The-God-Who-Sees-Me
He is called in the Hebrews tongue, EL-ROI.
El – ROI means the-God-Who-Sees.
To the Bible
Genesis 16:1-13
V.13 NIV: She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”
Background Story
Her name was Hagar. She’s Sarah, Abraham’s wife’s maid, that’s given to Abraham, to have children with. And when she got pregnant, she disregarded Sarah her mistress. And when Sarah dealt harshly with her, she fled from home into the wilderness. And little did she know that she was going to have an encounter of a lifetime. The Angel of the Lord found her in the wilderness.
There in the wilderness, a conversation ensued, and the Angel of the Lord told her all that would become of her unborn baby, Ishmael. And asked Hagar to go back and submit to her mistress, Sarah.
And this was her comment: “You are the God who sees me,” she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”
God Isn’t Done With You
And just when she thought all was over, then came the Angel of the Lord, striking a conversation with her, foretelling the future of her unborn baby. Imagine the overwhelming joy Hagar must have felt. In an instant, her lost hope was restored. Her prison of abandonment was shattered. Her fears gave way to faith.
I can imagine her say, “So God really cares about me. Hmmmm. So He even sees me!”
Yes, Hagar, God really cares about you. And He does see you. For He is the-God-Who-Sees!
Imagine all that Hagar felt out there alone in that scary wilderness. She was now away from the security or the safety of Abraham’s home. She must have felt abandoned by the man she had come to love, the man whose child she was carrying. She felt rejected by the woman she had lived her whole life serving. The fear for the life of her unborn baby was there. So far as she was concerned, there’s no future for her nor the child. Her world had come to an abrupt end.
God Cares About You
Father God is not out of touch with your pains and struggles. No! He’s been where you at.
Hebrews 4:15 says,
“For we don’t have a High Priest who is not in touch with our realities, and who can’t empathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are , yet without sin.”
“And because He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. “
(Hebrews 2:18)
El – Roi, the Go-Who-sees-YOU understands, because He has been there. And hear what He says to you NOW:
” for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]”
~Hebrews 13:5
He is the-God-Who-Sees!
Maybe you’re also wondering like Hagar if anyone cares. Maybe you’re feeling abandoned. Or betrayed… Maybe your dreams and hopes for the future have shattered…
He is still the-God-Who-Sees. He sees you, right where you’re at. He knows and feels what you’re going through. And He wants to meet you in the middle of that situation, that shame, that lack, the abuse, that disgrace, that fear, that troubled marriage, that heartbreak.
It’s my earnest prayer that, in the midst of your ordeal, you’ll encounter the-God-Who-Sees. Amen