You are the God who sees me (אֵ֣ל רֳאִ֑י)
(Gen. 16:13)
The Lord called Abram out of his comfort zone: “Go from your country, your people, and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation (Ummah), and I will bless you …. and you will be a blessing.” With this in mind Abram (later to be named Abraham) left his home, not knowing where he would end up. The Lord was with him in every step, showed him the way, and was his shepherd and shield. With all the obedience that Abraham showed to God, he was still impatient to wait for the promise of the Lord to be fulfilled in his life—to become a great nation. Abraham is like any of us, settled for Plan B, where the Lord is not the center of it. Thus, Hagar came into the scene.
Hāḡār, an Egyptian, was enslaved by Sara, becoming Abraham’s concubine and the mother of Ishmael, who also became a great nation. The name Hāḡār הגר comes from the Hebrew verb גרר (garar), which means to be dragged out, dragged away, or to flee. That is precisely what Hagar experienced when she was thrown out of Abraham's house but was always within reach and the grip of the hands of the Lord and his grace. That gave her hope, courage, and strength.
Even though God or Abraham did not choose her, yet the angel of the Lord spoke to her: “Behold, you are with child, and you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, (ישמעאל God will hear). Because the Lord has heard your affliction.” (Gen. 16:11).
Mistreated and betrayed by her mistress Sarai, Hagar desperately flees into the wilderness. Pregnant with Abraham’s son, she encounters the angel of the Lord there because he saw her misery and gave her the promise to have many descendants. “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. Therefore, the well was called Beer Lahai Roi (לַחַ֖י רֹאִ֑י); observe, it is between Kadesh and Bered.” (Genesis 16:13-14).
This illustrates the significant difference between God in the Bible and Allah in Islam. The biblical God sees and loves us and enters time and space so we can see him. He did not create us to leave us alone. Whatever happens in our lives matters to him. He sees the misery and the challenges of our brothers and sisters who undergo severe persecution. He is also the God who sees the daughters of Hagar across the Islamic world, the many women mistreated and suffering under a male-dominated culture and religion. God also sees the brave young women, who ignited the flame of revolution on the streets of Teheran and in other cities of Iran. A revolution that not only brings down the regimes of the Mullahs but will bring great relief and freedom for women across the Muslim world.
I pray that those women not only experience political or social freedom, but also know the greater freedom in Christ—because God sees them. This is also the hope of the MBBs, who are going through tough times by carrying their cross and following Jesus in hostile communities. They need to know that the Lord sees them and can be seen by them, and that the injustice they face will come to an end; because Jesus, not the oppressors, will have the last word in our lives. “El Roi” uniquely resonates with us, giving us the comfort of knowing God sees every individual and understands their situation.
My prayer for you and your family is that in 2023 you will be able to find comfort in “El Roi”, no matter what circumstances you are in. God sees you with loving and passionate eyes: “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing … Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6).
Dr. Yassir Eric