God sees our sin
When God came to Hagar (as we saw in Part 1 of this study), He had a question and a subsequent command for her.
“He said, ‘Hagar, . . . where have you come from, and where are you going?’
She said, ‘I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.’
The Angel of the LORD said to her, ‘Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand’” (Genesis 16:8,9).
This instruction may surprise us when we consider Sarai’s poor treatment of Hagar.
Yet God required something of Hagar. She must consider and acknowledge her sin in the matter.
There is no doubt that Sarai’s harsh treatment of Hagar was wrong, but God was not dealing with Sarai at that moment; he was dealing with Hagar.
God calls her to return and submit to Sarai. This lack of submission strikes at the root of Hagar’s sin.
Hagar had become proud and arrogant. When she discovered she was with child, she began to feel superior to Sarai and treated her with contempt. Her attitude toward Sarai as her employer was disrespectful and inappropriate. We are called to be subject to those in authority over us and to treat them with respect for the position they hold (1 Peter 2:18; Ephesians 6:5,6).
God says, “The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure” (Psalm 101:5).
Hagar needed to confront her own sin.
Pride is a serious matter before God, and we should be on guard against a similar attitude creeping into our hearts. Do we ever think we are better than others because of a privileged position, our abilities, or even blessings such as a husband and children? We must remember that every good thing we have is a gift from God (James 1:17; 1 Corinthians 4:7). Our response to God’s goodness should be thankfulness, not pride.
God saw into Hagar’s heart, just as He sees into the hearts of each one of us.
Hebrews 4:13 says, “there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
Hagar realized that the God who spoke to her saw her through and through. He knew every thought and sinful attitude that was in her heart.
Hagar was filled with a sense of awe.
God saw her.
“Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, ‘Have I also here seen Him who sees me?’” (Genesis 16:13).
It is an uncomfortable thought to be fully seen by a holy God and have our sins laid bare. Yet when we acknowledge our sin openly before God, He is ready and willing to forgive.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23,24 KJV).
“I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin” (Psalm 32:5).
Hagar’s response appears to have been to acknowledge her sin and humble her heart before God. She obeyed His instruction to return to Sarai and, we can assume, submitted to her. God values an attitude that listens to His word and obeys it. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
Hagar was accountable for the attitude of her heart as well as her actions. We can sympathise with her in a situation over which she had little control. She was not responsible for her circumstances, but, when God came to her, He first addressed the sin in her heart. This is true for each of us. We cannot come near to God and receive His comfort until we have acknowledged our sin before Him and received His forgiveness.
God sees our suffering
Now God begins to speak words of comfort to Hagar.
God acknowledges Hagar’s suffering: “the LORD has heard your affliction” (Genesis 16:11).
He sees.
He knows.
As human beings, we all desire to be seen and known. We want someone who understands what we are going through.
When we come to God, we can be assured that we are fully seen, known, and loved.
He is the One who created us.
Psalm 139:1-3 gives us a wonderful picture of God’s knowledge of us:
“O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.”
How wonderful it is to know that the God of the universe sees us fully and knows us completely.
When we are experiencing hard things, we can wrongly start to believe that God does not care. Yet Hagar’s story is a great encouragement to us that God does care – He cares about the smallest details and shows the greatest compassion.
“You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?” (Psalm 56:8).
The situation may not change – there might still be trouble, heartache, and pain, but God promises His presence and help in times of trouble. We can turn to Him in our time of need:
“casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
God renames both Abram and Sarai to reinforce the certainty that His covenant promise to make Abraham the father of many nations would be fulfilled through a child born to Sarah (Genesis 17), regardless of their wavering faith and all that had happened with Hagar. And so, Isaac, the “son of promise”, is born to Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 21).
Hagar’s life of difficulty and rejection continued as she and her son wandered in the wilderness after Abraham and Sarah (under God’s guidance) sent them away (Genesis 21:9-14). Yet, throughout all that transpired, Hagar knew the comfort of a God who saw her and came to her. In her time of despair, God came to the aid of Hagar and her son and rescued them from certain death in the desert when they had no water left. He provided a well of water for them and protected them as they lived in the wilderness.
They may have faced rejection, yet they were never abandoned by God. We read of Hagar’s son, Ishmael: “So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer” (Genesis 21:20). Ishmael knew separation from an earthly father,[1] but he also experienced the comfort of God’s presence and provision.
“When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take care of me” (Psalm 27:10).
The story of Hagar is a reminder that although we may face trials and sufferings in this life, there is a God in heaven who sees us and understands what we are going through.
“I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul” (Psalm 31:7 ESV).
Come to this One who sees you and knows you. If you have never faced up to your sin in His presence, do so. He has shown His love for you by coming to where you are in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. He went to the cross to make a way for your sins to be forgiven.
“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Then you can walk confidently through life, knowing there is One who sees you, knows you, and loves you. No matter what trials or hardships you face, there is a God in heaven who will never abandon you.
His eye is upon you.
He sees.
He knows.
[1] It may seem strange that God directed Abraham to follow Sarah’s lead and send his son, Ishmael, away (Genesis 21:9-14), but God knew that He would provide for Ishmael, and Abraham’s earlier unbelief that led to Ishmael’s birth must have its consequences.
