

• You feel abandoned and afraid.

The Israelites experienced this same terror in their wilderness journey. Deuteronomy 8:2 explains God's purpose: "You shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart." God uses wilderness seasons to reveal what we truly believe about Him.

Hagar experienced complete isolation. She left behind the only community she knew. She walked through empty desert. She faced an uncertain future. The text tells us the angel found her by a spring. Even in the wilderness, God provided water. Even in her rebellion, God pursued her.

When no one understands your situation, God does. When friends offer cheap advice, God offers true wisdom. When family members judge your responses, God knows your heart. Hagar fled from abuse. God met her in her flight. He did not condemn her for running. He redirected her with compassion. 1 Kings 19:4-8 shows us God treating Elijah with the same gentle care. When Elijah ran into the wilderness wanting to die, God did not rebuke him. God provided food, rest, and then a fresh assignment. God meets us in our desperation with provision, not punishment.

Running from pain feels natural. We avoid difficult conversations. We quit demanding jobs. We leave struggling relationships. We move to new cities, hoping that geography will change everything. But running rarely solves anything. We take our problems with us. We need God's intervention, not geographic change.