Mensa Otabil - God Who Sees
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We’re still looking at the names of God, and today we look at a name of God: El Roy in Genesis chapter 16, verse 13. 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?» El Roy is a name of God, and it’s used to describe God as the Seen One or the One who sees. Hagar, Abraham’s maid, was the one who called God by that name and recognized Him as the God who sees.
The story of Hagar is very fascinating; here is a maidservant who was led into a relationship she didn’t ask for. Her mistress, Sarah, introduced her to Abraham, and a relationship developed. Out of that relationship, she became pregnant. Now, because she is pregnant, she is being mistreated, and so Hagar runs away from the home of Abraham under the control of Sarah. She feels abused, used, and misused because she thinks, «I didn’t ask for this; you got me into trouble, and now you are mistreating me for getting me into trouble.»
So Hagar is pregnant and alone in the wilderness, probably at the point of death. She’s lying by a well or a spring of water, and the angel of the Lord appears to her and speaks to her, encouraging her to go back and speaking about the child she is pregnant with. Hagar is so comforted and ministered to by this encounter with God that she says, «God, I thank You that You see me.» Why did Hagar say that God is the One who sees? Because she thought she was abandoned and that her suffering was not seen by God.
So what does it mean when we say God is El Roy, the Lord who sees? First, it means that the Lord sees what happens to us. Many times when we are mistreated, we feel God doesn’t see it. God doesn’t see what’s going on; God has left us; God has abandoned us. But Hagar noted that in spite of all she was going through, God sees her. God has not turned His sights against her, but God sees her and recognizes her pain and difficulties. It’s important to know that God recognizes and sees our pain; He sees how we are mistreated; He sees what we go through. Never go through life thinking God doesn’t see what I’m going through. He is El Roy; He’s the God who sees.
Secondly, the Lord sees where we are. Hagar was in the desert outside of the home of Abraham. If anything, Abraham is the one who is a covenant person with God. So if she’s in Abraham’s house, she would be seen. But when she left Abraham’s house, God still saw her. God sees where we are; He sees us where we are and what location we are in. There is no place you can go on this planet and beyond this planet, in any part of creation, where God will not see you. He will see you even when nobody sees you and nobody recognizes you; He sees us where we are.
Thirdly, El Roy means the Lord sees the future we do not see. Many times we look at the future and wonder, «What future do we have?» That’s what Hagar is wondering. «This pregnancy with Abraham, I’m being mistreated; what future does this child have?» And God says, «I see not only you and where you are; I see your child and the future of that child.» God speaks about the future of that child and promises great things for that child. The Lord is the One who sees; He sees our pain, He sees our suffering, He sees where we are, and He sees the future we do not see. There are things that God sees about you that you do not see, but He is the Seeing One. He’s El Roy, the Lord who sees our pain, sees where we are, and sees the future we do not see. On this day, just trust Him that He sees you and will take care of you.
Let us pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, You are the One who sees. You see where I am and where You are taking me. I trust You with my life. In Jesus' name, amen and amen».