El-Roi – The God who sees

August 1, 2020by Wanjiku J. Kiarie1

El-Roi is one of my favourite names of God, if not my favourite.

It is a name given to God by Hagar, the mother of Ishmael. The account is recorded in Genesis 16. Sarah and Abraham and growing old and restless. God seems not to be aware that time is running out on His promise to make them father and mother of nations. So Sarah comes up with he idea that maybe God meant to give them children through another, and her another is Hagar who is her handmaid. Abraham, reminds me of Adam in the garden, goes along with Sarah’s suggestion and sleeps with Hagar.

Abraham and Adam, God specifically spoke to both men. To one He gave a promise to another an instruction. When God spoke to both men their wives were not present, so everything their wives knew about what God had said was told to them by their husbands. In both marriages, it is the wives who get tempted, but their should have known better husbands are always by their side . . . And in both marriages the men follow their wives into disobedience, very very costly disobedience at that.

Back to Hagar, she is a slave, I doubt they asked her if she was in on the plan or not. We are told that when she became aware of her pregnant status she held her mistress Sarah in contempt. Wrong move girl! Sarah once again comes up with an eviction idea and Abram goes along with it. She mistreats Hagar to the point Hagar flees away from her and into the scotching desert heat.

Hagar is at a spring when the angel of the LORD appears to her. A conversation happens and she gets to know about the son she is carrying. She is also told to go back to her mistress. Hagar’s reaction to this conversation is that she gives God a name:

“You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” (Genesis 16:13)

She felt seen, by none other that the Almighty God Himself. She felt known. She felt loved. She felt cared for. And indeed she was!

Don’t we all love to be seen, be heard, be loved, be accepted?

Well God offers the same to us as well.
He who sees us, as we really are
He who knows us, as we really are
Loves us
Accepts us
Wants us
Longs to be in communion with us

Will you allow Him to see you today? Even now, this very moment . . .
Will you allow yourself to be seen by Him today? Even now, this very moment . . .

#SpiritualFormation

 

One comment

  • Cate Kiarie

    August 1, 2020 at 7:31 PM

    May the Lord see me today…such a timely word

    Reply

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