“Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her El-Roi. For she said, ‘Truly here I have seen the One who looks after me.’” (Genesis 16:13* )
The Lord sees you right now as you read this message. He sees each one of us, both in this specific moment and beyond time. This thought can be immensely joyous or immensely frightening, depending on our way of life. The compound name El-Roi (from Hebrew אל ראי), which Hagar gives to God in the above-quoted verse after a divine angel appears to her, consists of EL, meaning God, and the quality seeing, noticing. If we examine the root of the word, we reach the verb “raah” (from Hebrew רָאָה), which, according to James Strong's biblical lexicon, means see, notice, pay attention, as well as make oneself visible, observable, knowable.
When the Hebrews use this verb, they not only denote the very act of seeing and recognizing an image but also knowing the object. Human nature hasn't changed since then. Today, each one of us has "personal space"—it might be a physical, mental, or even virtual boundary we don't allow everyone to cross. We choose whether to accept a friend request on Facebook because we know this person will see the personal information we share on our profile and get to know us. This carries risk, which requires prior built trust.
Seeing in this verse and the meaning of El-Roi changes when we consider the text in the context of knowledge and care. God already knows us because He created us. Our nature, thoughts, feelings, and desires are not a secret to Him: “But Jesus did not entrust himself to them, for he knew them all and needed no one to testify about man; for he himself knew what was in man.” (John 2:24-25* ) So, how can the name El-Roi be interpreted?
- God is present and caring
Hagar's case has a backstory. She runs away pregnant with Abram's child into the desert because her mistress Sarah begins to trouble her: “Sarah said to Abram: ‘You are responsible for my suffering. I gave you my maid in your embrace, and she, seeing that she is pregnant, began to look down on me. Let the Lord judge between you and me.’ Abram replied to Sarah: ‘Here is your maid in your power. Do with her as you wish.’ And Sarah began to trouble her so that she fled from her.” (Genesis 16:5-6* ) Hagar is persecuted by her mistress because she herself stands against her and does not submit. In our modern understanding, slavery is neither fair nor good, but in that historical period, there was another hierarchical structure. In it, servants had to obey those in power over them, and fleeing from a master was punished. We don't know if Hagar was pursued into the desert, but her flight could result in dehydration and death. What does God do, though, does He let the proud servant perish? No, on the contrary, He sends an angel to her. Some might say God shows mercy only because the child is Abram's son. But here’s what we find in the Lord’s word: The angel of the Lord said: “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” Then the angel of the Lord continued: “I will greatly multiply your offspring so they cannot be counted due to their multitude.” The angel of the Lord continued: “Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son and you shall name him Ishmael, because the Lord heard your distress.” (Genesis 16:9-11*, emphasis ours) The Lord hears and sees the distress of a helpless pregnant woman lost in the desert. He does not view Hagar just as a servant, a foreigner, a criminal deserving punishment, or a tool to achieve goals, as her mistress Sarah sees her. God is concerned both for the mother and the child. And for us. He is merciful and loving far beyond our understanding, hence His attention and active participation in each of our stories.
- God allows us to know Him
The verb “to know” is in an imperfect tense because we cannot fully know God here on earth. And yet, He, who is immeasurably higher than us in every regard, allows us, as much as is possible for humans, to see and understand Him. Is He obliged to do it? No, of course not, and yet, from creation to today, God reveals Himself through creation, through His works, with words, visions, prophecies, the written Word of God, in the thoughts and conscience of man, through circumstances. The faithful Moses desires to see the glory of God. Here’s what I Am replied: “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.” The Lord further said: “Here is a place near Me. Stand on this rock. When My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with My hand until I have passed by. When I remove My hand, you will see My back, but My face must not be seen.” (Exodus 33:20-23* ) How merciful and loving is Our Father! He knows we cannot bear His entire grandeur, and still, He does not isolate us from Him, but finds a way to draw near to us in a manner that allows us to understand Him as humans. The greatest manifestation of this mercy and love is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. If Moses cannot behold God’s face in the Old Testament, Judas can betray the Savior of the world with a kiss. God comes so near and directly to humanity that He allows one of His creations, a human being, to physically touch Him, even to harm Him. He comes so close, reveals Himself so absolutely, to convince us that He is here with us, that He hears and sees us. He is concerned, dear friend, He cares for you so deeply, loneliness is just an illusion, “The Lord is near.” (Philippians 4:5b* )
Thought for the week: God sees me both in moments when I long to be seen and when I try to hide because He cares.
*Biblical quotes are according to the text of the Bible, new translation from original languages © Bulgarian Bible Society 2013.
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